There are a lot of countries that have strange laws. In Singapore, if a person is caught with a pound or so of marijuana, the death penalty can be imposed. That's barbaric, you say?
Pakistan recently abolished the death penalty for juvenile offenders, that is, those who committed crimes when under the age of 18. The Democratic Republic of Congo established a moratorium on executions of juvenile offenders.
That leaves two countries in the world which have put juvenile offenders to death since 2000 and still have the penalty on the books. Iran is one of them.
The United States of America is the other. I guess I'm one of those left-wing, bleeding-heart liberals who thinks that the death penalty should be abolished in the U.S.
I'm not going to claim that when Oklahoma executed Scott Hain on April 13, 2003, he was a juvenile. The guy was 32 years old when his lethal injection was administered; and he had been convicted of kidnapping two teenagers, locking them in the trunk of a car, and setting it on fire. There are three very bad people out there waiting for Texas to end their lives for some gruesome, horrific, vomit-inducing-if-described-in-detail-or-in-general crimes they committed while under 18. That was over 10 years ago -- they'll die by lethal injection in the Spring. Most would say lethal injection is too good for them.
I bring this up because Ohio killed Lewis Williams yesterday morning. And he didn't go quietly. Or privately. The ACLU sued, claiming that executions should be public. This one was public as part of the settlement of the lawsuit. Lewis Williams went to the death chamber kicking and screaming, forcibly subdued and carried by four prison guards. He was strapped to the table, struggling and screaming he didn't do it all the while, tried to break the restraints so the needles couldn't be put in his arms, continuing to scream maniacally that he was innocent, and struggled and screamed as the venom was pushed from the syringe until his vocal cords were paralyzed by one of the drugs.
Not like the movies.
And Kenneth Bruce was killed last night in Texas' second execution of the year. And Kevin Zimmerman and Billy Vickers are set to go on the 21st and 28th in Texas, too. One a week in Texas.
Just got me to thinking. Which many, of course, will say is a very bad thing.
Posted by Bill at January 15, 2004 09:17 AMThinking is okay... just with you, well, its a way of life....
;^)
-d
Posted by: -d at January 15, 2004 10:11 AMI wonder if any of their victims kicked and screamed and begged for their lives?
I fully support the death penalty. I'm mean like that.
Posted by: Kathy Howe at January 15, 2004 01:42 PMI definitely support the death penalty. My blog today includes one of the reasons why.
Posted by: TW at January 15, 2004 01:51 PMI'm one of those left-wing bleeding-heart liberals too, Billy.
Happens to the dharma students I know.
Posted by: Keri at January 15, 2004 02:55 PMWe abolished the death penalty but I am one of those people torn between whether it is a good thing or not. Some murders are just soooo brutal and savage and barbaric and most of all senseless.
Posted by: Michelle at January 15, 2004 03:57 PMI think the death penalty martyrs the evil and consigns the innocent-but-wrongly-convicted to a fate they haven't earned. It's too easy for us to make a mistake in court, it happens all the time. And in terms of punishment, to be denied human contact and held in solitary till your heart stops beating, spending decades in isolation and reflection, seems like a much better punishment than ending someone's life so they never have to think of what they did again. If we just want retribution, to make the victims feel better, our law should be that victims or survivors carry out the sentence. If we want to punish, to make convicts suffer, execution gives them way too easy a way out - in my opinion. I've never lost anyone to such a monster. Maybe that would change my mind.
Posted by: dan at January 15, 2004 05:34 PMI'm against it.
Why do people expect the someone being executed to go quietly?
Posted by: Anji at January 16, 2004 05:31 AMI believe the real retribution comes from God when they are judged. However, I think it is the duty of our judicial system to get them to that state as quickly as possible. No one has the right to take another life expecting to keep thiers. If that's the case, you may as well give everyone one free murder.
Posted by: wlfldy at January 16, 2004 08:01 AMSorry, had to add this. They don't spend their time in prison alone for the rest of their days. They get TV, mail, a social life, special meals and visits from thier families in which they get to hug and hold those they love dear. While those of us(yes, me) that have a murdered love one only get to hold thier loved ones purse cause that's all that could be found in the rubble and it was the last thing she had that I could say good bye to.
Posted by: wlfldy at January 16, 2004 08:06 AMQuite a moot topic. Dan has a good point about mistakes happening in Court where people are wrongly accused and then put to death. However, it is the taxpayers money which is used to "house" them, feed them and keep them alive. Our jailbirds even have the right to vote at general elections so they sort of still have "rights" whilst in jail. Unless the system can come up with a pay in which they successfully repay their debt to society, somehow, thus repaying the taxpayers money.
Posted by: Michelle at January 16, 2004 09:01 AMwlfldy - Yes, I agree with your comment and am sorry to read you have experienced a loved one being murdered. It is different with white collar crime but murderers get a lot of priviledges which is not fair. The sentence should fit the crime.
Posted by: Michelle at January 16, 2004 09:05 AMAll the executions in my beloved state give us quite a name. Does the average insane criminal ever stop in mid-murder to think... Oh Gee, I might get lethal injection if I do this? Of course not. Those who claim it serves as a deterrent are misguided. I, too, am torn on this issue. My gut feeling though - it is wrong to take a life, be you the criminal or the judge.
Posted by: Cowtown Pattie at January 16, 2004 10:50 AM