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Please sign the petition to have Jim Gordon paroled. If you don't know what I'm talking about, please read the following:

Dear Friends:

You probably all know the name Jim Gordon, yes? He was, of course, the drummer for Derek and the Dominoes. He co-wrote the song "Layla" with Eric Clapton. Jim Gordon was one of the most sought-after session drummers during the 60s and 70s. His list of recording and touring contributions is enormous. He played on world-renowned guitarist Phil Keaggy's second solo album called "Love Broke Through." One of my favorite albums of all time is Traffic's "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." It is my humble opinion that it was Jim Gordon's innovative approach to drumming and percussion that made that album a unique classic that stands up to the test of time.

In case you didn't know, Jim Gordon is also mentally ill. He is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. As the 70s wore on his condition and corresponding ability to cope started to unravel. He was hearing voices. In 1983 Jim was so far gone that he somehow, very tragically, managed to kill his own mother. In an attempt to silence the voices that were tormenting him he hammered her and stabbed her to death. At the time, California had just passed legislation that severely restricted the use of insanity as a defense. Jim was convicted and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. His lawyer has characterized Jim's legal dilemma as "the most tragic case of my whole career."

Twenty-four years have passed now and Jim Gordon is still incarcerated. He has, so far, been denied parole twice. Soon he will be up for parole again. The word is, Jim Gordon is properly medicated and is doing well. Even though the murder was committed in the fog of mental illness, he knows that he did a terrible thing and he is very remorseful for his actions. Those who know him best say that he is no longer a threat to anyone and that he has paid for his crime. He's ready to be released back into society.

If you feel as I do, that Jim Gordon is no longer a threat to anyone and that his future contributions to the world of music would be a great and precious thing to enjoy, please take a few minutes and sign this petition. It's free. And please send the link to the petition to anyone that you think would be interested in helping.

 http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/jimgordon/signatures

Thanks,

Jamie Thompson

Jim Gordon's MySpace site