Death Penalty Musings
Dec. 14th, 2004 08:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raefinlayScott Peterson is on his way to death row.
The paparazzi has swarmed the homes of Laci's family members. Lawns are covered with cards and bears and candles again. Last night, a young woman was interviewed by the press. She had brought her five young children to participate in the "prayer chain." And to celebrate the sentencing.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Killing Scott will not bring Laci and Connor back. Killing him will not cost less than keeping him in prison for life. Killing him will not deter other egoist, misogynist maniacs from killing their wives and children. It will add one more death to this sick story.
The ACLU claims that 77 death row inmates have been exonerated and released since 1976--a verifiable statistic. (It also claims a 68% error rate in death row convictions in a 23 year period, which doesn't exactly jive. But then, the ACLU has always been creative with its math. Another journal post, I suppose.)
I believe Scott is guilty, but I'm not ready to bet his life on it. And I don't understand how a woman can celebrate such a thing while praying to the author of Life.
The paparazzi has swarmed the homes of Laci's family members. Lawns are covered with cards and bears and candles again. Last night, a young woman was interviewed by the press. She had brought her five young children to participate in the "prayer chain." And to celebrate the sentencing.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Killing Scott will not bring Laci and Connor back. Killing him will not cost less than keeping him in prison for life. Killing him will not deter other egoist, misogynist maniacs from killing their wives and children. It will add one more death to this sick story.
The ACLU claims that 77 death row inmates have been exonerated and released since 1976--a verifiable statistic. (It also claims a 68% error rate in death row convictions in a 23 year period, which doesn't exactly jive. But then, the ACLU has always been creative with its math. Another journal post, I suppose.)
I believe Scott is guilty, but I'm not ready to bet his life on it. And I don't understand how a woman can celebrate such a thing while praying to the author of Life.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-14 05:43 pm (UTC)My feelings on the death penalty tend toward... the ambivalent. Nonetheless, it makes me sick to see people celebrating an execution -- anyone's execution. I can understand relief, but not outright joy. That's just... evil.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-14 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-14 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-14 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-15 01:04 am (UTC)