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My Dad’s final wish was that I play a video for everyone at his funeral. I was ready to fulfill it until I saw what he left behind –

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My Dad’s final wish was that I play a video for everyone at his funeral. I was ready to fulfill it until I saw what he left behind. Torn between honoring his memory and protecting our family from a painful truth, I made the hardest choice of my life.

I’m shaking as I write this, my skin burning from endless crying. Who can I turn to? The guilt is crushing me. Dad, if you’re watching from above, please forgive me. I’m Peter, and this secret, this choice, it’s eating me alive. This is the story that will haunt me until my dying breath…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Cancer. One word of a diagnosis that tore my world apart.

My Dad, Barney, was all I had ever since I clutched onto his little finger at Mom’s funeral when I was five. Dad had been my pillar every step of the way.

At 75, he was such a strong man until his cancer diagnosis. It was like they dropped a bomb in our lives.

I stared at the calendar on my kitchen wall, each day marked off with a shaky red X. Counting down the days until… I couldn’t even finish the thought.

My wife Lara walked in, concern etched on her face. “Peter? You okay, honey?”

I wiped my eyes quickly, but my voice still cracked. “Yeah, just thinking about Dad. It’s hitting me hard today.”

She wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, Peter. I know it’s tough. Your Dad is such an amazing man. Remember when he taught Damien how to ride a bike? The way his eyes lit up with pride.”

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. “He was always there for us, wasn’t he? God, Lara, I don’t know how to do this. How to say goodbye.”

My mind was already drifting back to that day in the hospital room when I met Dad.

The antiseptic smell of the hospital burned my nostrils as I walked into Dad’s room. He looked so small in that big bed, hooked up to all those machines.

But when he saw me, his face lit up with that bright smile.

“There’s my boy,” he said, his voice weaker than I remembered.

I sat down next to him, taking his hand. It felt papery and fragile in mine. “How are you feeling today, Dad?” I forced a small voice.

He chuckled, then winced. “Oh, you know. Like a million bucks. Minus about nine hundred ninety-nine thousand!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, he was trying to keep my spirits up.

“Dad, you don’t have to put on a brave face for me,” I said softly. “It’s okay to not be okay.”

His eyes misted over. “I know, son. But seeing you smile, it’s the best medicine I could ask for. You’ve always been my greatest joy, you know that?”

We talked for a while, reminiscing about fishing trips and backyard barbecues. Lara and my son Damien joined us, filling the room with warmth and laughter.

After a while, Dad’s eyes met mine. “Peter, can we talk privately for a minute?”

My stomach clenched, but I nodded. Lara ushered Damien out, leaving us alone.

Dad’s grip on my hand tightened. “Peter, will you do something for me? It’s important.”

“Yes, Dad…” I answered, choking back tears. “Anything. You know that.”

He reached for something on his bedside table, his movements slow and pained.

“I want you to play this video at my funeral, in front of our entire family. It’s very important, something everyone should know. Will you do this, son?”

He handed me a small camcorder, his eyes pleading. I could see the desperation there and the need for this final request to be fulfilled.

I swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to break down. “Of course, Dad. I promise. I’ll make sure everyone sees it.”

Relief cloaked his face, and for a moment, he looked like his old self again. “Thank you, son. I love you. You’ve always been the one I could count on.”

We hugged, and I felt his fragile body in my arms.

It was our last embrace, and I tried to memorize every detail — the feel of his thinning hair against my cheek, the scent of his aftershave mixed with hospital antiseptic.

“I love you too, Dad,” I whispered. “More than you’ll ever know.”

The next day, Dad slipped away peacefully in his sleep. I was numb as I made the funeral arrangements, going through the motions like a robot.

The coffin arrived, smelling of flowers and scented candles, and the sight of my family dressed somberly ached my heart, knowing that Dad was gone, happily united with his sweetheart in heaven.

As the funeral preparations were almost ready, I decided to watch the video Dad had wanted me to play first.

Not that I doubted his intentions as he was such a sweet man. But I was just curious and afraid that I’d lose control of my emotions during the funeral and start crying.

So, alone in the quiet of my living room, I took Dad’s camcorder and hit play.

Dad’s face filled the screen, looking tired but determined. He started with thanks and memories, his words making me smile through my tears.

“Hello, everyone. If you’re watching this, I guess I’ve finally kicked the bucket,” he began, his familiar humor shining through. “First off, I want to thank you all for being a part of my life. The memories we’ve shared. They’ve been the greatest gift a man could ask for.”

But then, his tone changed. His eyes hardened, and he cleared his throat. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“But I’m here, not just to say goodbye, but to tell the truth. For the past few years, ever since I was diagnosed with cancer, all of you have been so mean and ignorant.”

I froze, unable to believe what I was hearing. This couldn’t be my Dad, the man who’d raised me with nothing but love and kindness.

But he continued, his words growing harsher with each passing moment.

He accused family members of lies, of abandonment, of using him. It was like listening to a stranger wearing my father’s face.

“You were all vultures, waiting for me to die,” he spat. “The only ones who genuinely cared were Peter, Lara, and my grandson. The rest of you can go to hell. And stop being fake, at least after I’m gone.”

The video ended, and I sat in stunned silence, my mind reeling. How could I possibly show this to everyone? It would destroy them and tarnish every good memory they had of Dad.

Tears streamed down my face as I rewound the video, watching it again and again, searching for any sign of the loving father I knew. But all I saw was bitterness and anger.

I don’t know how long I sat there, trying to process what I’d just seen and heard. The sound of Lara’s footsteps snapped me back to reality.

“Peter? What are you doing up so late?”

I quickly turned off the camcorder, forcing a smile. “Just looking at some old videos of Dad. Couldn’t sleep.”

She sat down next to me, rubbing my back. “Do you want to talk about it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shook my head, the weight of my secret already crushing me as we headed to our bedroom.

“No, I’m okay. Just remembering. It’s hard, you know? Seeing him like that, knowing I’ll never hear his voice again.”

“I know, honey. Your Dad was such a great man. We were all lucky to have him in our lives.”

As she headed back to bed, I stared at the camcorder, my mind racing. I couldn’t let his last words be that. It wasn’t who he really was. It couldn’t be.

With a heavy heart, I made my decision. I would edit the video and keep only the good parts that showed the man we all loved.

As I set to work, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was betraying my father’s last wish. But I knew, deep down, that I was protecting his true legacy of love, not bitterness.

The day of the funeral arrived, gray and somber. As I stood at the front of the church, the modified video ready to play, my heart raced.

Uncle Dave approached me, his eyes red-rimmed. “You okay, Pete? You look like you’re about to be sick.”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, just, you know. It’s hard. I keep expecting Dad to walk through those doors, tell us this was all a bad joke.”

Uncle Dave nodded, clapping me on the shoulder. “I know what you mean. Your old man was one in a million. We’re all gonna miss him. He always knew how to light up a room, didn’t he?”

As he walked away, guilt twisted in my chest. If only he knew what Dad had really said about him and everyone else.

The service began, and before I knew it, it was time for the video. My palms were sweaty as I pressed play.

Dad’s face appeared on the screen, and a collective gasp went through the crowd. He looked tired but happy, his eyes twinkling with that familiar light.

“Hello, everyone,” he began. “If you’re watching this, I guess I’ve finally kicked the bucket…”

A few chuckles rippled through the audience.

Dad continued, his voice warm and full of love. “I just wanted to say thank you. To all of you. For the laughs, the memories, the love. You’ve made my life rich beyond measure. Each one of you has touched my heart in ways I can never fully express.”

I watched as people wiped their eyes, smiling through their tears.

This was the Dad they knew, the Dad I knew. The real Dad, not the angry, bitter man from the unedited video.

As the video

ended with Dad’s “goodbye,” I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I’d made the right choice. Hadn’t I?

After the service, Aunt Sarah hugged me tight, her body shaking with sobs. “That was beautiful, Peter. Your father, he really loved us all, didn’t he? I’ll never forget his kindness, his laughter.”

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat as we headed to the cemetery.

As everyone paid their last respects, sharing stories and memories of Dad, I approached the casket, placing my hand on the smooth wood.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I hope you understand why I did it. I love you. I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

Weeks have passed, but the weight of my decision still sits heavy on my chest. Each night, I lie awake, replaying that video in my mind.

I hope that somewhere, somehow, Dad understands and forgives me.

But I know this is a secret I’ll take to my grave, forever questioning if I made the right choice. Did I preserve his true legacy, or did I deny him his final truth? The question haunts me, and I know it always will.

 

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Guy Fawkes’ punishment was one of the most severe in English history – here’s what happens when a body is hung, drawn and quartered

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Fawkes and his co-conspirators were sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering. Crispijn van de Passe the Elder/ Wikimedia Commons

After their infamous plot to destroy parliament was foiled, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators received one of the most severe judicial sentences in English history: hanging, drawing and quartering. According to the Treason Act 1351 , this punishment involved…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

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  • Michelle SpearProfessor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.

This process aimed not only to inflict excruciating pain on the condemned, but to serve as a deterrent – demonstrating the fate of those who betrayed the Crown. While Fawkes reportedly jumped from the gallows – which meant he avoided the full extent of his punishment – his co-conspirators apparently weren’t so lucky.

By dissecting each stage of this medieval punishment from an anatomical perspective, we can understand the profound agony each of them endured.

Torture for confession

Before his public execution on January 31 1606, Fawkes was tortured to force a confession about his involvement in the “gunpowder plot”.

The Tower of London records confirm that King James I personally authorised “the gentler tortures first”. Accounts reveal that Fawkes was stretched on the rack – a device designed to slowly pull the limbs in opposite directions. This stretching inflicted severe trauma on the shoulders, elbows and hips, as well as the spine.

The forces exerted by the rack probably exceeded those required for joint or hip dislocation under normal conditions.

Substantive differences between Fawkes’ signatures on confessions between November 8 and shortly before his execution may indicate the amount of nerve and soft tissue damage sustained. It also illustrates how remarkable his final leap from the gallows was.

An engraving depicting a person being tortured on the rack.
The rack slowly pulled a prisoner’s limbs in opposite directions. Wellcome Collection/ Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA

Stage 1: hanging (partial strangulation)

After surviving the torture of the rack, Fawkes and his gang faced the next stage of their punishment: hanging. But this form of hanging only partially strangled the condemned – preserving their consciousness and prolonging their suffering.

Partial strangulation exerts extreme pressure on several critical neck structures. The hyoid bone , a small u-shaped structure above the larynx, is prone to bruising or fracture under compression .

Simultaneously, pressure on the carotid arteries restricts blood flow to the brain, while compression of the jugular veins causes pooling of blood in the head – probably resulting in visible haemorrhages in the eyes and face.

Because the larynx and trachea (both essential for airflow) are partially obstructed, this makes breathing laboured. Strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles in the neck can lead to tearing, muscle spasms or dislocation of the vertebra – causing severe pain. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Fawkes brought his agony to a premature end by leaping from the gallows. Accounts from the time tell us:

His body being weak with the torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder – yet with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall.

This probably caused him to suffer a bilateral fracture of his second cervical vertebra, assisted by his own bodyweight – an injury known as the “hangman’s fracture” .

Stage 2: Drawing (disembowelment)

After enduring partial hanging, the victim would then be “drawn” – a process which involved disembowelling them while still alive. This act mainly targeted the organs of the abdominal cavity – including the intestines, liver and kidney, as well as major blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta.

The physiological response to disembowelment would have been immediate and severe. The abdominal cavity possesses a high concentration of pain receptors – particularly around the membranous lining of the abdomen . When punctured, these pain receptors would have sent intense pain signals to the brain, overwhelming the body’s capacity for pain management . Shock would soon follow due to the rapid drop in blood pressure caused by massive amounts of blood loss.

Stage 3: quartering (dismemberment)

Quartering was also supposed to be performed while the victim was still alive. Though no accounts exist detailing at what phase victims typically lost consciousness during execution, it’s highly unlikely many survived the shock of being drawn.

So, at this stage, publicity superseded punishment given the victim’s likely earlier demise. Limbs that were removed from criminals were preserved by boiling them with spices. These were then toured around the country to act as a deterrent for others.

Though accounts suggest Fawkes’s body parts were sent to “the four corners of the United Kingdom”, there is no specific record of what was sent where. However, his head was displayed in London .

Traitor’s punishment

The punishment of hanging, drawing and quartering was designed to be as anatomically devastating as it was psychologically terrifying. Each stage of the process exploited the vulnerabilities of the human body to create maximum pain and suffering, while also serving as a grim reminder of the consequences of treason.

This punishment also gives us an insight into how medieval justice systems used the body as a canvas for social and political messaging. Fawkes’s fate, though unimaginable today, exemplifies the extremes to which the state could, and would, go to maintain control, power and authority over its subjects.

The sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was officially removed from English law as part of the Forfeiture Act of 1870 .

 

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OPINION: 4 Children Who Were Sentenced to life imprisonment At A Young Age And what They Did

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There are many unusual things happening across the world. Children are charming and lovely, yet others are really dangerous and have been involved in a variety of illegal activities in society.

In this post, we’ll look at four children who were condemned to life in jail Please keep in mind that some of these children are now adults…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

1. Joshua Phillips:

Joshua Phillips stabbed his neighbor’s eight-year-old daughter and put the girl’s body under his bed at home. After eight days, his mother discovered the body.

Joshua Phillips was fourteen years old when he committed this act, according to reports, and he was sentenced to life in jail.

Take a look at how Joshua Phillips is now.

2. Eric Smith:

Eric Smith, according to sources, was condemned to life in jail many years ago. Eric Smith was just 13 years old when he hit a 4-year-old boy with a rock and killed him.

Following multiple conversations with Eric, he stated that he was bullied by several senior kids at his school and that he killed the youngster because he was irritated and upset. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

3. Lionel Tate:

Lionel Tate was one of the youngest people to get a life sentence.

According to sources, when he was 13 years old, Lionel Tate killed his neighbor’s six-year-old daughter.

Lionel Tate claimed he was boxing with the young girl.

4. Brian Lee Draper:

Brian Lee Draper was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for murdering a classmate, according to reports.

The murder was committed by Brian Lee Draper and his friend Torey Adamcik, who was sixteen years old at the time.

Parents should always endeavor to teach their children how to be good children, as well as pray for them.

 

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Lady Caught Feeding Neighbor’s Baby With Faeces & Urine Speaks From Prison, Gives This Ugly Reason

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A woman named Stella Namwanje was arrested in Uganda for allegedly committing an atrocious act against her neighbor’s baby. Reports indicate that she was caught on video defecating and urinating on the infant before feeding him the waste. This shocking behavior has drawn widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns about the child’s welfare…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The incident took place in the Binyonyi A area of the Nyendo-Mukungwe division. Local authorities acted swiftly after the disturbing footage circulated on social media, prompting community outrage. The police have since taken Namwanje into custody to investigate the circumstances surrounding her actions and ensure the safety of the child.

The case has sparked discussions about the need for stronger measures to protect vulnerable individuals, especially children, from abuse. It highlights the alarming reality of child torture and the psychological issues that may drive such behavior. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

As the investigation unfolds, the community is rallying to support the affected family and prevent similar incidents in the future. The legal proceedings against Namwanje will likely focus on the extent of her actions and the necessary repercussions for such a heinous crime.

 

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