David Ray Harris executed. I'm a little torn on this one.

[otterpop]

Today it was reported that the State of Texas executed David Ray Harris (southern murderers always seem to have three names). He was executed for the murder of Mark Mays in 1985, but he is most infamous for the murder of a Dallas police officer Robert Wood in 1976.

Through a nightmare of police and court shenangins and misconduct, dubious witnesses, perjurious testamonies and bad luck, the wrong man was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death - Randall Adams. He spent several years on death row and escaped execution by having his sentence commuted to life imprisonment due to court misconduct. Adams spent 12 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He might still be there had it not been for the documentary "The Thin Blue Line."

As an opponent to the death penalty (largely because of "The Thin Blue Line") I do not think Harris should have been executed. As a proponent of justice I am not unhappy Harris met his fate. Even Randall Adams, an anti-death penalty advocate since his release from prison in 1989, probably opposed Harris's execution.

It is a very odd world. That goes double for Texas.

 

[ludes98]

Death is so final, you can't correct a mistake. |-)

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Today it was reported that the State of Texas executed David Ray Harris (southern murderers always seem to have three names).

Yeah, their middle name is either Ray or Wayne.

 

[Michele Zone]

Yeah, their middle name is either Ray or Wayne.

So, maybe we should do some serious research: is the "ay" letter combo, when found in middle names of Southerners, a serious indicator of bad karma?

What was that movie where someone was saying "All the serial killers have 3 names" -- or something like that. I know there is a line in a movie somewhere that is something like that. (Conspiracy Theory?)

 

[el Guapo]

I just watched the movie David Gale (anti death penalty). What a complete load of crapola. I've never seen a bigger piece of propaganda, wait I forgot about F911, and Triump of the Will. Gale had all the stereotypes covered; an old white man who "just doesn't get it" in need of a Sista's comuppance, crusading liberals with Harvard educations, buffon Republican Governors of Texas, noble press core members, lawyers with ponytails...what a bag of complete stain of poo. It made me long for the days of "Bob Roberts" when one got the pinko message nakedly shoved in one's face.

Overall though, it was a good movie and our hero did drive a 1986+ Volvo 244DL until W personally executed him in Texas by "lethal interjectonery" as his pals from the Texas Rangers and the Klan watched from the box seats in Texas Stadium. W would be played as a Zoolander-type character, too stupid to breathe. The final scene in the director's cut should show Dick Cheney driving Kevin Spacey's Character's newly liberated Volvo over to the Haliburton's secret undisclosed bunker and incenerator. This is the place where national secrets are kept instead of at the CIA or NSA because W sold the CIA to BP because he is too stupid, once again. As DICK Cheney prepares to destroy the report that shows there never where any WMD's in the entire Middle East in front of a gaged and badly beaten Hans Blix, the last scene would show just a glimpse of a document on the back seat of the burning Volvo entitled, "The Final Solution."

 

[biscuit]

I just watched the movie David Gale (anti death pentaly). What a complete load of crapola. I've never seen a bigger piece of propaganda, wait I forgot about F911, and Triump of the Will. Gale had all the stereotypes covered, crusading liberals, buffon republicans, nobel press core...what a bag of complete poo. Made me wish for the days of Bob Roberts.

For some reason or another I seem to agree with EG on many issues. But when it comes to the death penalty I have to raise my voice in disagreement. As a Christian (sometimes questioning but never apologetic) I believe that death is death. It doesn’t matter if it's abortion or capital punishment… someone’s life has been ended based upon the wiles of another individual, or judge. Who are we to decide that murder is okay (outside of self defense), when it suites our needs?

And I’m very serious, for a change, about this.

 

[el Guapo]

For r some reason or another I seem to agree with EG on many issues. But when it comes to the death penalty I have to raise my voice in disagreement. As a Christian (sometimes questioning but never apologetic) I believe that death is death. It doesn’t matter if it's abortion or capital punishment… someone’s life has been ended based upon the wiles of another individual, or judge. Who are we to decide that murder is okay (outside of self defense), when it suites our needs?

And I’m very serious, for a change, about this.

We kill hundreds of times as many people in our society everyday by negligently not caring for people in childhood, by not enforcing the law early and often, and by not meeting out a serious punishment that fits each crime. I'm all for preventative measures before we get to serious crimes, and we can thus avoid the needle, rope or big rock to the noggin.

I'd rather take my chances in a strict society than one that rationalizes every stupid act as not being the perp's fault. And strict doesn't mean oppressive. It simply means you will be well aware of the punishment you will receive for your crime before you even commit it. And I'm very serious to. I'd like to live in a world where people were expected to act like human beings. Our expectations of our fellow man are set way to low. And yes, God does make some garbage on occasion, and occasionally he need help disposing of it.

 

[biscuit]

We kill hundreds of times as many people in our society everyday by negligently not caring for people in childhood, by not enforcing the law early and often, and by not meeting out a serious punishment that fits each crime. I'm all for preventative measures before we get to serious crimes, and we can thus avoid the needle, rope or big rock to the noggin.

I'd rather take my chances in a strict society than one that rationalizes every stupid act as not being the perp's fault. And strict doesn't mean oppressive. It simply means you will be well aware of the punishment you will receive for your crime before you even commit it. And I'm very serious to. I'd like to live in a world where people were expected to act like human beings. Our expectations of our fellow man are set way to low. And yes, God does make some garbage on occasion, and occasionally he need help disposing of it.

You know, I'll agree with you that there are some people who just '"need killin,'" and perhaps it's my Southern background that makes me believe that, but I just can't reconcile that with the fact I have also been raised with the the philosophy that (court appointed) judge or not. It’s not my place to place judgement, and however how ‘evil’ we as a society might perceive a person ito be it’s better that we (as that society) put him away for life as opposed to putting him to death. Because, straight up, death is death and I can not reconcile being anti-abortion and pro death penalty… I’m sorry, just my two cents worth.

 

[Cardinal]

We kill hundreds of times as many people in our society everyday by negligently not caring for people in childhood, by not enforcing the law early and often, and by not meeting out a serious punishment that fits each crime. I'm all for preventative measures before we get to serious crimes, and we can thus avoid the needle, rope or big rock to the noggin.

BUt that is a sort of benign death as opposed to the very active death represented by execution. It is one thing to not interefere to prevent a person from dying. It a completely different thing to execute a person. I am all for stiff sentencing for criminals, and would have no problem with making prison a somewhat less pleasant experience. I don't care to rationalize away anybody's crime, or waste effort trying to rehabilitate anyone who is incorrigible. But ludes said it best. "Death is so final, you can't correct a mistake."

 

[Doitnow]

14 years ago a guard( of a multistory apartment) raped and killed a 14 year old in the eastern city of Calcutta, India. After many years ( and rounds in the courts) he was awarded the death penalty. The criminals family has pleaded for clemency from the President and the question now hangs in balance.
Heres the story.
As time goes we realise that giving the death penalty is one thing and carrying it out is another. The EU has asked the Indian government to stop the execution. Now theres international pressure too. So it becomes diffucult for the persons in position to take a decision and take the responsibility.
I am sure that in some extreme cases( Assume the assasination of a popular president or Prime minister of any western country), woudl the killer(if caught) not be served the death penalty and executed. That would test if theres a double standard in the society.
And there are cases where the family of the dead victim has asked the courts not to execute the offender.

My two bits are as follows:
So I think it's a pretty complicated issue and theres no need to prove that we are civilised just by putting a ban on the executions.
Different situations require different punishments. Execution can be an extreme but yes possible way.