Cured: The Power of Forgiveness

by Carl Ray

Cured is truly a story about the power of forgiveness. In 1962 in Choctaw County, Alabama, Carl Ray an 18-year-old black man was questioned by an older white man; but when responding, he failed to address the man as "sir" as was then customary when speaking to white men. The man severely beat him for being disrespectful. Still enraged, the man later showed up at Ray's home, and shot his father eight times on his front porch steps; murdered him in cold blood as the terrified youth looked on helplessly. During the farce of a murder trial that followed, the white man's lawyers blamed Ray for causing his own father's death because he had failed to be respectful. The man was charged with second degree manslaughter. However, he never served a day in prison for the murder. Ray was burdened with the guilt of causing his father's murder; his life would never be the same. In 1984, he was released from his self made prison of guilt when he forgave his father's murderer. Ray attributes the act of forgiving the man to have been his own life saver.

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2012

About the author

I have led an eclectic life. My career went from Air Force veteran to working for a railroad and I'm currently a computer programmer in Central Indiana.

Through all of this change, the one constant in my life has been his love of art, storytelling and family.

I've been married to my very patient wife for over 25 years, have two wonderful children and a dog.

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Carl, love his transparency as he share his challenged past and the gift of forgiveness and healing in this book. If you have not see his One-Man Live Show, "A Killing In Choctaw" I believe it is called, try to if he's still doing them. It will tug at all your emotions.