Do we even believe in ourselves, or not? (Capital punishment or true life without parole not happening)
Posted 04-20-2022 at 10:23 AM by jbgusa
4-22-2022
This morning's paper contains this article, Michelle Alyssa Go murder: Alleged NYC subway shover mentally unfit for trial. Here you have an obviously deranged criminal who, for whatever reason, shoved a person of major value to society on the tracks in the path of an upcoming train. I know, I know, there's a presumption of innocence. Here, the defense, if there is one, is likely to be insanity. Can someone tell me what social value is served by this charade of keeping this person alive. Frankly, he should have died in a "struggle" surrounding his arrest. Mind you, according to the linked article, the suspect told a psychiatrist that "it was only a matter of time before he shoved a woman onto train tracks" but he was nevertheless allowed to leave the psychiatrist's office a free man. Do we value the lives of deranged criminals more than the lives of valuable citizens?
According to this article, Times Square subway shove suspect was out on parole for past violent felony: prosecutor, "Martial had been convicted of two prior violent felonies — attempted robberies in 1999 and 2019" and had a warrant out for his arrest for parole violations. Seriously?
8-29-2021
On a train ride to Philadelphia for the Bicentennial Parade on July 4, 1976 I rode with two of my former high school friends, Jim and Bill. We had graduated from high school the year before. At the time all of us were died-in-the-wool Democrats planning on voting for Carter over Ford.
Keep in mind these are bright people. Jim graduated from Yale, and Harvard Law School. Bill from Princeton, and since I lost touch with him, I don't know which medical school. Looking for an intellectual topic of discussion Jim, now one of my closer friends brought upthe Supreme Court's then recent allowance of capital punishment in limited circumstances, in a decision at the close of the term in June 1976. In June 1972 the Supreme Court had abolished all capital punishment. He favored the capital punishment. Bill, the other person and I did not, favoring life without parole. Jim raised the issue that some people are just of absolutely no use to society, and were beyond rehabilitation. Bill and I felt that life without parole was sufficient.
Rewind the clock to June 5, 1968. Sirhan Sirhan had just gunned down Robert Kennedy in cold blood, in a crime he later attributed to Robert Kennedy's vote to sell 50 fighter jets to Israel. He was sentenced to death, a sentence commuted to life by the 1972 Supreme Court decision. Now, fast forward to the last several days. A California parole board just voted to release Sirhan on parole. To me, he was Exhibit "A" for the death penalty, as was Charlie Manson and his group for a famous and brutal murder spree 14 months later. Both Manson and Sirhan have had regular parole hearings.
The "Great Debate" question is whether society has totally lost its belief in itself to the extent that we no longer consider willful, cold-blooded murder a line that must not be crossed? Why would we even consider parole for the likes of a Charles Manson or Sirhan Sirhan?
This morning's paper contains this article, Michelle Alyssa Go murder: Alleged NYC subway shover mentally unfit for trial. Here you have an obviously deranged criminal who, for whatever reason, shoved a person of major value to society on the tracks in the path of an upcoming train. I know, I know, there's a presumption of innocence. Here, the defense, if there is one, is likely to be insanity. Can someone tell me what social value is served by this charade of keeping this person alive. Frankly, he should have died in a "struggle" surrounding his arrest. Mind you, according to the linked article, the suspect told a psychiatrist that "it was only a matter of time before he shoved a woman onto train tracks" but he was nevertheless allowed to leave the psychiatrist's office a free man. Do we value the lives of deranged criminals more than the lives of valuable citizens?
According to this article, Times Square subway shove suspect was out on parole for past violent felony: prosecutor, "Martial had been convicted of two prior violent felonies — attempted robberies in 1999 and 2019" and had a warrant out for his arrest for parole violations. Seriously?
8-29-2021
On a train ride to Philadelphia for the Bicentennial Parade on July 4, 1976 I rode with two of my former high school friends, Jim and Bill. We had graduated from high school the year before. At the time all of us were died-in-the-wool Democrats planning on voting for Carter over Ford.
Keep in mind these are bright people. Jim graduated from Yale, and Harvard Law School. Bill from Princeton, and since I lost touch with him, I don't know which medical school. Looking for an intellectual topic of discussion Jim, now one of my closer friends brought upthe Supreme Court's then recent allowance of capital punishment in limited circumstances, in a decision at the close of the term in June 1976. In June 1972 the Supreme Court had abolished all capital punishment. He favored the capital punishment. Bill, the other person and I did not, favoring life without parole. Jim raised the issue that some people are just of absolutely no use to society, and were beyond rehabilitation. Bill and I felt that life without parole was sufficient.
Rewind the clock to June 5, 1968. Sirhan Sirhan had just gunned down Robert Kennedy in cold blood, in a crime he later attributed to Robert Kennedy's vote to sell 50 fighter jets to Israel. He was sentenced to death, a sentence commuted to life by the 1972 Supreme Court decision. Now, fast forward to the last several days. A California parole board just voted to release Sirhan on parole. To me, he was Exhibit "A" for the death penalty, as was Charlie Manson and his group for a famous and brutal murder spree 14 months later. Both Manson and Sirhan have had regular parole hearings.
The "Great Debate" question is whether society has totally lost its belief in itself to the extent that we no longer consider willful, cold-blooded murder a line that must not be crossed? Why would we even consider parole for the likes of a Charles Manson or Sirhan Sirhan?
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