Comments on: This is Horrific — If True (Bumped)

By: Raoul Ortega

Raoul Ortega — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:51:52 +0000

One of the problems the anti-capital punishment types have is that the objects of their compassion are usually pretty nasty people. Sure, there is a possibility may not have committed that particular murder, but they also have a record of being suspect in other murders, or such a long history of violent crime that it seems perfectly in character for them to have finally killed in the case in which they’ve been convicted. So it’s hard to get all worked up about those cases of “injustice”. (If anything, the injustice was not severely punishing them back when they were petty criminals.) The antis need someone who “cleans up well” to make their case.

(And as this particular case shows, “the best why to lie really is to tell the truth selectively.”

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:42:01 +0000

Believe it or not, most of the places I worked I would.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:03:50 +0000

you wouldn’t get fired if your editor and publisher shared your worldview and agenda…

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:01:07 +0000

It’s amazing, watching big-time writers get rewarded for doing shit I would be fired for.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:24:49 +0000

You got it John FN…

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:14:37 +0000

So I take it most of the facts, as presented in the rebuttal article Floyd later updated his post with, were never in the article in the New Yorker? If so that’s a travesty of journalism.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:03:59 +0000

My best example is O.J. Simpson. Double murder is a capital offense — as it should be. I think OJ killed two people and got away with it. I wouldn’t have given him the death penalty. It was a circumstantial case — and while I think the evidence is overwhelming of his guilt… once he’s gone there’s no going back. If a mistake is made and he’s in prison for life there’s some chance to correct mistakes.

I’m not sure where the line is drawn. If I’m so sure OJ’s guilty then why not give him the death penalty? I don’t expect a 100% proof standard either (or do I?). I struggle with the issue often.

By: Kit

Kit — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:54:59 +0000

Would those few cases be like Chuck Manson?

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:41:38 +0000

I have no problem with scrapping the death penalty. But with it should come a substantial effort to fix some of the lousy sentencing. Not sure how often it happens, but one of the news shows highlighted a 20-year-old murder where a boyfriend of a wife murdered her husband. He pled down, is doing three years – a whole year longer than Michael Vick, two years longer than Pete Rose and this didn’t even happen in California.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:34:06 +0000

I recall that…. A lot of people assume a retired firefighter must know what he’s talking about, but like a lot of professions myths and legends get wrapped up into truth. People are only as good as they’re training and their own moxie in learning. I don’t like the death penalty unless there is overwhelming eyewitness evidence. or a confession coupled with strong circumstantial. If the death penalty were limited to a few cases and then utilized it would be just. This is one more pebble in my “against the death penalty” scale as a procedural matter. Morally I have no qualms with the death penalty itself (that would make God in the OT immoral), but even He put in procedural checks (Due Process if you will).