Capital Punishment

ya know 'what something costs" really doesn't matter to me. if the needle is more expensive, then life in prison I don't care. if they are guilty let them rot. if the crime is that heinous then for sure no parole. I am conflicted for sure about the death penalty as I think some people after they commit such horror on innocents needs to be put to death. but I guess I want to "feel better" about doing it and I want to be 100% sure of their guilt.

As a Christian, I have to go with Rick Perry on this one.

As a Christian, I have to go with Rick Perry on this one.

But what if the person on death row is an ILLEGAL?

JACKSON, Ga. — It didn't take long to notice Troy Davis' execution was different from the others I've covered. As I drove up to the prison, I could see the crowds of protesters and a group of at least 50 reporters.

I've covered about 10 executions in Georgia. None of them are easy. This was by far the most unusual.

There were four reporters besides me there to witness the execution. We ended up waiting for more than four hours in a somber prison break room. We made small talk and speculated about whether the U.S. Supreme Court could intervene. At times, it was silent.

Around 10:30 p.m., a guard walked in and said: "You ready?"

We were led into a white van and, after passing through several security checkpoints, we were delivered to the squat white building on the edge of the prison that serves as the death chamber. We watched the slain officer's son, Mark MacPhail Jr., enter the building. Behind him, Jason Ewart, the condemned man's attorney, walked in. A county coroner's van rolled up.

By the time we were inside, officials had already strapped Davis to the gurney. There was a glass window with a curtain separating Davis from the witnesses, who sat in three rows of seats. There were about 20 of us.

Davis searched for Ewart, who nodded slightly when they locked eyes. MacPhail Jr., sitting in the front row, focused on Davis.

When it was time to deliver his last words, Davis' seized the moment, speaking quickly and confidently.

He told the MacPhail family he was not responsible for the death. "I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault," he said.

Davis urged his supporters to "continue to fight the fight." And just before the lethal drugs coursed through his veins, he offered a message to his executioners: "God have mercy on your souls."

Davis blinked his eyes rapidly. He squeezed them tight. The curtain closed.



http://www.huffingto...n_n_976009.html

With so much doubt, and so many questions surrounding the Troy Davis case, I am astounded they are going ahead with this execution.

http://www.cnn.com/2...tion/index.html

http://www.ajc.com/n...-a-1185523.html

Here's an interesting video:

Having worked for a number of years in the post-conviction appellate area of death penalty cases, I can tell you, from my experience, "they" go ahead with these types of executions far more often than most would believe.

I know of two people who were put to death in Florida who were innocent. I'm not as "polly-anna-ish" as you all might think. I'm well aware that the majority of people on death rows are guilty. No question about it. My concern is for the many innocents who die in the very flawed and imperfect human death penalty system. EVEN ONE INNOCENT person killed by the state is too high a price to pay in order to kill many guilty people. LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE is the best sentence possible in our imperfect world with our imperfect systems.

He presents a similar argument to Coulter and the other guy, who, as you said, missed the point.

The only people missing the point are those who are taking their talking points from amnesty international and other related groups who want to exploit this case to add weight to their agenda to end the death penalty. Very few people get the amount of exposure and review from the court system, and at no point is anyone saying the court system was biased or unfair. They aren't saying that because they have nothing what so ever to make that claim on. The man was found guilty far beyond a reasonable doubt, retried multiple times and still found guilty. Like the article says, it's easy to win an argument in the public realm, much harder to do so when actual evidence, proof and and reliance on logic are required. The man was a thug who killed a cop, and he got the needle for it. Thousands cry and scream. How many Americans died last week in Afghanistan under the president's increased presence there? Anyone know. Yet where are the thousands in the streets beging to end their injustice. Hypocrites and sheep.

Exactly how much do you know about death penalty law? Are you a lawyer? Have you ever tried a death penalty case? Or for that matter have you ever investigated any cases after a defendant was found guilty and had an inside view of exactly how that case was handled? Obviously you have the impression that ALL ATTORNEYS who represent defendants in a death penalty case are among the best and the brightest, as well as assuming that all judges are unbiased! And you could not possibly be more mistaken. Indigent defendants get the bottom of the barrel in representation in death row cases generally. That's a fact. In fact, in Texas, one man was found to be guilty in a death case, and lost on appeal the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, EVEN THOUGH HIS LAWYER FELL ASLEEP AT COUNSEL TABLE DURING THE TRIAL. Now how can you possibly think that fellow got a fair trial when his lawyer was sleeping at counsel table?

You said: " The man was found guilty far beyond a reasonable doubt, retried multiple times and still found guilty. Like the article says, it's easy to win an argument in the public realm, much harder to do so when actual evidence, proof and and reliance on logic are required..."Very few people get the amount of exposure and review from the court system, and at no point is anyone saying the court system was biased or unfair

I've worked in the justice system for almost 30 years and I am amazed at such a naive statement as the one you made above. You REALLY think the criminal justice system, created by imperfect human beings, is PERFECT and in fact based on "actual evidence, proof, and reliance on logic"??????? Absolutely, it's very easy to "win" an argument in Court when one lawyer is far, far better, more experienced, and brighter than his/her opponent. Your faith in our court system is kinda "cute" but the court system is far from deserving of your extreme faith. If it were so perfect, then why is it that so many people on death rows across this country have been exonerated via the use of DNA testing? What do you think happened to the innocents convicted PRIOR to the development of DNA technology?

If ever I have seen a case that was CLEARLY in DOUBT, the Troy Davis case was it; and, I've seen a number of such cases. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there ARE INDEED INNOCENT PEOPLE ON DEATH ROWS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. The only way to "justify" the death penalty is to AGREE that it is FINE TO KILL A FEW INNOCENT PEOPLE in order to kill many BUT NOT ALL GUILTY PEOPLE.

As a Christian, I have to go with Rick Perry on this one.

Surely this ^^^^ is sarcasm???

Rick Perry and George W. Bush. Some of their political "claim to fame" is how many people they're executed.

Follow up piece from one of the authors I linked to earlier in this thread:

On the Death Penalty

Follow up piece from one of the authors I linked to earlier in this thread:

On the Death Penalty

Jonah Goldberg is a huge fan of the state killing guiltyish black people. Colour me shocked.

As long as it doesn't get out of control, he is OK with that.

Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death: Nadarkhani Refuses to Convert


Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is facing the death penalty, again refused to convert to Islam to save his life.

Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 for the crime of apostasy because he allegedly abandoned Islam for Christianity. As a pastor, Iranian clerics believe that Nadarkhani was preaching in order to convert Muslims.

a far worse punishment, which is what prison is supposed to be, would be life in prison. no parole. one innocent person put to death is too many. I didn't follow this man's case so I have no idea if he was guilty or not. I would rather see him rot in jail than put to death. if innocent that injustice would be bad enough.

How much does it cost the taxpayers to put someone to sleep I wonder? Weird that people would be all for that. Personally, if someone killed one of my loved ones, I'd do the job myself w/the added bonus of some torture mixed in.

this is the thing, we can know what we would think in the abstract but in reality. I know if someone I loved was murdered I would want to destroy the person. what a horrid thing to have to deal with and try to come to terms with, if you ever really could. when our daughter was young, my hubby and I thought if she were hurt like that, he would have to seek revenge and I like the dutiful wife would come see him in jail. like the Shaggy song, she was there for through my incarceration

No comment on the American citizen executed without even a trial? How does that play into the capital punishment view?

No comment on the American citizen executed without even a trial? How does that play into the capital punishment view?

He was a fucking terrorist, what should we have done, sent him a fruit basket?

Sorry, I am not a conspiracy theorist. I have faith that the Intelligence departments knew what they were doing. I am quite surprised that you do not condone counter-terrorism measures.

And Davis was a murderer, by a much higher standard of proof. He was an American citizen, who was not charged with killing anyone, yet was executed. Do you not see a problem with any president deciding to kill an american citizen without the trouble of going to a court of law. He himself had not murdered anyone. With extreme exceptions, every American citizen should be given a trial. His state ordered execution had nothing to do with our justice system or democracy. I guess I just have a hard time understanding how people can be so upset when someone is found guilty in a court of law and executed, yet celberate when a citizen is taken out on orders of the POTUS. It just seems to be a contradiction to me.