Sentenced to life in prison for absolutely nothing

            There are hundreds of wrongful convictions every year. Most of these wrongful convictions are caused by false eyewitness testimony. Robert Dewey was one of these people. He sat in jail for 17 years for something he didn’t do. What would you do in that situation?

            On June 4^th, 1994, a 19-year-old girl is found dead in her bathtub. Her name was Jacie Taylor. Robert Dewey was a suspect because the police heard from Taylor’s friends that she was afraid of him. Dewey became even more suspicious when he gave the police a fake name. The police found a shirt of Dewey’s with oil, grease, and bloodstains on it and think that the blood was from the victim. Dewey said it was his own blood, but the police didn’t believe him. When they ran DNA tests on the blood, it came up as a match to the victim, Dewey, and 45 percent of the population. Fingernail scrapings of the victim were taken to get the DNA of the attacker, as well as samples of semen found on the blanket. Both of these were tested and came up as a negative match to Dewey. Even with this setback, the prosecutor built a circumstantial case against Dewey. They said that the blood on the t-shirt he was wearing the day of the crime we a match to the victim. They said that the only reason the fingernail scrapings and semen didn’t match Dewey was because he had had an accomplice. The prosecution also emphasized Dewey’s suspicious actions in the beginning of the investigation. Despite the weakness of the prosecutor’s arguments, Dewey was found guilty of first-degree murder and sexual assault. In 2007, Dewey and his attorney contacted the Innocence project. The DNA was retested and Dewey was found not guilty. The DNA that was found matched the DNA of a man who was already serving a life sentence for a home invasion rape and murder. After 17 years spent in jail for something he didn’t do, Robert Dewey walked away a free man.

            I feel that this is a massive injustice. There is no reason for this man to have served 17 years of his life in a prison for something he did not do. It is unimaginable the amount of psychological pain he is in right now. I mean I even get sad when someone wrongfully accuses me of eating his or her cookie. Stories like this make me disappointed in the justice system and investigations today. These demonstrate that some people are content with just closing the doors on a case and not caring if the right person is locked up. The only thing that matters is that the public sees that they have put someone behind bars. I am sure that this is not representative of a vast majority of the police force and justice system, but the fact that it happens at all is just horrific. I would like to take a moment of silence for the officers and judges who are doing good work and solving cases to find the true suspect.

Thank you for your participation in that moment of silence. I think that the people that are put through this kind of injustice should be heavily compensated for the years they spent in prison. It seems like the only thing that can even come close to helping these people deal with the pain.

What we eat

The foods we eat are the real deciding factors in our health. The decision between the fries or the salad can have a big impact on the way our bodies function later down the road. Nobody wants to have diabetes. Nobody wants to be so large that they are unable to walk. While many people try to combat these problems with pills or surgery, they don’t often work. This movie shows that there may be one way to stop and even reverse these issues that is so simple, yet so obvious, that it just might work.

This movie follows the studies of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. and Dr. T. Colin Campbell, as well as two men who go to an alternative physician about their health problems. Both Esselstyn and Campbell grew up on dairy farms, producing what was considered “the perfect food,” also known as milk. Both men went to high-end colleges and began studying nutrition. Campbell did a study in China that showed that those people that did not consume meat or dairy products had a much lower risk of cancer than those that did consume meat or dairy products. Campbell promotes a whole-foods plant-based diet, and helps other people who are in need of a dietary change in their life. Esselstyn did a study with mice in feeding them a diet of 5% fat and 20% fat. The ones who had a diet of 20% fat had a drastically increased risk of heart disease. The ones with a 5% fat diet showed almost no signs of any heart problems or diseases. In another test, he switched mice from a 5% diet to a 20% diet and back again a few times. He observed that the mice not only stopped but also reversed the risk of heart disease when they were put on the 5% diet. Esselstyn also promotes a whole-foods plant-based diet and helps people get on the right dietary track. The film also follows a man who “lives to eat.” He has many prescription pills he has to take plus a shot. He is put on a vegan diet and all of his health problems are distinctly diminished. He loses weight and his risk for heart disease is dramatically lowered. All because of a whole-foods plant-based diet.

I think that this movie can really have an impact on somebody. Someone who may or may not be facing health issues and is open to alternative ways of staying healthy. I, on the other hand, am not necessarily opposed to alternative ways of staying healthy, but I am not concerned about the foods I eat affecting my health. I have grown up in a household that favors healthy food options so I do not feel like I have become addicted to the eating habits that can kill you. I do eat meat and I do not feel I am ready to stop eating meat, but I do think I will try to eat less of it and choose the healthier option. I already try to not drink too much soda and eat unhealthy snacks. My step-mom is doing a 30-day vegan challenge right now so it is interesting to eat things that are not prepared with any meat or dairy products. I am mostly happy with the way I live my life, but I think I can make a few better choices that could help me in the long run.