So a couple of days ago I'm listening to the radio on the way to work, and I hear this news story about a man in Dallas who was released from prison after it was discovered through investigation of DNA evidence that he was actually innocent. He had been arrested for a 1979 robbery and rape that he did not commit and had then served 30 years in prison for that crime.
On Tuesday, after spending most of his life behind bars, Cornelius Dupree, Jr. was finally set free. But I think the best part about this story is that in 2004, Dupree had a chance to be released from jail, but declined. In order to be set free, he would have to register as a sex offender and undergo additional therapy designed to rehabilitate those who have committed sex crimes. He refused, knowing that under these conditions, he would have to lie and say that he was guilty of this crime.
I think there's a lesson in this man's story--that sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to maintain our integrity. Even if it isn't on such a large scale, it's still important to stay true to yourself. Don't pretend to be someone else just because you're afraid of what other people might think or because you think that lying about who you are will produce a better short-term result. Think about how much easier life would be if we could wake up every day knowing that we had always stayed true to ourselves.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/06/AR2011010606056.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-exoneration_05met.ART.State.Edition1.148a91b.html
p.s. Check out my other blog, especially if you think these blogs are too wordy (Andy): cecinestpasunephoto.tumblr.com
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