As much as I hate to contradict Robyn, I feel compelled to point out that we're not even all that good at the killing, given the hideous fiascos where executioners prodded a condemned person's body with needles for hours before giving up on finding a usable vein.
For sheer, fatuous callousness on the subject, no one IMHO has topped the utterance of Pat Buchanan, who was fash before it was cool: "Doctors lose people on the operating table all the time. What's the big deal?"
The horrifying descriptions of the executions in Texas by nitrogen hypoxia and the recent botched lethal injection in Idaho are strong evidence that we do indeed suck at executions.
From a young age (mine), my Father drilled into me respect for the law by saying ours was the most fair system in the world because. "It is better that 99 guilty go free than 1 innocent be wrongly punished." It was a bit (well a lot, but as white man in the 50's) naive, but it had stuck with me. However our current system seems to have inverted that math and decided it's okay to lock up 99 innocent people (as long as they are POC), to make sure one guilty person is punished as well. Maybe I'm just cynical.
This is one of the reasons Philadelphia cops hate DA Krasner - he keeps showing the city, and the world, what shameless, incompetent and crooked idiots are on their police force.
And, once again, nowhere in the government patting themselves on the back for FINALLY righting this wrong do I hear ANYTHING about what concrete steps they will take to ensure it never happens again, nor do I see anything about punishing those that screwed it up in the first place. The cops, the prosecutors? They committed a crime. Where is their punishment?
Capitol punishment is heinously barbaric. It achieves NOTHING beyond thoroughly base, primitive vindication, aka petty fucking REVENGE.
It is a sadistic obscenity too often engaged merely to boost the egos of egomaniacal prosecutors. A sane nation that respects humanity and recognizes these executions for the egregious crime against humanity it actually IS.
"...state-sponsored killing because clearly we are excellent at that in all its forms."
Yeah, like Idaho's attempt to execute a serial killer by lethal injection just a day or two ago, after 8 tries to establish an IV line. Sounds like excellence to me.
I believe Alito is of the belief that once you are convicted at trial, the constitutional requirement is fulfilled regardless of your actual guilt or innocence and that's the end of it. No reprieves. No reviews. What a fucking ghoul.
In case it's not posted yet, here's a really interesting story about the terrible science of arson investigation, relating to a Texas death penalty case in the 90s. Scroll down to section 4 for the arson research stuff
This happened before. Do some research next time.
https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/detaillist.aspx?View={faf6eddb-5a68-4f8f-8a52-2c61f5bf9ea7}&SortField=Sentence&SortDir=Asc&FilterField1=Sentence&FilterValue1=Death
If we can’t rid ourselves of the death penalty, I propose expanding it -
- Bribe a judge with an RV, both parties get the chair.
- Actually take money from a foreign government while an officer of this country, hellooooo sparky.
- Try to overthrow our government while an officer of our government, and it’s game over.
Let’s see how long the problem lasts then.
Ta, Robyn. I have never EVER supported the death penalty. Thanks for continuing to highlight the plight of prisoners in this country.
75% of all people in prison are innocent of criminal conduct, or are innocent of the crime for which they are convicted of committing.
I wonder what percent of exonerees are persons of color. I expect it's quite high.
What makes you think that?
Please consider that the percentage who are wrongly imprisoned and the percentage who are actually exonerated may be two vastly different numbers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6IXQbXPO3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8
𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴.
As much as I hate to contradict Robyn, I feel compelled to point out that we're not even all that good at the killing, given the hideous fiascos where executioners prodded a condemned person's body with needles for hours before giving up on finding a usable vein.
𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.
For sheer, fatuous callousness on the subject, no one IMHO has topped the utterance of Pat Buchanan, who was fash before it was cool: "Doctors lose people on the operating table all the time. What's the big deal?"
The horrifying descriptions of the executions in Texas by nitrogen hypoxia and the recent botched lethal injection in Idaho are strong evidence that we do indeed suck at executions.
From a young age (mine), my Father drilled into me respect for the law by saying ours was the most fair system in the world because. "It is better that 99 guilty go free than 1 innocent be wrongly punished." It was a bit (well a lot, but as white man in the 50's) naive, but it had stuck with me. However our current system seems to have inverted that math and decided it's okay to lock up 99 innocent people (as long as they are POC), to make sure one guilty person is punished as well. Maybe I'm just cynical.
I would not call Ms Ava Duvernay cynical, and she did a whole movie about the topic in 2016 ICYMI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6IXQbXPO3I
full feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8
Well, the Supreme Court did rule that actual innocence was no reason stop a good killin’.
logic and the law are strange bedfellows in our beloved SCOTUS
This is one of the reasons Philadelphia cops hate DA Krasner - he keeps showing the city, and the world, what shameless, incompetent and crooked idiots are on their police force.
This is where I remind people that Philly police once burned down an entire city block just to force a group of squatters out of a building.
And, once again, nowhere in the government patting themselves on the back for FINALLY righting this wrong do I hear ANYTHING about what concrete steps they will take to ensure it never happens again, nor do I see anything about punishing those that screwed it up in the first place. The cops, the prosecutors? They committed a crime. Where is their punishment?
A great article, Robin!
Capitol punishment is heinously barbaric. It achieves NOTHING beyond thoroughly base, primitive vindication, aka petty fucking REVENGE.
It is a sadistic obscenity too often engaged merely to boost the egos of egomaniacal prosecutors. A sane nation that respects humanity and recognizes these executions for the egregious crime against humanity it actually IS.
"...state-sponsored killing because clearly we are excellent at that in all its forms."
Yeah, like Idaho's attempt to execute a serial killer by lethal injection just a day or two ago, after 8 tries to establish an IV line. Sounds like excellence to me.
I believe Alito is of the belief that once you are convicted at trial, the constitutional requirement is fulfilled regardless of your actual guilt or innocence and that's the end of it. No reprieves. No reviews. What a fucking ghoul.
Oh fuck Alito. And especially fuck him if he goes for presidential immunity.
If we're going to accept the arson investigators as experts, I say bring back phrenology as a forensic science as well.
In case it's not posted yet, here's a really interesting story about the terrible science of arson investigation, relating to a Texas death penalty case in the 90s. Scroll down to section 4 for the arson research stuff
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire
Thank you AGAIN, Robyn.