Texas inmate kills himself hours before execution

[georgesbluegirl]

It costs a whole lot more money for the state to go through the capital process (appeals, mostly) than to jail someone for LIFE.

Even without the issue of putting innocent people to death, there's still the fact that the majority of cases that could become capital cases don't - it's something like only 10%. Which cases do can be extremely arbitrary, one of the reasons that the statistics comparing executions of people of different races is so skewed versus actual population proportions (regarding African Americans who have allegedly murdered white people in particular). Same thing with those from different economic classes. It's pretty much a travesty when you look at the data.

Every life has value. Everyone.

Which is why, beyond the reasons above and many more, I am firmly against the death penalty. Lock 'em up. Let God be the ultimate judge.

[Guest LadyC]

well, i'm all for the death penalty, and i believe that such a penalty is ordained by God. scripture backs me up. however, i believe that all death sentences that were imposed without DNA evidence to support the conviction should be commuted to life without parole. such as in the case of darlie routier, another texas death row inmate.

i think the guy committed suicide to have control over his death.

[RustyAngeL]

Maybe he wanted to have control over something at the very end- even if it was just control over his own life and death. Sad.

I think the above is rather more likely to be the case than anything else.

11 or 12 years after being sentenced......why didn't he do it in year 1, and save the Texas taxpayers a lot of money, time, and trouble?

Leonard if you are going to say things like this you have to be very sure that this man if absolutely guilty of what he was charged with. The judicial system has been known to get things wrong.

So your answer to this would be what? I agree that the system is flawed but if we used the death penalty as it should be used maybe the crime rate would drop.

[buckthesystem]

Quote, Rustyangel: "So your answer to this would be what? I agree that the system is flawed but if we used the death penalty as it should be used maybe the crime rate would drop".

No, absolutely not! I totally, 100%, disagree with the death penalty. The Bible states clearly "Thou shalt not kill" and we have to take that seriously. It doesn't say "thou shalt not kill - unless, of course, you are a government employee carrying out 'the law'". The law of man does not supercede the law of God.

God only has the right to judge.

Another reason for there being no death penalty is the fact that incompetence, "getting it wrong" and plain "malicious prosecution" is so rife in any government's justice department.

[RustyAngeL]

Quote, Rustyangel: "So your answer to this would be what? I agree that the system is flawed but if we used the death penalty as it should be used maybe the crime rate would drop".

No, absolutely not! I totally, 100%, disagree with the death penalty. The Bible states clearly "Thou shalt not kill" and we have to take that seriously. It doesn't say "thou shalt not kill - unless, of course, you are a government employee carrying out 'the law'". The law of man does not supercede the law of God.

God only has the right to judge.

Another reason for there being no death penalty is the fact that incompetence, "getting it wrong" and plain "malicious prosecution" is so rife in any government's justice department.

Sorry but your wrong. I will look up the scripture and get back to this. I believe it's in the old testament, but basically it says. If you take a life your life may be required. I will look it up or maybe someone else knows where it is.

[Guest LadyC]

Quote, Rustyangel: "So your answer to this would be what? I agree that the system is flawed but if we used the death penalty as it should be used maybe the crime rate would drop".

No, absolutely not! I totally, 100%, disagree with the death penalty. The Bible states clearly "Thou shalt not kill" and we have to take that seriously. It doesn't say "thou shalt not kill - unless, of course, you are a government employee carrying out 'the law'". The law of man does not supercede the law of God.

God only has the right to judge.

Another reason for there being no death penalty is the fact that incompetence, "getting it wrong" and plain "malicious prosecution" is so rife in any government's justice department.

Sorry but your wrong. I will look up the scripture and get back to this. I believe it's in the old testament, but basically it says. If you take a life your life may be required. I will look it up or maybe someone else knows where it is.

rusty, also in the NT, God gives the authority to the government.

[buckthesystem]

Quote, Rustyangel: "So your answer to this would be what? I agree that the system is flawed but if we used the death penalty as it should be used maybe the crime rate would drop".

No, absolutely not! I totally, 100%, disagree with the death penalty. The Bible states clearly "Thou shalt not kill" and we have to take that seriously. It doesn't say "thou shalt not kill - unless, of course, you are a government employee carrying out 'the law'". The law of man does not supercede the law of God.

God only has the right to judge.

Another reason for there being no death penalty is the fact that incompetence, "getting it wrong" and plain "malicious prosecution" is so rife in any government's justice department.

Sorry but your wrong. I will look up the scripture and get back to this. I believe it's in the old testament, but basically it says. If you take a life your life may be required. I will look it up or maybe someone else knows where it is.

rusty, also in the NT, God gives the authority to the government.

LadyC would you point out where in the NT "God gives the authority to the government".

[Guest LadyC]

i believe it's in romans. i don't have much time right now, but the passage has been posted on the board a jillion times regarding the rights of a government in terms of war and death penalty cases.

[Kabowd]

Please...not another anti-death penalty topic.

Plus, buckthesystem doesn't believe in the standard interpretation of Romans 13 (that God has given the government authority). This issue has already been discussed at length (and you can see for yourself how that one deteriorated):

See this topic

[buckthesystem]

Please...not another anti-death penalty topic.

Plus, buckthesystem doesn't believe in the standard interpretation of Romans 13 (that God has given the government authority). This issue has already been discussed at length (and you can see for yourself how that one deteriorated):

See this topic

I didn't realise that LadyC was referring to Romans 13, I thought it might be something else.

However, Kobowd, since you were part of the above-quoted thread, you will realise that the ABSURD INTERPRETATION of Romans 13 that you are referring to is NOT "THE STANDARD INTERPRETATION" but one that has only been around for 200 years or so. This came up in the quoted thread and nobody disputed that fact.

You are right, of course, nobody wishes to revisit that topic, and it did deteriorate badly, and I am sure that nobody wants to go into the "death penalty" again. I just couldn't resist commenting on it.

Sorry, I will not go into either of these topics again.