The other day one Troy Davis was "put to sleep" for the crime of being a cop killer. There is some doubt apparently (if we are to believe the "news" reports), that the man is indeed the actual killer. I suppose the point is moot now. The man is no longer with us.
There is no problem with putting vicious criminals to sleep. "Smoke em if you got em" I always say. Better make damn sure; without a doubt sure; that they are indeed guilty. If there is any doubt whatsoever then it is dead wrong (no pun intended) to apply the death penalty.
There are reports that Good Hair has allowed some to be put to sleep when there may have been evidence that guilt was in doubt. If Perry allowed this, for purely political (or any other) reasons, then he should be investigated and, if guilty, sanctioned according to the law. Now most of the fanfare comes from his political enemies including one ultra left wing Austin rag. The fact that the newspaper has a silly, ultra left, we are the world bent, does not diminish the fact that they may indeed be onto something.
If they are journalists worth their salt then they need to work their case to conclusion.
It is their job.
7 comments:
I'm all for the death penalty too. It's interesting though why people choose to fight it. If someone is truly planning a heinous crime, they need to have something to fear.
I agree totally.
Elisabeth, I have to disagree with you on two grounds.
A significant number of death penalty crimes are committed by a type of person who acts without regard to consequences,they want to do something and they simply do it without thinking about what comes afterward. Another siginifcant number are unplanned crimes. Yet a third significant number are committed by sociopaths who do not believe that any power is sufficient to apply penalty, they believe they are so superior that they will never be caught and/or that rules simply do not apply to them. In none of those three categories does "fear of the death penalty" have any role in the crime.
Secondly, study the statistics and you will find that states which employ the death penalty do not have lower rates of death penalty crimes, in fact some of those states actually have higher rathes of such crimes.
The effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent has long been debunked, which is why no modern nation employes it any longer.
I respect your reasoning.
But the number of crimes committed by people who do have a conscience . . . Wouldn't fear of death help prevent those crimes?
Even if it's saving only one life, isn't that worth it?
Not if it executes aninnocent person in the process.
I only agree with the death penalty if they're absolutely sure the person is guilty.
On a side note, have either of you been following the Knox case in Italy? Speaking of innocence, I'm not sure Amanda is guilty.
"I only agree with the death penalty if they're absolutely sure the person is guilty."
With our justice system there can never be "absolute certainty," nor do we even aspire to such a standard. The conviction requirement is merely "beyond reasonable doubt."
As for the Knox case, Italy is not proposing to put Amanda to death.
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