Right plus guys who want the death penalty are playing out a self-styled martyrdom scenario. Give them solitary for life with no chance of parole and they lose their stage (real or imagined) and any attention they get around their execution.

Plus you saw he ruined the last meal ritual for the rest of them. He was toying with the system until the end.

Timothy McVeigh asked that his executed be televised! Some of these folks get off on the execution. Taking that away from them would make for a harsher punishment.

I still don't get this. There WAS a vigil for the guy. Its hard to get a huge crowd when a guy is quoted saying he wants the death penalty , but there WAS a vigil.

Actually if James Byrd's family did not want the death penalty, that speaks volumes. The family of the man who was run over by a teen in Texas earlier this year has said they do not want the state to seek the death penalty, either.

I'm opposed to the death penalty, PERIOD. Lawrence Brewer spending his life in solitary with no chance of parole is a better outcome than execution.

The afternoon Troy Davis was executed, I typed up a note and put it in my wallet. I, NAME, oppose the dealth penalty. I ask the state not to seek it if I die due to criminal activity. No exceptions. Including terrorism.

Much as death penalty advocates disappear when there's a pretty decent case of reasonable doubt, the death penalty opponents largely disappear when the guy's really scummy.

Let's just wait for the next case when several witnesses recant or a sketchy "confession" is the sole basis for death sentences.

The convict said he wanted the death penalty. Gee, maybe that affected turnout for his case.

OP, you never would have known about the "liberal hypocrisy" if you hadn't been listening to Limbaugh.

Anonymous wrote:I fully support the death penalty and for one am glad that that scum has been removed from the earth. BUt I didn't see reverand Al and Jesse out there protesting the death penalty for that evil white supremacist. Liberal hypocrisy?

Maybe conservative hypocrisy. Catholics are usually in heavy attendance because of the Church's stand against executions. But the liberals were out protesting, like we always do.

Gee, you mean like noted black civil rights icon Dick Gregory, who protested the execution... wait for it... at the vigil?

Looky here, it's even covered on a Fox station.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/110921-lawrence-brewer-execution

Anonymous wrote:I fully support the death penalty and for one am glad that that scum has been removed from the earth. BUt I didn't see reverand Al and Jesse out there protesting the death penalty for that evil white supremacist. Liberal hypocrisy?

First of all, the family of James Byrd, Jr -- the man dragged to his death in Texas -- did oppose the execution of Lawrence Brewer. However, this argument is simply an attempt at deflection. It is a false presumption to assume that a failure to protest every single case of injustice means that you are hypocritical in your support of justice. Never mind that there was no physical evidence of Troy Davis' guilt and that the vast majority of witnesses against him had recanted their testimony. The difference between a possibly innocent man versus an obviously guilty one is probably too nuanced for you. But, Texas has executed 11 people this year. How many of those do you recall being protested? Several of those killed were also white. Aren't you a hypocrite for not posting a question asking how come their executions were not protested?

from what I have read, it appears the state did everything it could to make sure Davis's trial was fair after the fact. the special hearing, etc. at the very least, he was involved in a felony murder where a police officer was killed, right? why lose any sleep over this guy?

I know lots of people who opposed putting that guy to death but frankly people only have so much time and money and it went to support Troy Davis because there was an argument for his innocence. Do you think pro-death penalty folks were more likely to have been dissuaded from their views by a huge organizing effort around the other guy rather than Troy Davis? You don't seriously believe that, right?

The question is: Do you put equal effort into organizing against every incident that is counter to your values or do you pick the ones where you think your efforts are most likely to have an impact?

Of course people on the other side of an issue will always go on about hypocrisy (like you are doing now - something that liberals and conservatives do alike) but you know in your heart that's b.s.

And yes I opposed the death penalty for the racist as well. I think it's a worse punishment to live your whole life out in prison.

Because you know he was innocent rather than all the judges who actually looked at the "new" evidence over the years?

I don't think it is hypocrisy to be against the state murdering an individual where there is extreme reasonable doubt. That is why there were so many people advocating for Troy Davis' sentence to be overturned for new trial, pardoned, or the very least commuted to life.

For what is it worth, as in the Texas execution where there was no reasonable doubt, no one protested against the Alabama execution where there was also no reasonable doubt. I believe all three executions occurred within 24 hours of each other. I see no hypocrisy in advocating for the life of an innocent man.

I fully support the death penalty and for one am glad that that scum has been removed from the earth. BUt I didn't see reverand Al and Jesse out there protesting the death penalty for that evil white supremacist. Liberal hypocrisy?