[Gz1up 2 Down]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobile...n_1753968.html

Ugh... Cue a Picard facepalm meme.

[bethere]

Originally Posted by Gz1up 2 Down

State of Texas executes man with IQ of 61

bush deserved a better fate than to be executed.

[DGUtley]

Originally Posted by bethere

bush deserved a better fate than to be executed.

The Death Penalty is wrong. It should be abolished.

[east_ohio]

People who drive and text has about the same IQ.

[docthehun]

In December of 78', a guy brutally raped and stangled my sister. He was already on parole for other crimes. He was a suspect in two additional killings similar to my sister's. A few years back, he was released and I still consider him dangerous. My other sister didn't share that the guy was up for parole or I would have protested vehemently.

But the bottom line was that I personally could not have pulled a lever to end his miserable life. Vengence, I believe, is in the hands of a higher power. In the 34 years since her passing, my opinion hasn't changed.

[dorciepatrick]

Originally Posted by docthehun

In December of 78', a guy brutally raped and stangled my sister. He was already on parole for other crimes. He was a suspect in two additional killings similar to my sister's. A few years back, he was released and I still consider him dangerous. My other sister didn't share that the guy was up for parole or I would have protested vehemently.

But the bottom line was that I personally could not have pulled a lever to end his miserable life. Vengence, I believe, is in the hands of a higher power. In the 34 years since her passing, my opinion hasn't changed.

May God bless you, doc. I'm against the death penalty too, but I don't know that I would've had the strength that you had under those circumstances.

[buckeyedan]

I am for the concept of the death penalty...

I am against it in the US because our criminial system is a joke... folks in the dark ages would look at our system and call it bad... it's pathetic

as for the claim he should not be executed because of his "IQ"... yea... can't manipulate that if you know you want to use it to claim you can't be executed... sigh

IF what they say he did was true (and none of us know either way - which is my point about our system)... he was smart enough to understand his accuser - hunt him down and kill him! if so... he's smart enough to pay for it

[Gz1up 2 Down]

From what I've read, there wasn't any forensic evidence to link him to it. I think because he was in Texas (a state that is extremely prejudiced), that he was in between a rock and a hard place. Instead of spending effort trying to prove he didn't do it, his defense tried to keep him from getting executed, which while it sounds like an admission of guilt, was a pretty sub-optimal solution.

[dorciepatrick]

Originally Posted by buckeyedan

I am for the concept of the death penalty...

I am against it in the US because our criminial system is a joke... folks in the dark ages would look at our system and call it bad... it's pathetic

as for the claim he should not be executed because of his "IQ"... yea... can't manipulate that if you know you want to use it to claim you can't be executed... sigh

IF what they say he did was true (and none of us know either way - which is my point about our system)... he was smart enough to understand his accuser - hunt him down and kill him! if so... he's smart enough to pay for it

You sound like John Kerry and Mitt Romney. You're both for it and against it.

Do you think he should have been executed or not?

[DGUtley]

Originally Posted by buckeyedan

I am against it in the US because our criminial system is a joke... folks in the dark ages would look at our system and call it bad... it's pathetic.

I respectfully disagree. While not perfect, we have the best legal system in the world. Hands down, bar none. People in the dark ages would marvel at the notion that the indivisual's rights are paramount within our system, that one is innocent until proven guilty, that you cannot be compelled to take the stand against yourself, that everyone has a right to an appeal and that someone confined has the right to be brought before a court to have the charges explained to that person. Again, our system is not perfect. Nothing is perfect. But, undoubtedly, our system works.

[DGUtley]

Originally Posted by docthehun

In December of 78', a guy brutally raped and stangled my sister. He was already on parole for other crimes. He was a suspect in two additional killings similar to my sister's. A few years back, he was released and I still consider him dangerous. My other sister didn't share that the guy was up for parole or I would have protested vehemently. But the bottom line was that I personally could not have pulled a lever to end his miserable life. Vengence, I believe, is in the hands of a higher power. In the 34 years since her passing, my opinion hasn't changed.

Thank you for sharing, Doc. I used to be for the death penalty. Over the last ten to fifteen years, i've done a 180 degree change. Just like I don't think we should be killing innocent babies before they are born, i don't think we should be killing convicted criminals before that higher power decides it's their time.

[19AL63]

Several years ago I was a juror on a murder trial. Because of his crime he could have been given the death penalty. When you are one of twelve people that decide whether a man lives or dies, it is way different than being on the side lines, saying execute him.

[dorciepatrick]

^^^^
What a great point, 19AL63.

[buckeyedan]

Originally Posted by dorciepatrick

You sound like John Kerry and Mitt Romney. You're both for it and against it.

Do you think he should have been executed or not?

It's not a changing position... it is what it is.
IF I thought our system really even TRIED to find the facts and truth I would be fine with the concept.
Because our system is so flawed that we don't even pretend to try to find out what really happened (instead have a contest between lawyers)... no... I would never agree with the death penalty in our current system

Originally Posted by DGUtley

I respectfully disagree. While not perfect, we have the best legal system in the world. Hands down, bar none. People in the dark ages would marvel at the notion that the indivisual's rights are paramount within our system, that one is innocent until proven guilty, that you cannot be compelled to take the stand against yourself, that everyone has a right to an appeal and that someone confined has the right to be brought before a court to have the charges explained to that person. Again, our system is not perfect. Nothing is perfect. But, undoubtedly, our system works.

lol... that's ego talking
(everything now is better than then)

people in the dark ages would be STUNNED that you built a system to help people get away with crimes

you say "individual's right are paramount"... you MEAN criminials rights... victims and the public have their right TRAMBLED on by the systems design

No rational person would build a system in which TWO crimes could be committed and EVERYONE BUT the two people are punished!

it's laughable... but we hold it up like it's something great?

That is:
Guy committes a crime... cop gets evidence of his crime without a proper warrent

two wrongs!

who pays... EVERYONE ELSE

the guy who committed the crime gets off and back into society
the cop who did wrong isn't punished and free to violate more rights
Brilliant!

it is like a bad beer commercial!

a cop doesn't say the magic phrase so a child molester goes free? yea that would impress a time traveler

the basic concept of the system is this:
Protect the crimminials rights (because NONE of the examples I am using are folks who are innocent... the system is set up to help them get away with their crimes)

COMPETITION between lawyers with no effort to find the truth
OJ and that mother from florida are great examples there... no matter what justice was not served
if he was guilty they got away with horrific crimes simply because of lawyer games
if they were not they paid heavily (for innocent folks)because nobody has faith in the system even trying to find out if they did the crime or not

[Wingman3]

Did anyone else have Ron White pop into their head saying "He should have rolled his turds into balls and eaten crayons" like I did?

[creeksider]

Originally Posted by Wingman3

Did anyone else have Ron White pop into their head saying "He should have rolled his turds into balls and eaten crayons" like I did?

I did!!

[Zunardo]

Originally Posted by 19AL63

Several years ago I was a juror on a murder trial. Because of his crime he could have been given the death penalty. When you are one of twelve people that decide whether a man lives or dies, it is way different than being on the side lines, saying execute him.

I have been there also - that's why I'd look long and hard at the evidence. But I told them if the evidence warranted it, I could cast a vote for the death penalty - otherwise, I never would have been selected.

Simply saying someone as an IQ of 61 wouldn't be enough for me. I'd want to know exactly what they were measuring. As the link indicated, there may have been evidence he was perfectly capable of planning a crime and knowing that what he was doing was criminal. But, as 19AL63 said, that is based on me being on the sideline.

[east_ohio]

Excuse me, I didn't answer the question of this topic.

Yes, he should have been excuted, as should Andrea Yates, Susan Smith, Jared Loughner, James Holmes, Dylan Klebold, Eric Harris, etc, etc.

I not only believe in the death penalty, I believe the death penality should be expedited.

[o.a.b.]

The death penalty never has nor will it ever be a deterrent to henious crimes--ergo,it serves no purpose except vengence.Buy an island in the Pacific,put them there.If they survive,it's a life sentence-if not,God decided justice.This was the origional idea behind Australia and our state of Georgia.No man is an island--poetic justice for those found guilty.

[19AL63]

Zunardo,

I also was asked that question to be selected, and I could have voted for the death penalty. If a person knows right from wrong and a person with a IQ of 61 should know that, then he or she should be responsible for their actions.