Monday, July 01, 2024

Problems w/death row murderer Gonzales' Commutation Petition

sent 9:30 am (CST), June 26, 2024. Gonzales was executed at 6:50 pm. 

Bridget Townsend, the 18 year-old, kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered by Gonzales, was born on June 26th.

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To: Governor Gregg Abbott and Texas' Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP)

Re: The Problems with Ramiro Gonzales' Commutation Petition
 
From:  Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom 
 
The Clemency Petition for Ramiro Felix Gonzales reads: 
 
"Make no mistake: souls which could otherwise be saved may be lost depending on your decision." (A)
 
This was, likely, the comment which did the most harm to the commutation effort, showing that the kidnapper/rapist/murderer and his attorneys seemed clueless to their own petition (A).
 
It's the equivalent of saying "the BPP and the Governor will sacrifice eternal souls if you don't commute Gonzales' death sentence", aka "you're the scumbags, not me." Not the best tact.
 
All other souls saved or lost are, singularly, between that one soul and God and will have nothing to do with Gonzales, his attorneys, the Governor or parole board.
 
We are the masters of our own decisions, regardless of our teachers. See Judas.
 
The fact that Gonzales did not seek expiation, through the voluntary acceptance of his sentence, may, arguably, be what denies him the greatest of all mercies, or not, which is, only, between God and Gonzales.
 
See 9) The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation (below).
 
Recall that Texas 7 murderer Michael Anthony Rodriguez waived appeals, wanting to be held accountable, realizing that his punishment was just and that expiation might occur with his waiving appeals.
 
Biblically, Gonzales' petition is one sided (See 8-18), which means it was intended to be misleading.
 
To every point in the petition, which may have had a minor hint to spare Gonzales' life, there are many other stronger and direct discussions as to why execution would be enforced (8-18), which, I suspect, were, intentionally and knowingly, left out, if a knowledgeable biblical scholar was involved.
 
Any biblically literate member of their staffs or the BPP and the Governor, themselves, will be aware of that.
 
The petition seeks to blame the BPP and the Governor for taking Gonzales away from his prayer group, if they do not grant the mercy of commutation.
 
Gonzales, therefore, rejects that it is his actions, alone, the kidnapping, rape and murder of Briget, which has put him in this position. 
 
Blaming it on others shows a complete lack of moral responsibility and self awareness  . . .  after Gonzales' 21 years of moral reflection, we see the opposite of what we are told to believe about Gonzales.
 
Gonzales waited until 2022, prior to another execution date, to write an apology letter to Briget's family. He had 19 prior years to write that letter and, only did so, just prior to an execution date.
 
Not once has Gonzales conceded that his execution may be God's will, as did Karla Faye Tucker. Very odd, given the petition and what we are told to believe about Gonzales.
 
Nor has he stated that he has been given great mercy, by living 21 years longer than Briget. They were both 18 at the time he kidnapped, raped and murdered her. Again, contrary to what we are told to believe.
 
The petition should have concentrated. much more, on the rape of Florence Teich and the kidnapping, rape and murder of Bridget Townsend and with their loved ones.
 
But that is just my take. 
 
Please review:
 
 1-7 and 19-49, upon request
 
8) 30 Examples:
How Death Penalty Opponents Value Murderers More Than Their Innocent Victims
 
9)  The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-death-penalty-mercy-expiation.html
 
10)  Jesus and the Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/jesus-and-death-penalty.html
 
11)  See para 13, "Unnatural Lawyering", first, then start at the beginning:

By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment
https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2017/12/by-man-shall-his-blood-be-shed-catholic.html 
 
12)  "The Death Penalty”, Chapter XXVI, 187. The death penalty, from the book Iota Unum, by Romano Amerio, 
domid.blogspot.com/2007/05/amerio-on-capital-punishment.html
titled “Amerio on capital punishment “, May 25, 2007    
NOTE: Thoughtful deconstruction of current Roman Catholic teaching on capital punishment by a faithful Catholic Vatican insider. 

13) CATHOLICISM & CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, 
by Avery Cardinal Dulles, First Things, April 2001, 
 
14) Pro Life: The Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/01/pro-life-death-penalty.html
 
15) “Capital Punishment and Magisterial Authority”
"Fastiggi on Capital Punishment and the Change to the Catechism, 
Part I," Edward Feser, 8/26/2023,
Part 2, 8/30/2023
 
16) “Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says”, Dr. Lloyd R. Bailey, Abingdon Press, 1987.
     "All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda." 
     "As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.”  (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.)
 
17) “The Purpose of Punishment (in the Catholic tradition)”, by R. Michael Dunningan, J.D., J.C.L., CHRISTIFIDELIS, Vol.21,No.4, sept 14, 2003 www.st-joseph-foundation.org/newsletter/lead.php?document=2003/21-4   
 
18) “God’s Justice and Ours” by Antonin Scalia, First Things, 5/2002 
 
FN
 
A)  BEFORE THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE TEXAS BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES
 
In re Ramiro Felix Gonzales, Petitioner.
 
PETITION FOR COMMUTATION OF DEATH SENTENCE TO A LESSER PENALTY, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, A 180-DAY REPRIEVE, AND REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW AND HEARING ON THE MATTE, June 4, 2024,
https://www.saveramirogonzales.com/_files/ugd/ddf169_663e7fda0cd74ec38a5515c3ed23e326.pdf 
 
======
600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
http://prodpquotes.info/ 

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Research with sources, fact checking, vetting & critical thinking, as required of anyone within a public policy debate and which rebut all anti-death penalty claims.
 
Most will realize that the media has been using only anti-death penalty claims and then, failed to fact check, vet, not use critical thinking, with that research, while avoiding all pro-death penalty research and experts, for decades. How do I know most will realize this? Because they wouldn't have seen any of this, prior:

The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts listed)
 
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Full Rebuttal: John 8 - Jesus and the Death Penalty

Full Rebuttal: Shannon Evans' John 8 - "How Jesus’ Position on the Death Penalty Informs Mine"

To:  Leadership and the Justice & Ecology, Jesuit Media Lab & Jesuit School Network Groups at The Jesuit Conference

bcc: Biblical & Theological Scholars, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Tablet, First Things, National Catholic Reporter, America, Our Sunday Visitor, American Society of Religion, Oxford Academic, Board of Directors-Catholic Media Association, Jesuits-Global, Vatican News, Crux, Catholic News Service (Rome), Global Sisters Report, Crisis Magazine, EWTN,
many more at bottom
 
RE: John 8 - "How Jesus’ Position on the Death Penalty Informs Mine", Everyday Ignatian, Shannon Evans, January 26, 2021
 
Subject: Full Rebuttal:  John 8 - Jesus and the Death Penalty
 
From:  Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom 
 
Dear Mrs. Evans:
 
Thank you for your writings. As per the subject, I will rebut all points from your article, in order.
 
Method: I quote Evans (Evans) and reply or state as "Sharp".
 
NOTE I use Christian, non-Roman Catholic commentaries, only, because you may not be as familiar with them. They are, very, similar to the Roman Catholic ones, as you may note.
 
Preface
 
Likely, you are unfamiliar with most of this, as The Roman Catholic Church has become, very much, like a standard anti-death penalty group, using, only anti-death penalty material, then failing to fact check and vet it, while eschewing, altogether, pro-death penalty material (1).
 
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1) Evans: "Jesus' position on the death penalty":
 
Sharp:   a) Jesus and the Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/jesus-and-death-penalty.html
 
b) The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-death-penalty-mercy-expiation.html
 
2) Evans:  The death penalty is part of "the culture of death in our nation".
 
Sharp:
 
a) see 1 a&b above and, everything, below:
 
b)  Pro Life: The Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/01/pro-life-death-penalty.html
 
c) Catechism & State Protection: The Gross Negligence of the Holy See
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2014/10/catechism-state-protection.html
 
d)   Forgiveness and Murder
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/10/forgiveness-and-murder-compiled-and.html
 
e)   What Did Jesus Teach about Violence and Turning the Other Cheek? 
by: J. Daryl Charles, Timothy J. Demy, Crossway, May 16, 2014,
https://www.crossway.org/articles/what-did-jesus-teach-about-violence-and-turning-the-other-cheek/
 
3) Evans: "We resolved to take one full day to pray for a nation that could one day imagine restorative, rather than retributive, justice."
 
Is there, anything, more restorative than salvation?
 
a) The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-death-penalty-mercy-expiation.html
 
b) 30 Examples: How Death Penalty Opponents Value Murderers More Than Their Innocent Victims
AKA Full Rebuttal of Sir Richard Branson's Anti-death penalty "facts"
 
4) Evans: ". . . Jesus himself had intervened to stop the execution of a woman caught in adultery. When the public called for her to be stoned to death for her offense as prescribed by law . . . ".
 
Sharp: What Evans believes is this: 
 
Evans: "Jesus’ response to capital punishment is a belief in the human spirit; a belief that forgiveness carries power; a belief that people can change; a belief that no one is beyond repair in an environment of restoration. Jesus had the eyes of a mystic, seeing that every soul longs for God and every soul deserves to have as long as possible to find the God they seek."
 
Sharp: That is not the response to capital punishment, but is the story of salvation, through Jesus Christ, but, even there, Evans makes an error. It appears that Evans has no clue as to the meaning of John 8 and the Jesuit's had no issue publishing her. How and why?
 
a) The text, itself, John 8, makes it clear that it is about Jesus' wisdom in avoiding the "entrapment" planned for Him, by his enemies. You can find that in countless commentaries, Christian (non-Catholic), Roman and Orthodox Catholic. Please read them. The text, itself, John 8, makes that very clear.
 
b)  Evan, anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean, most often, inaccurate (2), got this right:
 
“It is abundantly clear that the Bible depicts murder as a capital crime for which death is considered the appropriate punishment, and one is hard pressed to find a biblical proof text in either the Hebrew Testament or the New Testament which unequivocally refutes this. Even Jesus’ admonition “Let him without sin cast the first stone”, when He was asked the appropriate punishment for an adulteress (John 8:7) – the Mosaic Law prescribed death – should be read in its proper context. This passage is an entrapment story, which sought to show Jesus’ wisdom in besting His adversaries. It is not an ethical pronouncement about capital punishment." Sister Helen Prejean, from her book Dead Man Walking.
 
Prejean is 100% correct.
 
When she became an anti-death penalty icon, she, unethically, reversed that, very much, defining her ethics, throughout her 30-year ministry (2).
 
c) Evan's call for more time, hits a wall:
 
Romano Amerio:  Some opposing capital punishment ". . . go on to assert that a life should not be ended because that would remove the possibility of making expiation, is to ignore the great truth that capital punishment is itself expiatory."
      "In a humanistic religion expiation would of course be primarily the converting of a man to other men. On that view, time is needed to effect a reformation, and the time available should not be shortened."
     "In God’s religion, on the other hand, expiation is primarily a recognition of the divine majesty and lordship, which can be and should be recognized at every moment, in accordance with the principle of the concentration of one’s moral life.” 
 “Amerio on capital punishment “, Chapter XXVI, 187. The death penalty, from the book Iota Unum, May 25, 2007 , www.domid.blogspot.com/2007/05/amerio-on-capital-punishment.html
 
d) "The tremendous irony is that now, two thousand years later, people who claim to love Jesus teach that He was precisely the heretic His enemies wanted to paint Him as. If Jesus was in fact repudiating capital punishment in this story, then He was neither the Divine Son of God nor even a true prophet."  Religious Objection 8: What about the woman caught in adultery?, "Why I Support Capital Punishment, Part 11, May 7, 2008, Published 05.09.09 at Townhall.com,  http://andrewtallmanshowarticles.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-i-support-capital-punishment-part_07.html
 
e) John 8:1-11 "Christ neither found fault with the law (execution for adultery), nor excused the prisoner's guilt; nor did He countenance the pretended zeal of the Pharisees" (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)
 
f) John 8:7 "(Jesus) is contending not against punishment being inflicted by human law, but against men taking the law into their own hands." (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)
 
 . . . . many more. Research.
 
5) Evans: "Jesus spoke the now well-known line, “Let him without sin cast the first stone.”
 
Sharp: a) Evans, wrongly, uses that as an, heretical, anti-death penalty pronouncement against capital punishment for adultery, as, previously, detailed.
 
b) John 8:7: "It is to be noted, in the application of this answer, that our Lord does not lay down sinlessness as the necessary condition of fitness for taking part in the punishment of guilt. This would be to nullify law, for there could be then no human executive power." (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers).
 
c) John 8:"By this saying of our Saviour, we must not understand it the will of God, that those who are magistrates, and employed in executing the Lord’s vengeance on malefactors, should themselves be free from all guilt, for then no justice should be done. The vengeance is God’s, not theirs; it is the law of God which they execute." (Matthew Poole's Commentary)
 
I wish it was astounding that the religious do not, instantly, recognize that. They do not.
 
d) Jesus, of course, knew the sins of all of those Pharisees calling for the execution of the adulteress - sins which undoubtedly, included adultery, and He shamed them into withdrawal, with that well known quote. That is the meaning, not recognized by Evans.
 
John 8: " . . . adultery; which was in this age a prevailing sin, and even among their doctors; hence our Lord calls that generation an adulterous one, Matthew 12:39; and which was literally true of them; with this compare Romans 2:22. Adultery increased to such a degree in this age, that they were obliged to leave off the trial of suspected wives, because their husbands were generally guilty this way; and the waters would have no effect, if the husband was criminal also: so the Jews say (q), (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)
 
6) Sharp: The entrapment was three-fold.
 
a)  First to get Jesus to agree to the execution, as, at the time, the Roman's were the law, as all Christian's know this, with the Passion of the Christ, with Pontius Pilot ruling on His execution.
 
Had Jesus agreed to the execution of the adulteress, He would have been violating Roman law and would be arrested. It was not His time.
 
b) Secondly, if Jesus chose to free the adulteress' from execution, the Pharisees would find Jesus a heretic.
 
c) Thirdly, Evans touched on it, which was "And where was the man in the story — the one with whom the woman was supposedly caught in adultery? What of him?"
 
He was likely, part of the set up and was nowhere to be found and adultery cannot be punished without both parties.
 
7) Evans: "Where on death row are the ones with social capital? The less vulnerable? The wealthy ones who have friends in high places or can afford good lawyers?" "Sister Helen Prejean has worked with inmates on death row for 40 years and attests that she has never met anyone there with money or resources. “Capital punishment means those without the capital get the punishment,” she says."
 
Sharp: That's a common anti-death penalty talking point, accepted with no thought nor research or deceit.
 
"99.8% of poor murderers have avoided execution. It is, solely, dependent upon one's definitions of "wealthy" and "poor", as to whether "wealthy" murderers are any more or less likely than 0.2% to be executed, than are the "poor", based upon the vast minority of capital murders committed by the "wealthy", as compared to the vast majority committed by the "poor". By far, the greatest number of capital murder cases are robbery/murders, with nearly 0% of "wealthy" capital/death penalty eligible murders committed by the "wealthy", based upon any reasonable definition of wealthy. Obvious. 

 
8) Evans: "Indeed, Lisa Montgomery, Cory Johnson and Dustin Higgs were still executed the following week as scheduled. I shed tears for them; yet that sense of peace has not left. It seems the act of taking a simple public stand to conscientiously object to the status quo left its mark on me, sealing off my soul from total despair and relinquishing it to God alone.  Perhaps all Christians should be activists; perhaps this is what James meant when he said that pure and undefiled religion is to “keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Perhaps what changes us will also one day change the world."
 
Sharp: One can, only, hope, that such willful ignorance does not do that . . . but, it might, as it has become a standard, within the Roman Catholic Church (1), as so many others, with no evidence of change (1).
 
The Innocent Victims
 
Not once, did Evans mention the innocents, raped, tortured and murdered in capital, death penalty eligible crimes, nor did she state she shed tears for them, aka, standard anti-death penalty omissions, as reviewed, here:
 
30 Examples: How Death Penalty Opponents Value Murderers
More Than Their Innocent Victims
 
In Closing
 
The Roman Catholic Church has become, very much, like a standard anti-death penalty group, using, only anti-death penalty material, then failing to fact check and vet it, while eschewing, altogether, the pro-death penalty material (1), which made up the first 2000 years of Christianity (3).
 
By fact and reason, the three pillars, for the "inadmissibility" of the death penalty, 2018 CCC 2267, are no such thing (4).
 
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FN
 
1) These rebut all of the US Bishops claims of the death penalty.
 
Research with sources, fact checking, vetting & critical thinking, as required of anyone within a public policy debate and which rebut all anti-death penalty claims.
 
Most will realize that the media has been using only anti-death penalty claims and then, failed to fact check, vet, nor use critical thinking, with that research, while avoiding all pro-death penalty research and experts, for decades. How do I know most will realize this? Because they wouldn't have seen any of this, prior:
 
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts listed)
https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2022/01/students-death-penalty-research.html
 
2)  Does Truth Matter? Sr. Prejean, The Church & U of Notre Dame 
https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2022/09/does-truth-matter-sr-prejean-church-and.html
and

"Rebel Nun" - Dishonest/Dishonorable Sister Prejean Documentary?

 
3)  Religion and The Death Penalty
  
======
600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
http://prodpquotes.info/
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bcc:  primarily Roman Catholic institutions
 
 Archdiocese of New Orleans, The Clarion Herald, The Catholic Herald (UK), Catholic Digest, Congregation of St. Joseph, Today's Catholic, U.S. Catholic, The Irish Catholic, The Catholic Network, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Mobilization Network, Ignatian Solitary Network , Glenmary Challenge Magazine, Catholic Review, Archdiocese of Boston, The Compass, The Sentinal, Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada, Novalis Publishing Archdioces of St.Louis & St.Louis Review, Our Northland Diocese & Diocese of Crookston, Catholic New York, Archdiocese of Detroit & Detroit Catholic. ONE Magazine, Religion Unplugged (The Media Project), Archdioces of Lousiville, Global Pulse,  UCA NEWS, Twenty-Third Publications, Archdiocese of Detroit, Eureka Street,  The Acton Institute, The Word On Fire, Holy See Mission, The Witherspoon Institute, University of the Incarnate Word, Diocese of Fort Worth,  La Croix International, People of Praise, Nebraska Catholic Bishops (staff and parishes), Creighton U., Seton High School (Students & Teachers, Bladensburg, MD), The Catholic Weekly (Australia), Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, Diocese of Salt Lake City, Arizona Catholic Conference, Religious News Assoc., Diocese of Green Bay, Rev. Harry D. Gatewood, M.Div., Louisiana Catholic Diocese (Bishops and staff), The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), Catholic Digest,  Catholic Journal, Today's (SA) Catholic, US Catholic,  The Catholic Weekly, Crisis Magazine, FAITH Magazine,  Catholic Telegraph,  The Irish Catholic,  Archdiocese of Seattle, NW Catholic, Zenit, NZ Catholic, The Central Minnesota Catholic, The Catholic Network, The Universe Catholic Weekly, Broadview,  Duke Divinity School. REligion Unplugged, The Associated Church Press, The Christian Recorder, PCUSA.org, Prison Fellowship, Pennsylvania Prison Society, Archdiocese of Miami, Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (ADROP), Order of Malta, Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, Virginia Catholic Conference & Diocese of Richmond, All Students & Teachers St. Joseph's Academy (Baton Rouge) , Loyola U., Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Washington DC), Archdiocese of San Antonio, DeSales Media Group & Diocese of Brooklyn,  RENEW Intl., Angelus News, FloridaCatholic, Catholic Standard and Archdiocese of Washington DC, Oklahoma Diocese, Where Peter Is, The Wanderer, Nebraska Diocese, The Dialog & Diocese of Wilmington, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Catholic Herald, Catholic Philly & Philadelphia Archdiocese, Intermountain Catholic & Diocese of Salt Lake City, Opus Dei, Notre Dame Observer, Diocese of Raleigh, Diocese of Scranton, Renew Intl., Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Catholic League, The Sisters of Saint Dominic (Blauvelt, New York), The Catholic Telegraph,  Church Militant, The Catholic Sun, New Advent, The (Fordham U) Observer, St. Patrick Catholic Community (Scottsdale, Az.), Diocese of St. Cloud,  Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Diocese of Tucson,  Catholic Daughters of America,    The Record & Archdiocese of Louisville,  The Archdiocese of  Los Angeles, Oklahoma Faith Network, OKLAHOMA STATE COUNCIL FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCHES, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma,Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, Hope For Generations, Young Israel, Torah in Motion, World Mizrachi, Jewish Federation (Tulsa, Oklahoma), The Synagogue Congregation B'nai Emunah (Oklahoma) Temple B'nai Israel (Oklahoma), Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries (Oklahoma), Family Promise of Tulsa County (Oklahoma) Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Churches throughout Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist Convention, many more
 
U of Notre Dame Institutions
Exoneration Justice Clinic (Notre Dame Law School), Klau Institute of Civil and Human Rights, G. Marcus Cole, Dean, all professors Notre Dame Law School, ND's de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, ND's Tocqueville Program for Inquiry into Religion and Public Life, ND's Program on Church, State & Society, ND's Center for Social Concerns, Gallivan Journalism Program, ND Debate Team, ND's Dept. Of Theology, Notre Dame Magazine, The (ND) Observer, Notre Dame News, WSND Radio-FM,999
 
and South Bend Tribune and AWAKE
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