It's not raining Troy Davis and hopefully it won't be....

[Mugwog]

Dont forget to like this on facebook, it shows you care

[TomAz]

Any individual who came of age in America is wrestling with traditional Christian values, whether they prescribe to a Christian god or any higher power at all.

Which means, then, that the anti-death penalty activists are also reflecting traditional Christian values?

[WhyTheLongFace]

Which means, then, that the anti-death penalty activists are also reflecting traditional Christian values?

Thou Shall Not Kill.

[WhyTheLongFace]

The Bible is a funny book. I got to read it one of these days. My neighbor before she passed away read it 4 times. Little old Puerto Rican lady could quote it at the drop of a dime. I never told her I wasn't a believer cause it would have broke her heart

[guedita]

Are those Kanye West lyrics or something.

[JebusLives]

i don't think it benefits society at all, but for some segments of the population knowing that the punishment of the death penalty is out there brings a strange sort of comfort.

Is "it makes some people feel better" a sufficient argument for state-sanctioned murder?

[TomAz]

No need. Pot explained it for me...and better than I could.

I agree with his premise, but I don't see how it justifies your position.

[WhyTheLongFace]

Are those Kanye West lyrics or something.

Don't say you will........unless you will.......HEY HEY HEY HEEEEEY

[PotVsKtl]

Which means, then, that the anti-death penalty activists are also reflecting traditional Christian values?

They're reflecting their own warped internalization of the diaphanous diaphragm flexing down on us all.

[nathanfairchild]

Is "it makes some people feel better" a sufficient argument for state-sanctioned murder?

i don't think it it is. i'm just saying, especially in my part of the country, a lot of people feel better knowing that the "ultimate" punishment is available to criminals.

[captncrzy]

I agree with his premise, but I don't see how it justifies your position.

% of Catholics and Protestants that support the death penalty are in the 70's and 80's. % of Athiests are in the 50's.
It's not the sole driving factor, but the "eye for an eye" biblical references are deeply embedded in our history. European puritans brought over capital punishment practices on the Mayflower.

[WhyTheLongFace]

i don't think it it is. i'm just saying, especially in my part of the country, a lot of people feel better knowing that the "ultimate" punishment is available to criminals.

This is why I don't trust a place that pronounces "Whataburger" "Waterburger"

[PotVsKtl]

Whataburger is a Texas institution. We get to pronounce it however we damn well please.

[WhyTheLongFace]

They make good burgers

[marooko]

Then why is our murder rate so high?

I was suggesting people who murder aren't thinking about the consequences. Think of all the things you've done that were wrong (based on your own morals), or against the law; did you think about the consequences every time, most of the time, some of time? When you committed the act, you probably didn't think about it at all.

[JebusLives]

% of Catholics and Protestants that support the death penalty are in the 70's and 80's. % of Athiests are in the 50's.
It's not the sole driving factor, but the "eye for an eye" biblical references are deeply embedded in our history. European puritans brought over capital punishment practices on the Mayflower.

To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, Catholics have a vested interest in defending the death penalty. Without it, their religion wouldn't even exist!

[WhyTheLongFace]

I was suggesting people who murder aren't thinking about the consequences. Think of all the things you've done that were wrong (based on your own morals), or against the law; did you think about the consequences every time, most of the time, some of time? When you committed the act, you probably didn't think about it at all.

So wait were you being sarcastic?

Cause you said "Considering murderers usually reason, absolutely."
Now you're saying "When you committed the act, you probably didn't think about it at all."

That's the point I was getting at when I interpreted his post wrong. My theory was the guy who puts his gun down because he's afraid of the death penalty isn't going to pick it up when the worst he can get is life. They are not thinking about the consequences when doing it.

[JebusLives]

Marooko posts are extremely difficult to interpret because sarcasm can easily come across as moronicism, and vice versa.

[guedita]

Dont forget to like this on facebook, it shows you care

You're kind of being a dipshit here, and with what you posted about this in the FB thread. Many people talking about it on facebook maybe haven't devoted a lot of their time in the last ten years actively working to stop Troy Davis's execution, sure. Maybe many of the people twittering and facebooking about it haven't ever even given pause to think about the death penalty until now. People have to start somewhere when it comes to establishing opinions about the society that they live in. In this very thread you see people working through their own positions on the issue through discussion and debate. It's nothing but a good thing if people are buzzing about it on social media, because hopefully it is igniting discussion amongst a generation that ultimately could change the judicial system as it is.

[marooko]

I agree, they're not thinking about it. I was being sarcastic. But I think he was suggesting a portion of law abiding citizens get comfort knowing a murderer can be put to death, not that a murderer will reconsider knowing the consequences.

Just assume mormonism, Jebus.

[WhyTheLongFace]

Yeah I hate that snark side comments about Facebook and Twitter.

Impulse activism > Apathy

[faxman75]

A quick related plug. I just got this email at work and i'm giving them a few bucks for the cause.

For the first time ever, the Arizona Justice Project is among the agencies to which you can contribute as part of the County’s Combined Charitable Campaign. Since 1998, The Justice Project has been helping to overturn -- and prevent -- wrongful convictions in the State of Arizona. The Justice Project examines claims of innocence and manifest injustice, and provides legal representation for inmates believed to have been failed by the criminal justice system. The Justice Project also works for policy reform, to strengthen the criminal justice system and minimize the likelihood that wrongful convictions will occur in the first place.

http://www.azjusticeproject.org/

The reason the justice project and similar projects like this are necessary is because the system is broken and clients aren't always recieving the best representation. A good movie about this system is called "Conviction". She now works for a similar organization on the east coast and speaks around the country. When I say she, I mean Betty Waters. I saw her at the APDA conference this year. Inspiring story with a sad ending that wasn't included in the movie.

[ByTheWay,]

The DEATH PENALTY IS A BROKEN SYSTEM BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS A BROKEN SYSTEM!!!!!!

Im all for the death penalty but only if its 100% sure that a person is guilty of a crime which in my eyes should be MURDER,CHILD MOLESTATION, and throw in RAPE too. None of this 20 yrs waitng on death row. Do it sooner, give every prisoner one appeal and if they are found guilty again off to the death bed. If there is any chance a jury is not 100% sure and only has circumstantial evidence then NO DEATH PENALTY should be handed down on a defendant.

BTW, they should bring back hanging for the truly sick people in this world that rape,molest, or murder someone in a brutal way

[Miroir Noir]

Even if we were to accept the points made in your first two (admittedly deeply stupid) paragraphs, what possible reason would there be to re-institute hangings?

[marooko]

BTW, they should bring back hanging for the truly sick people in this world that rape,molest, or murder someone in a brutal way

There are about 2-3 states that still hang. New York hung someone in the mid-late 90's. They build brand new gallows just for him. . You essentially get to choose if a state has more than one method available.

[Yablonowitz]

The DEATH PENALTY IS A BROKEN SYSTEM BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS A BROKEN SYSTEM!!!!!!

Im all for the death penalty but only if its 100% sure that a person is guilty of a crime which in my eyes should be MURDER,CHILD MOLESTATION, and throw in RAPE too. None of this 20 yrs waitng on death row. Do it sooner, give every prisoner one appeal and if they are found guilty again off to the death bed. If there is any chance a jury is not 100% sure and only has circumstantial evidence then NO DEATH PENALTY should be handed down on a defendant.

BTW, they should bring back hanging for the truly sick people in this world that rape,molest, or murder someone in a brutal way

Please don't offer opinions on how the criminal justice system should work if you don't understand how it currently works.

[ByTheWay,]

Even if we were to accept the points made in your first two (admittedly deeply stupid) paragraphs, what possible reason would there be to re-institute hangings?

If anyone raped or molested my wife or child i'd off them myself so I guess it doesn't matter. If you don't feel those type of emotions in that situation then that is you and in my opinion makes you a twisted person from a twisted state (UTAH) if that is where your from!

There are about 2-3 states that still hang. New York hung someone in the mid-late 90's. They build brand new gallows just for him. . You essentially get to choose if a state has more than one method available.

Yes it should be up to the states I agree.

[PotVsKtl]

If anyone raped or molested my wife or child i'd off them myself so I guess it doesn't matter. If you don't feel those type of emotions in that situation then that is you and in my opinion makes you a twisted person from a twisted state (UTAH) if that is where your from!.

Poetry.

[guedita]

Ugh.

[marooko]

Yes it should be up to the states I agree.

You're reading it wrong.