Archive for June, 2002
A Time For Clemency
About a month ago, I curled up on my favorite recliner with a hot cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. My 6 a.m. ritual—reading the paper quietly before my noisy family wakes up—is a relaxing way to ease into my day. (Well, relaxing as long as there are no articles about Amy Fisher!)
This particular Sunday, as I flipped through the paper, I came across an article called “Seeking Mercy for Mom.” As I started reading, an overwhelming sadness came over me. It was about an elderly woman, Marie La Pinta, trapped in prison for 19 years over a domestic squabble that led to the death of her husband, Michael La Pinta.
Judging Amy
There I was, sitting in class, proud of myself for trying to put my life together and become a benefit to society instead of a pariah. I was 24 and reinventing myself in college with a new name and a different look. It was great to be in this atmosphere, working toward my degree, among 18-year-olds who were on schedule with their lives. They didn’t know who I was; they were just kids back when my face was all over the news.
Every day I sat quietly in that classroom, hiding behind my Jackie O glasses, confident that I wouldn’t be recognized.
