If as all the advocates of the Death Penalty assume, it is a deterrent, then why are they executing their 300th convicted murderer in Texas this week? I'm guessing that there are 299 folks who somehow missed getting the message. Of course some were likely mentally incapable of understanding the message, but they enjoy Fat Tony's Cronys protection for now.
Could it be that it's no more than a political tool for politicians from District Attorneys to Presidents to use as means of showing how tough they are (even if they are Military Deserters)? Sadly even Clinton was not immune to using the Death Penalty for political gain. Look how George Ryan in Illinois was savaged by the local pro-death penalty establishment, there were even DA's trying to figure out ways to overturn/appeal the pardons, despite commutations to sentences that virtually guaranteed life in prison for the commutees. Is that justice or Bloodthirstiness in pursuit of the personal pursuit of power?
If it is truly a "deterrent" then you would assume that the local executioners would make sure that every execution was carried out in full public view, with the horribleness of the state-sponsored event (and it would be murder if the accused were actually innocent) covered by the local and national media.
"They're killing people every day almost, every week," said Mr. Johnson, who was convicted of the fatal shooting of a gas station attendant in 1995. "It's not shocking any more. Most people don't even know unless they're involved. There's just a vague mention of it in the paper."
Michael Dewayne Johnson, was scheduled to be No. 300 until he and another inmate received temporary reprieves last month.
Hey, we are ending someone's life here, no matter the reason that's a significant event. But the save the unborn-at-any-cost right wing (John Ashcroft et. al.) of America seem to somehow feel that not all life is equal when they say so (do they have a direct line to their supreme being we don't know about?).
And hey, in Texas, if you were wondering inmate #300 to be executed is named Delma Banks, I'm sure he's no angel but in return for giving him $3.00 worth of meds, I thought I'd give you his name. The media outside Huntsville might "forget".
