I live in Texas, the death penalty capital of the United States. And for the most part, I support the death penalty (I know...that's not very characteristic of my otherwise Liberal philosophy). Child molesters, for example, should either be executed (in my opinion) or locked up forever. They can't be rehabilitated and every time the state releases one, they are gambling with the safety of our children, and against very poor odds, I might add.

But all that aside, in this morning's paper there was a story about a man who has been on Texas' death row for 31 years. Not just in prison - he has been in lock down on death row for over 3 decades. He killed a young man in the commission of a felony (armed robbery). Maybe he deserved the death penalty, or maybe he should have received life in prison. What he got was both.

I think that after 31 years, this man has paid his debt. He is not in some "country club prison" where he can play golf and surf the 'Net. He is not allowed TV (he has a radio). He gets one 5 minute phone call every 3 months. He has no cell mate....no contact with other human beings except the guards and an occasional visitor, viewed only thru thick, bullet-proof glass.

Rick Perry is not going to commute this man's sentence, but if I were governor of Texas, I would.

Maybe it's because I work in a profession where I see people die everyday or maybe it's my upbringing or maybe it's just something that can't be explained but I am 100% against the death penalty. I consider myself to be open-minded and I read every single word of every post in this thread and still, I can't condone sentencing a person to death.

On a side note, I also don't think ANYONE is ever judged by a jury of their peers.

I personally think that a much more fitting punishment would be for the convicted person to be confined to a small cell 23 hours/day for the rest of their life. No TV, no radio, minimal visitation and contact with the outside world, and no luxuries.

I just wanted to add to Tired_Old_Man, in the state of Texas, there is no life in prison without parole, at least there wasn't until a few months ago. So, if someone was sentenced to life in prison, they would always be eligible for parole. I believe a new law went into effect recently changing that, which I think is a good thing. I don't necessarily believe everyone should be executed who commits murder, but I do believe they should never be able to get out of prison.

Joan

I want to say, Joan, that if I was rude to you (and I reread what I posted and it sounded worse than when I was writing it), then I apologize.

However, not having a sentence available like "Life with no parole" is no excuse for execution.

Maybe it's because I work in a profession where I see people die everyday or maybe it's my upbringing or maybe it's just something that can't be explained but I am 100% against the death penalty. I consider myself to be open-minded and I read every single word of every post in this thread and still, I can't condone sentencing a person to death.

On a side note, I also don't think ANYONE is ever judged by a jury of their peers.

I also don't believe that the death penalty is ever justified. Murder is a terrible thing when a private citizen does it, but when the state with all its power does it, it sets a terrible example and can get out of control so easily.

The death penalty is a barbaric attempt to satiate a blood thirst.

All the civilized countries of the world have done away with it.

Yes, I purposely did not say, "All the civilized countries of the world except the USA have done away with it."

I want to say, Joan, that if I was rude to you (and I reread what I posted and it sounded worse than when I was writing it), then I apologize.

However, not having a sentence available like "Life with no parole" is no excuse for execution.

I accept your apology, because I thought you were rude. People tend to get that way in this section, so I totally understand. I still disagree with you on execution. Some of us believe in the death penalty and some of us don't. I doubt we could ever change the others mind on the subject.

Joan

I went to high school with a boy who raped a young mother, stabbed her in the eye and bit one of her nipples almost completely off. Then he left her for dead and threw her children - one and two years old - into the Trinity River. He spent 20 years in a state mental hospital, was eventually declared sane, and released back into the community. Personally, I'd feel much safer with Leslie Van Houten on the streets.

Green,

I got my information from Court TV and the national news channels. Karla Homolka is a very evil and demented individual who should still be in prison.

Thanks for letting me know, Wootsie. You should know that the entire population of Canada agrees with your assessment of Karla Homolka. She is a sociopath and should have been locked up for life. Unfortunately the Crown cut a deal with her before the tapes were discovered and for some reason wouldn't nullify this even though evidence of another crime which she committed later came to light. She was, however, required to spend her entire sentence in prison; there was no parole time for her.

Your welcome Green. I'm sure everyone in Canada feels the same way I do. It's just to bad the legal system there didn't keep her in prison where she should be. I hope she doesn't kill or hurt anyone else since they were dumb enough to let her out.

Joan

I went to high school with a boy who raped a young mother, stabbed her in the eye and bit one of her nipples almost completely off. Then he left her for dead and threw her children - one and two years old - into the Trinity River. He spent 20 years in a state mental hospital, was eventually declared sane, and released back into the community. Personally, I'd feel much safer with Leslie Van Houten on the streets.

In all honesty Carlene, neither of them should be on the streets. I don't personally having anything against Leslie Van Houten, but I know at the time she committed her crimes, she was an evil person. In my opinion, which I know only matters to me, just because she has grown up and changed doesn't mean she shouldn't continue to pay for what she did. Those were some of the worst crimes in the 20th century. However, I do agree with you that there are people they let out of custody that should never be released. It doesn't make sense sometimes.

Joan

Thanks for sticking up for me Carole. I know I don't always have the popular opinion, but that's what the rants and raves section is all about. We all have a right to our own opinion and just because our opinion differs from the majority, doesn't mean our voice should be silenced. That's what makes America such a great country. We can differ in our opinions and not be incarcerated because of it.

Joan

Thanks for sticking up for me Carole. I know I don't always have the popular opinion, but that's what the rants and raves section is all about. We all have a right to our own opinion and just because our opinion differs from the majority, doesn't mean our voice should be silenced. That's what makes America such a great country. We can differ in our opinions and not be incarcerated because of it.

Joan

Actually, people who believe in the death penalty are in the majority in the USA.

I even think that the posters to this thread who believe in the death penalty are in the majority, though I am too lazy to take a head count.:faint: