LazySMS: gary gilmore
This post is part of my MillenniuM Education project. Herman Melville is referenced MillenniuM in season 1, episode: The Judge
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gilmore
Gary Gilmore (December 4, 1940 - January 17, 1977) was an American criminal who gained international notoriety, following two murders in Utah, for demanding that his death sentence be fulfilled (which Utah authorities had no intention of doing). He became the first person executed in the United States after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 after Gregg v. Georgia lifted the four-year moratorium instated by Furman v. Georgia.
Execution
Gilmore felt his execution would be retribution. In November 1976 he said, "They always want to get in on the act. I don't think they have ever really done anything effective in their lives. I would like them all - including that group of reverends and rabbis from Salt Lake City - to butt out. This is my life and this is my death. It's been sanctioned by the courts that I die and I accept that." The execution was set for sunrise on December 6, 1976, but three days earlier, Gilmore received a stay of execution. During the time Gilmore was on death row awaiting his execution, he attempted suicide twice, the first time on November 16 and the second exactly a month later. While incarcerated, Gilmore developed a deep dislike for two of his fellow inmates, convicted murderers and rapists Pierre Dale Selby and William Andrews, the "Hi-Fi Murderers." Gilmore had to pass the men's cells on his way to the firing squad and called out, "I'll see you in Hell, Andrews and Pierre!"
Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad on January 17, 1977, at 8:07 a.m., after angrily telling his lawyers to drop the appeals they had filed in defiance of his wishes. The night before, Gilmore had requested an all-night gathering of friends and family at the prison mess hall. On the morning of his execution, he enjoyed a last meal consisting of a hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, a baked potato, a few cups of coffee, and three shots of contraband whiskey. He was then taken to an abandoned cannery behind the prison which served as the prison's death house. He was strapped to a chair, with a wall of sandbags placed behind him to absorb the bullets. Five prison guards stood concealed behind a curtain with five small holes cut for them to place their rifles through which were aimed at him. After being asked for any last words, Gilmore simply replied, "Let's do it." Gilmore had requested that, following his execution, his eyes be used for transplant purposes. Within hours of the execution, two people received his corneas, inspiring the British punk rock band The Adverts to write and release "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" later that year as well as The Police's recording of "Bring on the Night". His body was sent for an autopsy and cremated later that day. The following day, his ashes were scattered from an airplane in Utah.
According to his brother Mikal Gilmore's memoir Shot in the Heart, Utah's tradition dictated that a firing squad comprise five men - four of them with live rounds, and one with a blank round, so that each of the shooters could cast doubt to having fired a fatal shot. However, upon inspecting the clothes worn by Gary Gilmore at his execution, Mikal noticed five holes in the shirt - indicating, he wrote, that "the state of Utah, apparently, had taken no chances on the morning that it put my brother to death" (p. 390).
Gilmore's story is documented in Norman Mailer's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Executioner's Song (1979), which was adapted by Mailer for the 1982 television movie of the same name starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gilmore. Jones won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Gilmore. Gilmore's brother's memoir Shot in the Heart was made into an HBO movie starring Giovanni Ribisi, Elias Koteas, and Sam Shepard.
I've added The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer to my library holds and the movie to my Netflix Queue (movie is being released on DVD August 5th). Also added Shot in the Heart to my netflix movie queue.
I've downloaded those two songs about Gilmore's corneas (WTF is up with that anyways?!?!?) The Adverts song is lame, a slight impression that they could have inspired My Chemical Romance's sound, but that's it. The Police song sounds like every Police song because all Police song's sound the same. I found no direct link to Gary Gilmore or his transplanted eyes in "Bring on the Night".
Additional suggested viewing material: Gilmore Girls season 5, episode 6 "Norman Mailer I'm Pregnant!" Ok so how strange is it that Norman Mailer, the author who won a prize for his novel on Gary Gilmore makes a guest apperance on a TV show called Gilmore Girls? ha! I'm so easily amused!
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gilmore
Gary Gilmore (December 4, 1940 - January 17, 1977) was an American criminal who gained international notoriety, following two murders in Utah, for demanding that his death sentence be fulfilled (which Utah authorities had no intention of doing). He became the first person executed in the United States after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 after Gregg v. Georgia lifted the four-year moratorium instated by Furman v. Georgia.
Execution
Gilmore felt his execution would be retribution. In November 1976 he said, "They always want to get in on the act. I don't think they have ever really done anything effective in their lives. I would like them all - including that group of reverends and rabbis from Salt Lake City - to butt out. This is my life and this is my death. It's been sanctioned by the courts that I die and I accept that." The execution was set for sunrise on December 6, 1976, but three days earlier, Gilmore received a stay of execution. During the time Gilmore was on death row awaiting his execution, he attempted suicide twice, the first time on November 16 and the second exactly a month later. While incarcerated, Gilmore developed a deep dislike for two of his fellow inmates, convicted murderers and rapists Pierre Dale Selby and William Andrews, the "Hi-Fi Murderers." Gilmore had to pass the men's cells on his way to the firing squad and called out, "I'll see you in Hell, Andrews and Pierre!"
Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad on January 17, 1977, at 8:07 a.m., after angrily telling his lawyers to drop the appeals they had filed in defiance of his wishes. The night before, Gilmore had requested an all-night gathering of friends and family at the prison mess hall. On the morning of his execution, he enjoyed a last meal consisting of a hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, a baked potato, a few cups of coffee, and three shots of contraband whiskey. He was then taken to an abandoned cannery behind the prison which served as the prison's death house. He was strapped to a chair, with a wall of sandbags placed behind him to absorb the bullets. Five prison guards stood concealed behind a curtain with five small holes cut for them to place their rifles through which were aimed at him. After being asked for any last words, Gilmore simply replied, "Let's do it." Gilmore had requested that, following his execution, his eyes be used for transplant purposes. Within hours of the execution, two people received his corneas, inspiring the British punk rock band The Adverts to write and release "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" later that year as well as The Police's recording of "Bring on the Night". His body was sent for an autopsy and cremated later that day. The following day, his ashes were scattered from an airplane in Utah.
According to his brother Mikal Gilmore's memoir Shot in the Heart, Utah's tradition dictated that a firing squad comprise five men - four of them with live rounds, and one with a blank round, so that each of the shooters could cast doubt to having fired a fatal shot. However, upon inspecting the clothes worn by Gary Gilmore at his execution, Mikal noticed five holes in the shirt - indicating, he wrote, that "the state of Utah, apparently, had taken no chances on the morning that it put my brother to death" (p. 390).
Gilmore's story is documented in Norman Mailer's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Executioner's Song (1979), which was adapted by Mailer for the 1982 television movie of the same name starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gilmore. Jones won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Gilmore. Gilmore's brother's memoir Shot in the Heart was made into an HBO movie starring Giovanni Ribisi, Elias Koteas, and Sam Shepard.
I've added The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer to my library holds and the movie to my Netflix Queue (movie is being released on DVD August 5th). Also added Shot in the Heart to my netflix movie queue.
I've downloaded those two songs about Gilmore's corneas (WTF is up with that anyways?!?!?) The Adverts song is lame, a slight impression that they could have inspired My Chemical Romance's sound, but that's it. The Police song sounds like every Police song because all Police song's sound the same. I found no direct link to Gary Gilmore or his transplanted eyes in "Bring on the Night".
Additional suggested viewing material: Gilmore Girls season 5, episode 6 "Norman Mailer I'm Pregnant!" Ok so how strange is it that Norman Mailer, the author who won a prize for his novel on Gary Gilmore makes a guest apperance on a TV show called Gilmore Girls? ha! I'm so easily amused!
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