Aaron Hernandez Wrote John 3:16 on His Forehead and Celebrated 420 Before Offing Himself
CBS Boston – The WBZ I-Team has learned Aaron Hernandez had the words “John 3:16” on his forehead when he was found dead in his prison cell early Wednesday morning.
The bible verse is one of the most quoted in Christianity and says in part that whoever believes in Jesus “shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
He also appeared to have red marks on his hands and feet.
Prison officials say “Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bed sheet that he attached to his cell window” in the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center.
Law enforcement sources tell WBZ investigators are looking into the possibility that the former New England Patriot may have smoked synthetic marijuana called K2 Tuesday night.
The last move of a coward taking the coward’s way out: Hiding behind the most cliched, commonly used Bible passage to try to come across like a man of God. No part of me believes Hernandez even knew what line John 3:16 actually cites. All it takes to know the reference is to ever saw the crowd at a ballgame or watch five minutes of Tim Tebow coverage. But this what he pulls out of his ass in the end. No note for his family. No explanation of what he did. Not even a denial with his side of what happened. And no actual scripture that might have been relevant like “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1–12) or “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1–5) or even “Thou Shalt Not Kill” to trick us he’d actually read the thing. Just the low-hanging fruit of a lazy, perfunctory, cryptic message that is a much a common pop culture reference now as a Bible quote.
In case I haven’t mentioned it, for 17 years I was a badge monkey in the Massachusetts court system, and while it’s not the same as working in a prison, the ones I sympathize with are the guards who are going to get in trouble over the synthetic pot and the suicide. Theirs is a thankless job. They are full time babysitters to the worst people in society. Dangerous men who have nothing to do 24 hours a day than think of ways to put one over on you. And when something like this happens, heads roll. Either someone loses their job, or at the very least loses a few paychecks for a career that doesn’t exactly give you F-you money. Someone screwed up if a convicted murderer got his hands on a substance, that while legal, fries your brain. And I have way more thoughts and prayers for the working guys who are going to pay for this than the murderer who offed himself.
Which leads me to my final point. The backlash on the Hernandez backlash has begun. Yesterday, within minutes of this news breaking, my phone and yours started blowing up with Hernandez memes. The game of “Hangman” one. “Hernandez Was Never Married but He Managed to Tie the Knot.” “The Falcons Are No Longer the Biggest Chokers of 2017.” It’s what we do now. Even if it’s a celebrity who dies in a car accident, much less a convicted killer.
But now we’re into that phase where we’re getting preached at that suicide is a tragedy and this is not a laughing matter. People who’ve been affected by suicide want the jokes to stop. Well I’ve got news for them: It’s not. Not in this case. I have enormous sympathy for someone who lost a loved on that way due to depression. But this wasn’t some bullied teenage girl or some confused kid who got talked into it by some online sadist. Hernandez was not a PTSD soldier struggling with the kinds of wounds you can’t see. He took his friend out to a vacant lot and ended his life with a bullet. For talking about two other guys he (allegedly) shot to death for the crime of spilling drinks. Saying that we have to be sorry he cashed in his own chips is simply misguided. The world was a slightly better place the moment Aaron Hernandez drew his last breath. As much as I try to avoid going reducto ad Hitlerium, Hitler did the world a favor when he ate a bullet. Hernandez was convicted of the cold-blooded killings of 1/6 millionth as many people as old Schicklgruber was (I think he’s responsible for 1/2 millionth), but it’s just a matter of degrees. My heart goes out to anyone who’s struggling with suicide. And my thoughts and prayers are with you. But for Hernandez, all I have is ridicule. Keep the memes coming.
@jerrythornton1