Comments on: A Case for the Morality of the Death Penalty– a Delaware Case Study http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/ Where public policy meets common sense Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:58:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Frank Knotts http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24138 Frank Knotts Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:15:49 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24138 Mr. Protack, the difference between abortion and the death penalty is that the unborn child is innocent. The animal that kills his wife for not fixing dinner is not. Many of these killers have killed multiple times and would kill again. If a pitbull dog mauls a person they are usually put down to protect society from any further attacks. The dog is acting on instinct and does not know that its actions are wrong. These killers on the other hand , no matter how warped they are , do know that their actions were wrong, and made a choice to kill . That is why they attempt to hide their crimes and also in many cases flee to avoid capture. As for your idea of true life in prison, well I'm not sure that it is right for some of these killers to have better accommodations than do some citizens who would be paying the taxes to house these animals. Mr. Protack, the difference between abortion and the death penalty is that the unborn child is innocent. The animal that kills his wife for not fixing dinner is not. Many of these killers have killed multiple times and would kill again.
If a pitbull dog mauls a person they are usually put down to protect society from any further attacks. The dog is acting on instinct and does not know that its actions are wrong. These killers on the other hand , no matter how warped they are , do know that their actions were wrong, and made a choice to kill . That is why they attempt to hide their crimes and also in many cases flee to avoid capture.
As for your idea of true life in prison, well I’m not sure that it is right for some of these killers to have better accommodations than do some citizens who would be paying the taxes to house these animals.

]]> By: Rick http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24136 Rick Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:49:26 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24136 I bludgeoned my first wife with a frying pan <i>for</i> making me dinner. I bludgeoned my first wife with a frying pan for making me dinner.

]]> By: Mike Protack http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24130 Mike Protack Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:26:47 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24130 My conservative friends always dump on me when I tell them I am opposed to the death penalty. Yes, if someone caused a death in my family I would enjoy skinning them alive and using the criminal's head as a soccer ball-but that opportunity will not happen. In the end pro life is pro life to me and given the vagaries of the legal system I would strongly support true Life without parole. I remember during the Capano trial and a group of us at Mass were talking with Father Francis about what a dirt bag Capano was and we were admonished to pray for Ms Fahey's family and Mr. Capano also. I did not get it at first but now I do. Mike Protack My conservative friends always dump on me when I tell them I am opposed to the death penalty.

Yes, if someone caused a death in my family I would enjoy skinning them alive and using the criminal’s head as a soccer ball-but that opportunity will not happen.

In the end pro life is pro life to me and given the vagaries of the legal system I would strongly support true Life without parole.

I remember during the Capano trial and a group of us at Mass were talking with Father Francis about what a dirt bag Capano was and we were admonished to pray for Ms Fahey’s family and Mr. Capano also. I did not get it at first but now I do.

Mike Protack

]]> By: Frank Knotts http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24124 Frank Knotts Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:01:39 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24124 Tim, I hate for this to sound like my usual anti government rants, but part of the problem is that many people have been conditioned to wait for an official response. Unfortunately Mrs. Mumford did not cry out to an official organization. And on the cost of keeping these monsters alive, let us not forget the cost to the state after the conviction , of the endless numbers of appeals. Let us remember, capital punishment is not a deterrent, but it is a solution. Once these animals are put out of our misery, they can never harm anyone ever again, not even in prison. Tim, I hate for this to sound like my usual anti government rants, but part of the problem is that many people have been conditioned to wait for an official response. Unfortunately Mrs. Mumford did not cry out to an official organization.
And on the cost of keeping these monsters alive, let us not forget the cost to the state after the conviction , of the endless numbers of appeals.
Let us remember, capital punishment is not a deterrent, but it is a solution. Once these animals are put out of our misery, they can never harm anyone ever again, not even in prison.

]]> By: Angel http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24118 Angel Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:15:36 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24118 Think123 I am inclined to agree with both you and Tim. If someone can afford a good lawyer, chances are you could kill in front of a crowd and get out of jail a year later (If you're in at all). People need to learn that there are consequences for their actions (no matter how big your bank account). Tim, indifference of some is not indifference of all. "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." In this situation Tyranny won, but that is not always the case. I'm sure part of the reason why there are so few murders in Delaware has to do with neighborhood watches and domestic abuse hotlines, family, friends, and neighbors that do help when a desperate call is received. Think123 I am inclined to agree with both you and Tim. If someone can afford a good lawyer, chances are you could kill in front of a crowd and get out of jail a year later (If you’re in at all). People need to learn that there are consequences for their actions (no matter how big your bank account).

Tim, indifference of some is not indifference of all. “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” In this situation Tyranny won, but that is not always the case. I’m sure part of the reason why there are so few murders in Delaware has to do with neighborhood watches and domestic abuse hotlines, family, friends, and neighbors that do help when a desperate call is received.

]]> By: Think123 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24117 Think123 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:45:56 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24117 In 2000 in Delaware poor black guy Dwayne Weeks got put down for killing his wife and her boyfriend in a fit of rage. In 2001 poor black guy Cornelius Ferguson was executed for killing a guy in a drug deal. Rich white guy Tom Capano kills his girlfriend, puts her in a cooler, shoots up her corpse before feeding her to the fish. In 2006 the Court decided to overturn his death sentence. He will not be put down. It cost Capano a fortune to get that death sentence appealed in his favor. That's the whole trouble with this. In 2000 in Delaware poor black guy Dwayne Weeks got put down for killing his wife and her boyfriend in a fit of rage. In 2001 poor black guy Cornelius Ferguson was executed for killing a guy in a drug deal. Rich white guy Tom Capano kills his girlfriend, puts her in a cooler, shoots up her corpse before feeding her to the fish. In 2006 the Court decided to overturn his death sentence. He will not be put down. It cost Capano a fortune to get that death sentence appealed in his favor.

That’s the whole trouble with this.

]]> By: David Anderson http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24115 David Anderson Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:06:24 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24115 I agree with Think123, but that has been less an issue in Delaware. I agree with Think123, but that has been less an issue in Delaware.

]]> By: Think123 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24110 Think123 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:53:45 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24110 The death penalty should be imposed more not less. The argument bothering me most is the money issue. The rich guy lives, the poor guy dies. OJ plays golf, some poor shmuck in Detroit gets put down like a dog. Tough to swallow. If we had a way so money did not get you off, I would be simple. A eye for an eye. Right now it's more like an eye for an eye unless you are rich. Ever watch those inside prison shows? Guys that kill in prison. Absolute crazed non-human monster creatures. Why are they not executed. Letting them live is barbaric. The death penalty should be imposed more not less. The argument bothering me most is the money issue. The rich guy lives, the poor guy dies. OJ plays golf, some poor shmuck in Detroit gets put down like a dog. Tough to swallow.

If we had a way so money did not get you off, I would be simple. A eye for an eye. Right now it’s more like an eye for an eye unless you are rich.

Ever watch those inside prison shows? Guys that kill in prison. Absolute crazed non-human monster creatures. Why are they not executed. Letting them live is barbaric.

]]> By: Tim Pancoast http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24107 Tim Pancoast Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:55:25 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24107 "I have been reading many comments about how people think the death penalty is barbaric. It is “making society as bad as its criminals” as I have read. Unfortunately, lethal injection (which Taylor was sentenced to) does not include repeated bludgeoning with a frying pan." Unfortunatly for all of those people worried about being turned into barbarians by virtue of having the death penalty I think they are a little late. In cases such as this one where Mrs. Mumford had sent out at least 4 cries for help, and Taylor had been bragging about his abuse to co-workers and aquaintences the barbarian ship has already sailed. The people that knew about the problem and did nothing have already decended towards becoming "just as bad as the criminals." Society failed Mrs. Mumford and her kids and grandkids. If we as a society are worried about becoming just as bad as the killers than why do we so often allow the abuse of the people around us continue without saying a word. We know that the ultimate escalation of such abuse is murder, yet we sit by as it happens. The barbarians are already among us and we are dangerously close to fitting in with them when we choose to observe them in silence. Join a neighborhood watch. I did. Just do something to help stop the barbarians so that you don't have to look at one in the mirror. “I have been reading many comments about how people think the death penalty is barbaric. It is “making society as bad as its criminals” as I have read. Unfortunately, lethal injection (which Taylor was sentenced to) does not include repeated bludgeoning with a frying pan.”

Unfortunatly for all of those people worried about being turned into barbarians by virtue of having the death penalty I think they are a little late. In cases such as this one where Mrs. Mumford had sent out at least 4 cries for help, and Taylor had been bragging about his abuse to co-workers and aquaintences the barbarian ship has already sailed. The people that knew about the problem and did nothing have already decended towards becoming “just as bad as the criminals.” Society failed Mrs. Mumford and her kids and grandkids.

If we as a society are worried about becoming just as bad as the killers than why do we so often allow the abuse of the people around us continue without saying a word. We know that the ultimate escalation of such abuse is murder, yet we sit by as it happens. The barbarians are already among us and we are dangerously close to fitting in with them when we choose to observe them in silence.

Join a neighborhood watch. I did. Just do something to help stop the barbarians so that you don’t have to look at one in the mirror.

]]> By: Equating Morality with the Checkbook : Delaware Liberal http://www.delawarepolitics.net/a-case-for-the-morality-of-the-death-penalty-a-delaware-case-study/comment-page-1/#comment-24106 Equating Morality with the Checkbook : Delaware Liberal Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:53:45 +0000 http://www.delawarepolitics.net/?p=8662#comment-24106 [...] Delaware Politics and Sussex County Angel have posts up (it is actually the same post by blogger Angel Clark) arguing for the morality of the death penalty in Delaware. But Angel Clark does not argue morality. She argues the fiscal aspect of the death penalty. Despite its controversy, the death penalty is still legal in Delaware. [..] Since 1991 there have been 14 legal executions in Delaware including the last hanging in the state (1996). The youngest of these was 27 at the time of death and each committed at least one murder. One particularly gruesome case was Brian Steckel. Steckel was executed in 2005 (the most recent legal execution in Delaware) on three counts of first degree murder. He raped and killed Sandra Lee Long and then set her on fire. After this he wrote letters to her mother gloating about his deeds. It cost approximately $66 a day to incarcerate this creature (I will not call him a man). That’s $24,090 a year. Despite the “immorality” people claim are associated with legal executions, I consider it to be more immoral to the mother of Sandra Lee Long to force her to pay to keep Steckel alive. [...] [...] Delaware Politics and Sussex County Angel have posts up (it is actually the same post by blogger Angel Clark) arguing for the morality of the death penalty in Delaware. But Angel Clark does not argue morality. She argues the fiscal aspect of the death penalty. Despite its controversy, the death penalty is still legal in Delaware. [..] Since 1991 there have been 14 legal executions in Delaware including the last hanging in the state (1996). The youngest of these was 27 at the time of death and each committed at least one murder. One particularly gruesome case was Brian Steckel. Steckel was executed in 2005 (the most recent legal execution in Delaware) on three counts of first degree murder. He raped and killed Sandra Lee Long and then set her on fire. After this he wrote letters to her mother gloating about his deeds. It cost approximately $66 a day to incarcerate this creature (I will not call him a man). That’s $24,090 a year. Despite the “immorality” people claim are associated with legal executions, I consider it to be more immoral to the mother of Sandra Lee Long to force her to pay to keep Steckel alive. [...]

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