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It was Dr Martin Luther King Jr who declared: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In an effort to dissect Dr. King’s statement, I would like to draw a mental picture for you. Imagine having your life stretched out before you. Your future is full of promise and limitless possibilities. And then, as all who have reached the age of reasoning must do, you come to a fork in the road.
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One road is paved with moral fortitude, unyielding promise, success, important milestones, hope, integrity, right living, beautiful rites of passage and a life lived to the full. The other road is littered with poor choices, missed opportunities, certain heartache, unbelievable regret, mental anguish, arrested development and imprisonment. Tragically, in an act of youthful defiance, you alter the course of your life by choosing the wrong road. You commit a non-violent offense. And as a result of that ill-fated decision, you are sentenced to life behind bars.
Regrettably, my cousin Scott Barmore (for whom this website was created), does not have to imagine such a fate. The foregoing scenario is his story. At 18 years old, Scott committed two counts of robbery that altered the course of his life. Today Scott is 43 years old, and serving 60 years to life in prison. For the last 23 years, he has appealed his sentence – to no avail. His devoted mother, Karol, has also paid several attorneys – without any appreciable result. His dedicated brother, Dominique, has also published online petitions and created social media pages to help Scott regain his freedom. Those efforts notwithstanding, Scott remains incarcerated. Moreover, without an act of clemency or some other intervention, Scott – who has only served one-third of his prison sentence – will not be released until he is 80 years old.
If you will, I now ask you to ponder the life of an average 80 year old man or woman. From the age of 18 until the age of 80, he or she will have lived a very storied life. No doubt he or she will have likely learned a skilled trade, or graduated from college and perhaps gone on to get a graduate degree. Some will have started a career and climbed the corporate ladder. Others will have started his or her own business, while others may have decided to stay home and raise a family. Still others will have decided to serve their country. Most will have likely fallen in love – at least once or many times over. Some will have gotten married, while others will have formed a domestic partnership or made the decision to remain single. Others will have had children and watched them grow. They will have eaten countless dinners with their family and taken countless vacations, if they were so fortunate. They will have likely developed lifelong friendships and had five or more high school and college reunions. Perhaps they will have also voted in at least 12 presidential elections and countless state and local elections. They will also have seen countless sunrises and sunsets, as they breathed the fresh air of freedom. They will have attended a number of their children’s recitals, plays, sporting events and school graduations. They will also know the utter joy of watching their own children fall in love – just as they did. They will have walked their daughter(s) down the aisle or been the proud parents of either the bride or groom. They will have likely gotten the call that he or she will soon be a doting grandparent. They will then have the sweet blessing of witnessing their own children become parents. Some will then watch their grandchildren grow up to have their own children – thereby making them a great grandparent. From the age of 18 to the age of 80, they will have also seen immense changes in technology. Moreover, they will likely have lived through the death of parents, but had the blessed opportunity to attend their mother or father’s funeral. The point being that, with their freedom, they will have lived. I therefore ask you to think of the time that will have been lived in the 60 plus years between the age of 18 and the age of 80. Being trapped in a prison cell, Scott may very well miss out on all of the above and more!
All that said, my name is Stacy McCaskill and I am Scott Barmore’s cousin. I created this website because I believe that God has called me to help shed a light on Scott’s story. I am steadfast in my belief that someone -- or many -- chosen by God will read Scott’s story and be compelled to help us with Scott’s quest for freedom. Furthermore, there is no question in my mind, or in my heart, that Scott’s life has immense value and that he is truly worthy of a second chance. Thus, as the name of this website aptly suggests, this is the next step in our family’s quest to get “Justice for Scott!”
To say the least, to the hearts and minds of myself and all of Scott’s family, it is cruel and unusual punishment that Scott should be deprived of a future – based on a mistake that he made at 18 years old. Granted, an argument can surely be made that at 18 years old, Scott knew right from wrong. Our family fully concedes that point. Of course Scott knew right from wrong! That being a fact, lest we be misunderstood in our intentions, I would like to state very unequivocally that neither myself, nor any of our family members condone the fact that Scott broke the law. Robbery is wrong. It is a crime! We are therefore not dismissing the fact that Scott should have been held accountable for his actions. But, we also believe that -- after spending 23 years in prison -- Scott has paid his debt to society. Thus, we cannot remain seated – and just go on living our lives – while Scott is buried alive under the weight of a disproportionate prison sentence that has branded him irredeemable. Some criminals, who commit murder and other heinous crimes, receive far less time than 60 years to life -- and they eventually walk free. How can that be justice?! In truth and fact, it is a travesty of justice. To my mind, true justice is NOT cruel. True justice is fundamentally fair. It is proportional to the crime and not excessively punitive. It is also merciful. But, such is not the case where Scott’s sentence is concerned.
Moreover, in a civilized nation such as the United States of America, life imprisonment, for committing robbery at 18 years old, is NOT justice. Scott is not a threat to society. He has neither committed a violent crime, nor has Scott done anyone bodily harm. Scott has also not committed a crime so heinous that he should be deemed an ongoing threat to society. Scott is a nonviolent human being, who made a very foolish mistake in his youth. Yes, Scott was wrong. But, I believe that Scott is entitled to compassion and mercy. As Jesus said in John 8:7 – “Let he that is without sin among you, cast the first stone.” This is to say that we have all made mistakes. Our mistakes may not have not been illegal, but Jesus is the only human being who ever walked the Earth and lived a sinless life. Furthermore, if you believe in God -- as our family does -- then you know that God is merciful. And if you are a Christian, you also know that Jesus died for our sins. Surely Scott is included in that grace and mercy. Is he not?!
And so, mindful of God’s grace and mercy, this website is our family’s mayday call on Scott’s behalf. As Robert F. Kennedy so eloquently avowed: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. “ Thus, on behalf of my beloved cousin Scott Barmore, his parents Karol McCaskill-Emmons and Dwight Barmore Sr, his brothers Dominique and DJ, his sister Angie, as well as the McCaskill family, the Barmore Family and the Emmons, this website is our ripple. It is our sincerest hope that Almighty God will magnify our efforts and use as many of you who are willing – to touch and agree with us. Together, I believe that we can start a tsunami of hope that will pave the way to Scott’s freedom!
That being said, if you would like to help in Scott’s quest to regain his freedom, we would very much appreciate your assistance. Let me also state, for the record, that we are NOT – in any way, shape or form – asking for your financial aid. Instead, as we are promised in Matthew 18: 19-20: “If two or more of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in Heaven will do it for you. For where two or more gathered together in my name, I am there in he midst.” We are thus asking you to touch and agree with us by becoming one of Scott’s Justice Ambassadors. You can do this by using your public influence an social reach to help with Scott’s cause.
In concert with the foregoing, we ask you to use your social media platforms to help us spread the word about Scott’s case, by publishing this web address (www.JusticeForScott.com) on your Twitter, Instagram or Facebook page and please use the hashtags: #JusticeForScott, #FreeScottBarmore, #JusticeForScottBarmore. Please also publish Scott's YouTube page (here) on your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page. We also ask you to tell as many people as you can to do the same, so that we can bring some much needed attention to Scott’s cause. This is our good faith effort to bring as much publicity as we can to Scott’s case – in the hopes that it will help Scott regain his freedom!
I also invite you to read my interview with Scott (here) and view Scott’s YouTube video (here) – where you can hear him speak in his own words. As you will see from the interview, Scott is truly contrite. He also takes full responsibility for the crimes that he committed. Scott is also very respectful, introspective, wiser and fully committed to using the rest of his life to make a positive contribution to this world. It is therefore our sincerest hope that Almighty God will magnify our efforts and use as many of you who are willing – to grant Scott his freedom! As we are promised in Luke 1:37: “For with GOD, nothing shall be impossible!” Knowing that God is always true to His word, I genuinely believe -- in my soul -- that this is God’s appointed time for Scott to finally be set free! That being a fact, on behalf of Scott and our entire family, we thank you for your anticipated care, compassion and help in our quest to get "Justice For Scott!"
To God be the glory!
Regrettably, my cousin Scott Barmore (for whom this website was created), does not have to imagine such a fate. The foregoing scenario is his story. At 18 years old, Scott committed two counts of robbery that altered the course of his life. Today Scott is 43 years old, and serving 60 years to life in prison. For the last 23 years, he has appealed his sentence – to no avail. His devoted mother, Karol, has also paid several attorneys – without any appreciable result. His dedicated brother, Dominique, has also published online petitions and created social media pages to help Scott regain his freedom. Those efforts notwithstanding, Scott remains incarcerated. Moreover, without an act of clemency or some other intervention, Scott – who has only served one-third of his prison sentence – will not be released until he is 80 years old.
If you will, I now ask you to ponder the life of an average 80 year old man or woman. From the age of 18 until the age of 80, he or she will have lived a very storied life. No doubt he or she will have likely learned a skilled trade, or graduated from college and perhaps gone on to get a graduate degree. Some will have started a career and climbed the corporate ladder. Others will have started his or her own business, while others may have decided to stay home and raise a family. Still others will have decided to serve their country. Most will have likely fallen in love – at least once or many times over. Some will have gotten married, while others will have formed a domestic partnership or made the decision to remain single. Others will have had children and watched them grow. They will have eaten countless dinners with their family and taken countless vacations, if they were so fortunate. They will have likely developed lifelong friendships and had five or more high school and college reunions. Perhaps they will have also voted in at least 12 presidential elections and countless state and local elections. They will also have seen countless sunrises and sunsets, as they breathed the fresh air of freedom. They will have attended a number of their children’s recitals, plays, sporting events and school graduations. They will also know the utter joy of watching their own children fall in love – just as they did. They will have walked their daughter(s) down the aisle or been the proud parents of either the bride or groom. They will have likely gotten the call that he or she will soon be a doting grandparent. They will then have the sweet blessing of witnessing their own children become parents. Some will then watch their grandchildren grow up to have their own children – thereby making them a great grandparent. From the age of 18 to the age of 80, they will have also seen immense changes in technology. Moreover, they will likely have lived through the death of parents, but had the blessed opportunity to attend their mother or father’s funeral. The point being that, with their freedom, they will have lived. I therefore ask you to think of the time that will have been lived in the 60 plus years between the age of 18 and the age of 80. Being trapped in a prison cell, Scott may very well miss out on all of the above and more!
All that said, my name is Stacy McCaskill and I am Scott Barmore’s cousin. I created this website because I believe that God has called me to help shed a light on Scott’s story. I am steadfast in my belief that someone -- or many -- chosen by God will read Scott’s story and be compelled to help us with Scott’s quest for freedom. Furthermore, there is no question in my mind, or in my heart, that Scott’s life has immense value and that he is truly worthy of a second chance. Thus, as the name of this website aptly suggests, this is the next step in our family’s quest to get “Justice for Scott!”
To say the least, to the hearts and minds of myself and all of Scott’s family, it is cruel and unusual punishment that Scott should be deprived of a future – based on a mistake that he made at 18 years old. Granted, an argument can surely be made that at 18 years old, Scott knew right from wrong. Our family fully concedes that point. Of course Scott knew right from wrong! That being a fact, lest we be misunderstood in our intentions, I would like to state very unequivocally that neither myself, nor any of our family members condone the fact that Scott broke the law. Robbery is wrong. It is a crime! We are therefore not dismissing the fact that Scott should have been held accountable for his actions. But, we also believe that -- after spending 23 years in prison -- Scott has paid his debt to society. Thus, we cannot remain seated – and just go on living our lives – while Scott is buried alive under the weight of a disproportionate prison sentence that has branded him irredeemable. Some criminals, who commit murder and other heinous crimes, receive far less time than 60 years to life -- and they eventually walk free. How can that be justice?! In truth and fact, it is a travesty of justice. To my mind, true justice is NOT cruel. True justice is fundamentally fair. It is proportional to the crime and not excessively punitive. It is also merciful. But, such is not the case where Scott’s sentence is concerned.
Moreover, in a civilized nation such as the United States of America, life imprisonment, for committing robbery at 18 years old, is NOT justice. Scott is not a threat to society. He has neither committed a violent crime, nor has Scott done anyone bodily harm. Scott has also not committed a crime so heinous that he should be deemed an ongoing threat to society. Scott is a nonviolent human being, who made a very foolish mistake in his youth. Yes, Scott was wrong. But, I believe that Scott is entitled to compassion and mercy. As Jesus said in John 8:7 – “Let he that is without sin among you, cast the first stone.” This is to say that we have all made mistakes. Our mistakes may not have not been illegal, but Jesus is the only human being who ever walked the Earth and lived a sinless life. Furthermore, if you believe in God -- as our family does -- then you know that God is merciful. And if you are a Christian, you also know that Jesus died for our sins. Surely Scott is included in that grace and mercy. Is he not?!
And so, mindful of God’s grace and mercy, this website is our family’s mayday call on Scott’s behalf. As Robert F. Kennedy so eloquently avowed: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. “ Thus, on behalf of my beloved cousin Scott Barmore, his parents Karol McCaskill-Emmons and Dwight Barmore Sr, his brothers Dominique and DJ, his sister Angie, as well as the McCaskill family, the Barmore Family and the Emmons, this website is our ripple. It is our sincerest hope that Almighty God will magnify our efforts and use as many of you who are willing – to touch and agree with us. Together, I believe that we can start a tsunami of hope that will pave the way to Scott’s freedom!
That being said, if you would like to help in Scott’s quest to regain his freedom, we would very much appreciate your assistance. Let me also state, for the record, that we are NOT – in any way, shape or form – asking for your financial aid. Instead, as we are promised in Matthew 18: 19-20: “If two or more of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in Heaven will do it for you. For where two or more gathered together in my name, I am there in he midst.” We are thus asking you to touch and agree with us by becoming one of Scott’s Justice Ambassadors. You can do this by using your public influence an social reach to help with Scott’s cause.
In concert with the foregoing, we ask you to use your social media platforms to help us spread the word about Scott’s case, by publishing this web address (www.JusticeForScott.com) on your Twitter, Instagram or Facebook page and please use the hashtags: #JusticeForScott, #FreeScottBarmore, #JusticeForScottBarmore. Please also publish Scott's YouTube page (here) on your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page. We also ask you to tell as many people as you can to do the same, so that we can bring some much needed attention to Scott’s cause. This is our good faith effort to bring as much publicity as we can to Scott’s case – in the hopes that it will help Scott regain his freedom!
I also invite you to read my interview with Scott (here) and view Scott’s YouTube video (here) – where you can hear him speak in his own words. As you will see from the interview, Scott is truly contrite. He also takes full responsibility for the crimes that he committed. Scott is also very respectful, introspective, wiser and fully committed to using the rest of his life to make a positive contribution to this world. It is therefore our sincerest hope that Almighty God will magnify our efforts and use as many of you who are willing – to grant Scott his freedom! As we are promised in Luke 1:37: “For with GOD, nothing shall be impossible!” Knowing that God is always true to His word, I genuinely believe -- in my soul -- that this is God’s appointed time for Scott to finally be set free! That being a fact, on behalf of Scott and our entire family, we thank you for your anticipated care, compassion and help in our quest to get "Justice For Scott!"
To God be the glory!
Stacy McCaskill