TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In a show of strength and humility, the father of Felecia Williams, a 9-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in 2014, forgave his daughter’s killer in court Friday.
Granville Ritchie was found guilty of killing Felecia in Sept. 2019. Investigators said he had strangled the child to death before putting her body in a suitcase and dumping it near a causeway in May 2014.
MORE
I think sometimes people confuse "forgiveness" with "I'm not gonna kill you muthafucker". Cause any father would/should hold such disregard for someone that did that to their child, tat forgiveness is just not an option. So while on the outside, he's saying he forgives, his inner self has to be (better be) saying "you POS".
ReplyDeleteSome families take it much much further than just forgiveness. There was a girl who went over to South Africa to help the oppressed over there and it didn't end up well for her. Her family not only forgave the people who utterly destroyed her, they *lauded* them, gave them money, and even walked one of them down the aisle at a wedding.
Delete"
ReplyDeleteThe doctrine of hatred must be preached as the counteraction of the doctrine of love when that pules and whines. "
Ralph Waldo Wmerson
Forgiveness uncouples you from the anchor of the past. Lets you keep moving forward in life....
ReplyDeleteBut I would'nt hesitate to pull the trap door on the scaffold either... That thing is a crime against humanity, and it needs to be eradicated.
I respectfully disagree about him being a better man. Given a chance, the murdering rapist will do it again. Having him ofted is much better for society.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it just didn't get in the story, but it's not a good act to "forgive" someone who doesn't repent and ask for forgiveness. God doesn't that, and that should be our touchstone of what is good.
DeleteI agree. Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, sort of thing. I read the article and comments three times trying to reconcile my feelings to no avail. The forgiver tells the forgivee, almost charges him, " to pray harder than he has ever prayed in his life when he gets back to his cell".
DeleteI think that the father told this murderer that he knew his baby girl was calling out for him is earth shattering, breath takingly important. I just don't know how.
~ SinepuxentSerf
She was left at his house while the BABY SITTER went to buy drugs. The baby sitter should get the needle as well.
ReplyDeleteBlack on black rape, murder, & dump in the ocean of a 9 year old girl SIX YEARS AGO and that POS is just NOW getting sentenced to death. It's sad that the Dad did not have an opportunity for a tax payer relief shot back then, thus saving humanity and the taxpayers millions for the care and feeding of this POS for decades till they finally get around to ending this asshole.
ReplyDeleteSix to get the sentence, what, maybe another 15 to 20 for it to be carried out (if ever)?
DeleteI shook my head in disbelief when Reginald Denny forgave his assailants in court after they nearly killed him. To this day, Ron Goldman's father hasn't forgiven the POS OJ Simpson.
ReplyDeleteIn Reginald Denny's defense, he did have brain damage.
DeleteCan't you forgive a dead man ?
ReplyDeletechristians are supposed to forgive. that doesn't mean the criminal doesn't get punished. forgive him then blow his brains out.
ReplyDeleteThey say forgiveness is divine. Sorry but I'm not divine. I think in cases like this, a family member should be given the opportunity to throw the switch on 'ol sparky.
ReplyDeleteIn my case "I forgive you for killing my daughter" can be translated as meaning: "You're a dead Son-of-a-Bitch the minute I catch you alone somewhere. And I'll be looking."
ReplyDeleteThe wife of a friend of mine was beaten severely by a road-raging drug addict. When he went in to bail the guy out, the police wouldn't let him...
Delete