Texas Trying to Execute Another Innocent Person

I agree that the death penalty should be used far less often then it is now being used in some states such as Texas however some crimes cried out for that penalty such as Timothy J. McVeigh and his killings of hundreds in the Federal building bombing or the gentleman who name I can not think of at the moment who went into a Jewish day care center and kill all the children he found there.

The death penalty should not be used in any case.

Not because it is cruel and unusual, but because we should not allow our government to kill any of us for any reason.

I certainly understand why people see the retributional value in the death penalty and I don't have a moral problem with taking the life of a murderer.

Confine those who are now being sentenced to death to solitary confinement for life without any possibility of parole, and without any visitation rights, television or other such ammenities.

Allow them one hour a day to exercise, provide them with three healthy meals a day, and access to a wide variety of approved books. Give them all the paper and pencils they want and allow them to correspond (with prior review by prison officials) with anyone they may want. Provide a reasonable level of medical care, excluding extraordinary procedures such as organ transplants.

In some ways, and for some people, this could be worse than death...and apparently, because of all the endless appeals, it's cheaper.

Well we are not going to agree that such men as Major Nidal Malik Hasan should not be executed or Ted Bundy or...........................

I think that the death penalty however should only come into play at that level of crime.

I think people like Hasan and Bundy should die for their crimes but I don't want to give that power to the State and for the sake of a lawful society, we can't allow the families and friends of their victims to pursue righteous retribution.

Actually Finn, this isn't about capital punishment in the broader sense, but whether someone should be executed when there is a big question mark hanging over his head. Bill thinks it should. Do you think that if a Texas jury were to find that God exists, Bill would become a born again Christian?

McVeigh should have been kept alive regardless of his crimes for the sake of the public's right to information. There is a likelihood that the Iraqi government may have been involved and the rush to execute the guy was in stark contrast to normal experiences.

Dead men tell no tales.

no, but we sure make up some whopper stories that are only able to be verified by them dead guys...

I can understand the reluctance to endure decades of appeals. If the victims in this case had been my friends or family, I would be utterly disgusted.

As someone has already pointed out in this thread, there hasn't been a single case where an executed criminal was shown to be cleared by subsequent DNA tests.

That doesn't mean this can't be the first time, but the man was found guilty based on credible evidence.

If a DNA test can save this guy's neck then it should be done. Not because he's some sort of innocent hero (quite the contrary, he's a scumbag), but because any of us would want such a process for ourselves or our loved ones. It's legally immaterial but I think the State has a moral obligation to conduct the test.

What chaps my ass though is the attendent nonsense about blood lusting prosecutors and death happy Texas governors. All the silly histrionics is not necessary or helpful.

We do?

Like what ones?

I don't really know enough about the judiciary in Texas to comment.

trouble following along today, finn...?

"McVeigh should have been kept alive regardless of his crimes for the sake of the public's right to information. There is a likelihood that the Iraqi government may have been involved"

So that constitutes us making up stories.

I see.

you made you part of us, not me.

guilty conscience?

you think McVeigh was an Iraqi pawn?

I would discuss that with you, if you wish.

or most any other of grungysnake's positions...

Lord give me a break.........

Were you using the royal "we?"

If not, then I think its safe to assume that the "we" you did use can be considered more than gunga and yourself.

You also used the plural of story: "stories"

Knowing that you're never snarky with your posts, I just assumed you could could report on a few more stories that we have made up than the one gunga posed.

Obviously, I was wrong.

I'm sorry, I lost you at snarky.

is there a point to this, or are you still pestering me because you want some kind of apology...

Educate yourself...

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS436US436&aq=f&gcx=c&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=oklahoma+city+iraqi

When you talk sense about capital puishment, it's easy to forget you're completely insane.

That's right Timothy McVeigh was a Moslem, like all the bad guys in History, Hitler, Pol Pot, Benedict Arnold, Billy the Kid, Torquemada, Moslems, every last one.