With only a few days left until Julius Jones is set to be executed by our blood-thirsty state for a murder he may or may not have committed, his family and supporters thought it would be a good idea to meet face-to-face with the man who ultimately holds Jone's fate in his hands – Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
I guess you can't really blame them.
Unless he's a sadistic asshole who wants to play this out until the 11th hour, if Stitt really wanted to commute Jones's sentence to life in prison, you think he'd have done so by now. He's had years to investigate this case, watch the documentaries, and read @ replies from angry celebrities. His mind has to be made up.
Naturally, Stitt – a brave, righteous and loving Christian man – dodged the meeting like it was a COVID-19 press conference.
Instead, he sent his communication bro Charlie Hannema to engage with the crowd. Instead of showing empathy, remorse, or a shred of compassion, Charlie put his hands in his pockets and smugly addressed the room with a brief statement, before quickly sneaking away through doors in the back, leaving only an ink pen for Jones's mother to hang onto.
Check this out:
Geeze. What a feckless putz, huh? You'd think a broseph who volunteers to "coach" pageant candidates to handle interview questions would be able to handle a high-pressure situation like that a little bit better:
Seriously, after the scene above, the only person Charlie should be coaching on public speaking is the old Miss Teen South Carolina. On that note, in case you're wondering why Kevin Stitt struggles with public speaking:
Based on my own experience, it always amazes me how so many people who suck at communications are able to get jobs working in communications.
Some people in conservative circles are sticking up for Charlie, claiming the entire "meeting" was nothing but a well-orchestrated publicity stunt designed to build sympathy and support for Jones. That may be, but I don't blame people for pulling "stunts" when their loved one's life is on the line for crimes he may or may not have committed.
On that note...
I, personally, am not 100% convinced of Jones' innocence, but I know a lot of smart and respectable people who are. Their interpretation of the investigation and trial is compelling. That, along with what I know about the biases of our criminal justice system, and the presumed biases of a predominately white jury of Edmondites, is enough to let me know his sentence should be commuted, and he shouldn't be executed for a crime he may or may not have committed.
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Around publish button time, word came out that Hannema and Stitt's legal counsel met with two Jones supporters.
