Texas Executes Man With IQ of 61

[Charles J. White]

This is where I feared the discussion would go:

it is necessary to eliminate insane people for the protection of society.

I don't trust the state when it comes to killing people, and I really don't trust the state killing mentally retarded people. I'm not sure, why, but it just doesn't seem right to me at all.

[Edward Kennedy]

This is where I feared the discussion would go:

it is necessary to eliminate insane people for the protection of society.

I don't trust the state when it comes to killing people, and I really don't trust the state killing mentally retarded people. I'm not sure, why, but it just doesn't seem right to me at all.

ANYONE guilty of murder NEEDS TO DIE. We have MANY cases where there is undeniable proof of the guilt and thus there is no reason to not execute the perps. Save your misplaced lefturd discomfort for the victims and their families.

[Connie Fournier]

I was watching 48 Hours (or 20/20, maybe), and they were talking about this Christian group in the US that has made it their mission to take on the cases of people who were wrongly convicted of murder and get them new trials using DNA evidence. They will only take on cases where they are absolutely convinced that the prisoner has been wrongly convicted because they don't want to free guilty people and they don't have the resources to help everyone, anyway.

But, these people have been responsible for DOZENS of people being vindicated and released. The fact that there are that there were that many people sitting in prison, convicted of murders they didn't commit makes my skin crawl. The system is too corrupt to give them the power over life and death.

[RedDog]

That is precisely where I struggle with capital punishment. Too many people have been vindicated 20 and 30 years later by new DNA science technology not around or readily available when they were railroaded into a cell. We can rattle off Canadian examples alone at length - people who might otherwise have been executed but are now free men with large cheques. Witnesses who testified have been known to recant their testimony on their death beds as well. It's risky business.

[Connie Fournier]

That is precisely where I struggle with capital punishment. Too many people have been vindicated 20 and 30 years later by new DNA science technology not around or readily available when they were railroaded into a cell. We can rattle off Canadian examples alone at length - people who might otherwise have been executed but are now free men with large cheques. Witnesses who testified have been known to recant their testimony on their death beds as well. It's risky business.

Agreed, 100%. I used to be a supporter of the death penalty, but I've come to realize that the system is so corrupt they can't even handle Section 13 without trampling on citizens' rights! No way am I ready to tell them they have permission to decide if I live or die!

[wildernessvoice]

Today I doubt I could hit the 61 score.
If you doubt me as the man says "Ask my wife".
The death penalty is hard to trust- just too many cops faking evidence and the forensic labs are part of the fix.
The very worst? Those jailhouse witnesses that trade off sentence time for testifying that he heard a CONFESSION. Yah! Right.
How could a jury even take it serious?

[WestViking]

The fact of the matter is that cruel as it sounds to execute a mentally challenged individuaL, it is more cruel to allow such people to run around with impunity beheading and cannibalizing innocent citizens. We shoot mad dogs,it is necessary to eliminate insane people for the protection of society.

That is disgusting. You are mixing insanity (mental illness) with mental disability which are separate maladies. Worse, you are attributing one heinous incident of mental illness to all mentally disabled adults convicted of crimes. Mentally disabled people are at a huge disadvantage in our justice system as they cannot even articulate their version of events or protest untrue allegations. With sufficient evidence of criminal acts, they should be locked up for an appropriate period even if that is for 'life'. We do not have a death penalty in Canada so the argument is moot except that the discussion is of value when we revisit the issue of capital punishment.

[DA_Champion]

Should drunk drivers be executed when they kill somebody?

They certainly have more responsibility over their actions than a man with an IQ of 61.

[WestViking]

Should drunk drivers be executed when they kill somebody? They certainly have more responsibility over their actions than a man with an IQ of 61.

We do not have capital punishment in Canada.

[Edward Kennedy]

Should drunk drivers be executed when they kill somebody?

They certainly have more responsibility over their actions than a man with an IQ of 61.

Why not? They murdered people? It would soon eliminate impaired driving. What about the rights of people, the victims, to life?

[DA_Champion]

Should drunk drivers be executed when they kill somebody?

They certainly have more responsibility over their actions than a man with an IQ of 61.

Why not? They murdered people? It would soon eliminate impaired driving. What about the rights of people, the victims, to life?

I don't believe in the death penalty. But, imo, drunk drivers who kill, like Ted Kennedy did in the late 1970s, should face life in prison.

[Charles J. White]

I don't believe the state has the power to kill the right people the majority of the time, so I would prefer to keep the state out of it to be honest. Like someone else said, they get something like Section 13 wrong all of the time, imagine putting that crew in charge of killing people...

As far as people who drink alcohal and drive on public roads, they are disgusting creeps, and if caught, they should pay higher insurance rates, and face suspension of licenses

[Edward Kennedy]

I will tell you what is disgusting, and that is innocent people were/are sentenced to death by anyone, through their criminal action of murder, whether the perp is normal or insane. The result is the same, innocent people die. It does not matter if someone is sane or not, there is NO excuse for murder or criminality and at the least, the elimination of such criminals is necessary to prevent the same injustice they could impose on another.

Sounds cruel but the primary right here is the right of the innocent citizen to not be subject to murderers and criminals, even if those who perpetrate are irreponsible mentally.

I say again, we shoot mad dogs to protect people, there should be no exception for people.

As to the state, the same tired red herring argument of innocent people getting executed DOES NOT APPLY today because we KNOW FOR A FACT SOME who murder ARE GUILTY. If not sure, the defendant should walk.

Nobody is saying we shoulod execute everyone who is suspected of being guilty, ONLY ONES WE KNOW ARE GUILTY...bernardo, etc That is a LIEBRAL tactic to cloud the issue that there are cases where there is PROOF POSITIVE an identifiable perpetrator has murdered and you are all swallowing the lieberal kool aid to protect criminals, in this case, murderers.

[Charles J. White]

I will tell you what is disgusting, and that is innocent people were/are sentenced to death by anyone, through their criminal action of murder, whether the perp is normal or insane. The result is the same, innocent people die. It does not matter if someone is sane or not, there is NO excuse for murder or criminality and at the least, the elimination of such criminals is necessary to prevent the same injustice they could impose on another.

Edward,

You remind of me of my well meaning but odd brother-in-law who lives in Flagstaff Arizona, and I’m going to quote him word for word:

“I would rather see 10,000 innocent men executed, than see a single solitary guilty man walk free, everyone convicted, should face the ultimate punishment so the victim’s family can sleep well at night, it will keep order, and order is all that matters!”

Edward, many individuals who believe in limited government, and fiscal responsibility don’t trust the state to terminate life at its own behest, let alone the concept of "order". This isn’t knock, we just agree to disagree, and I suspect a great deal of people would as well.

[MikeNB]

I have the same problem with this case as I do with all death penalty cases these days...I don't trust the system. I read of too many cases where innocent people have been railroaded by corrupt people in authority, so every time I hear of an execution I can't help but wonder if they are killing the real perp.

I know there are some cases where there is no doubt of guilt (eg Paul Bernardo), but most cases aren't that straightforward.

I agree totally.