nytimes.com — This year’s death penalty bombshells have masked what may be the most significant and lasting development. For the first time in the modern history of the death penalty, more than 60 percent of all American executions took place in Texas.
Dec 26, 2007 View in Crawl 4
68024Dec 27, 2007
That is, let me qualify this comment - 125 people who were freed from death row, because they turned out to be innocent.<a class="user" href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/CRIME/12/20/death.penalty.">http://www.cnn.com/2007/CRIME/12/20/death.penalty.</a> ...How many were put to death... we'll probably never know.
Closed AccountDec 27, 2007
Nice try McCain. We know it's you posting the ignorant Ron Paul Spam just to make everyone hate him more.
andrewcoolDec 27, 2007
I like how Texas has the Death Penalty.
umdmattoDec 27, 2007
I think your missing the big picture, it's not the fact that Texas executes the most death row inmates but the fact that one state alone executes more inmates then the rest of the country combined.and then some.
mkobyDec 27, 2007
The percentage of innocent people executed is considerably small. I love how anti-death penalty folks love to say "innocent people are put to death all the time" when really a low percentage.Lets do some math real quick. The article says 42 executions in the past year, so if 1 of those people turned out to be innocent thats 2% and 5 would be 11%. And I think 5 is really pushing it. I doubt even 2 of the 42 will come back later to be proven innocent.There are these things called trials, and evidence, and then there's the horrible appeals system (the idea of an appeal is not horrible is the fact that people can tie of the court system with them almost indefinitely putting their case on hold). Is the system perfect? Absolutely NOT, and I'll be the first to say it. But you will never see me speak against the death penalty until the the wrongful death toll is more than 1 out of 10 (which we are FAR from).In the extremely few cases where the wrong person was tried and convicted, the real killer will probably try again, and eventually will get caught and convicted and more than likely (if they committed the act in Texas) be executed.
Closed AccountDec 27, 2007
None whatsoever. The only problem is a public that have become so incapable of rational thought that they'd sue a rancher for mercilessly killing poor helpless cattle while they nibble on a hamburger. We had a eugenics program in this country until 1965 that forced sterilization of the mentally handicapped and persons with hereditary diseases, but the nation has become soft. There's a billboard up near my house with a photo of a baby with Downs Syndrome and text that says something about how every life is precious. In a culture like this it's no surprise that criminals are embraced.
Closed AccountDec 28, 2007
It's part of that whole WWII effort to vilify the Germans. Their eugenics practices became linked to the "holocaust" and so we had to quietly pretend that we'd never really believed in eugenics. From the 40's on we had to pretend that all people are created equal even though it's scientifically absurd.
Closed AccountDec 28, 2007
I agree with both of you.
johnreynDec 29, 2007
You gotta love Texas - the state with a "fast lane" to the Huntsville unit (the unit which carries out the death penalty). I wish the rest of the country would follow their lead. "Don't mess with Texas"