I wish more states did this
In an event that is likely to get the anti-capital punishment activists whining in a frenzy of sorts (no change, in other words,) Utah just took care of its 50th death penalty victim, Ronnie Lee Gardner. However, Ronnie’s case is different from most others. He chose to be executed by firing squad over lethal injection. Unfortunately, the state has since done away with that method of punishment. However, because he was sentenced in the 1980′s, his preference was grandfathered in. With 5 police officers happily volunteering to assist (hey, I would too!)
Leftist groups have already gotten up in arms about the firing squad execution, proclaiming how utterly horrific it is. Unfortunately, they neglect to mention how horrific the murders that this man committed were. Even more amusingly, they forget that he chose to be executed by firing squad.
Of course, the Associated Press decided to seek comment from the most trustworthy of sources on this case: the European Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Unitarian Church (the only denomination slightly lower on the food chain than the United Church.)
Oh, and in case you missed it, this execution was officially announced on Twitter. Awesome, I know.
Tags: American Civil Liberties Union, Capital Punishment, Crime, European Union, Guns, Law & Order, Ronnie Lee Gardner
June 19th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
old news, boring perspective
June 19th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andrew Lawton and Ryan Ruppert, Ari Fine. Ari Fine said: New Blog Post: I wish more states did this http://bit.ly/cuYNco #StrictlyRight [...]
June 19th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
I loved the part about the Twitter post!
June 20th, 2010 at 1:32 am
I disagree, in probably 99% of cases, ideologically with capital punishment. That said, if he’s sentenced the death, and the man WANTS to die by firing squad… well, he has less “painful” alternatives available to him, I would assume. He’s going to die either way, he should at least have the right to choose.
June 20th, 2010 at 1:36 am
That’s a pretty fair assessment of of the situation Brian. As a Christian, I’ve struggled with the issue. But, when all is said and done, that was the punishment for the crime, and he chose that way to go.
June 20th, 2010 at 8:39 am
It’s certainly not a boring way to die…
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Capital Punishment is quite Biblical … but because the Catholic church ignores scripture, they have a problem with it.
It amazes me, that people who claim to be “pro life” have respect for every form of life, except for victims. You cannot be pro-life and against capital punishment. If you are, you are a hypocrite. How do we value the lives of the young girls that Homolka and her accomplice Bernardo raped, tortured, and dissected on video tape? By educating her and setting her free? Soon to pardon her? By giving him meals every day and TV in his cell?
The only way to value the lives of victims, is for the state to mandate justice that values their lives. To let them live a life without work, watching TV, and your meals paid for is a standard of living higher than most people on the planet. When we feed and entertain murderers and rapists while more than 15,000 people die of starvation every day – you have to wonder what kind of ‘life’ are we for?
How many young girls have to be raped and tortured and killed before we demonstrate to the families that we DO value their lives?
It doesn’t matter whether it is a deterrent or not. It is, as the case in Toronto many years back proved when the 2 murderers discussed that they would not be executed if the killed the 14 year old boy they had kidnapped. Then they killed him.
It is a deterrent … but who cares? Do what is right and just, and VALUE the LIVES of the victims. The goal is punishment not rehabilitation.
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
My problems with capital punishment stem less from any squeamishness with the actual punishment itself than to the fact that if it is later discovered that the executed was not the perpetrator, someone has claimed another innocent victim.