In Texas, which in a good year all by itself carries out half the executions in America. Death Row in Texas is like the Roach Motel: Roach checks in, doesn't check out. When George W. Bush was Texas governor, he claimed to carefully consider each and every execution, although a study of his office calendar shows he budgeted 15 minutes per condemned man (we cannot guess how many of these minutes were devoted to pouring himself a cup of coffee before settling down to the job). Still, when you're killing someone every other week and there's an average of 400 more waiting their turn, you have to move right along.
In the movie The life of David Gale, Kevin Spacey who is a professor at the University of Texas, has a strong opinion about the lives of innocent men and women dying on death row all the time. In the movie he is actually framed for the murder of his friend, who also strongly disagreed with the death penalty. He claims to have been framed by right-wing supporters of capital punishment because his death would provide such poetic irony in support of the noose, the gas or the chair. During the last week of his life, he hires a reporter to protest his innocence, and the reporter ends up believing that he is.
I really feel that Governor Perry should grant more clemency to those on death row. Meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. The act of clemency is a reprieve. I Just feel that being sentenced to life, instead of taking another human beings life, just for the chance that some evidence proves the person maybe innocent.
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3 comments:
I agree. Ok yeah there is a lot of executions to be done so people will want to get them over with, but I also think that if they are not 100% sure whether the criminal is completely guilty then a clemency should be given, and the case should be given another look at. There have been cases where after the execution has taken place that they tried the wrong person! If there is no doubt whatsoever that the person they are trying is the wrong person then I say go for it, I mean not necessarily the death penalty but no clemency is really needed. I am probably saying this now but when I am actually in the situation I'm sure my opinion will change...but I don't think they should always give the death penalty. I think they should give the life sentence more because that gives them actual time to think of what they did and the price they're paying for it, whereas just flat out killing them they don't really have time to reflect on their actions...! Is it also our right to take people's lives away? Isn't it's God's decision when it's time for someone to go "home"? Depending on how you look at it the death penalty could be considered suicide...I just don't think it's our right to take the life of another even when they should have their life taken away for the horrible things they committed. Anyways since the law isn't going to change and since the death penalty is still going to be given then they should set the execution day at least 5 years after the crime so that way the case can still be looked at thoroughly and they can make sure they have the right criminal, and they have five years to reflect their actions. All in all I agree with Mag that Governor Perry should grant more clemency.
For the most part, I do agree with Mag's opinion that many innocent people do die on death row each year. I also agree with Mag's opinion that the amount of time spent on each person's fate is too short. But, how do we know that they are all innocent. Take her perfect example of the thrilling movie "The Life of David Gale." Throughout the movie he try's to convince the media and general public that he was wrongly accused, when in the end he was really guilty. The governor had to make a tough, quick decision and although it looked like they killed an innocent man, they really made the right decision.
Although, I do not agree that all of them are innocent. A lot of those so called "innocent" people are really guilty. We see them them as what the media portrays them as. In fact, I believe that a lot of them are guilty but are seen as innocent through the eyes of the general public. But, how de we know that innocent people die on death row each year? We don't. The state of Texas might have made the right move or the wrong move. The only person that really knows if they are innocent is the person themself and it basically comes down to a last minute coin toss with governor. A lot of people that are condemned to death by lethal injection in Texas act on their natural instinct, survival. And they know if they want to avoid death they lean toward their biggest supporter, the general public. And once the general public starts protesting outside the prison, it attracts their second biggest supporter, the media. Then, it comes down to the final minutes of the clock, where the governor has to use natural instints as well and make that decision no man or woman would want to make based on factual evidence or his gut reaction.
I also disagree with her opinion on giving lesser penalty's or reprieve's to people on death row. If you are condemned to death, it's not because you were seen on an episode of cops selling dope but it's because you took another person's life which is kind of a very serious matter. Especially in the great state of Texas. Go horns! A reprieve should be given to somebody who assaulted a police officer or someone who stole a snicker's bar from a convenience store (that actually happened). In the end, I do not agree with some of Mag's opinion's but it was still a very convincing and well-written piece. But who knows who was really right on this matter. I guess Mr. Seago will have to play the role as governor on this matter and hope to make the right call on this coin toss.
i so agree to that too
and i like eggs!!!
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