Killing Death Penalty Could Be Fatal Politically – And The Steroid Report Is A Kangaroo Court
The father of Megan Kanka, the child raped and murdered by a sex offender, is livid. Megan Kanka was the reason Megan’s law became a nationwide staple. He’s angry because Megan’s killer will cheat death. And that’s because the New Jersey legislature has voted to abolish the death penalty, and Governor Corzine will sign the bill. This makes New Jersey the first state in the nation to wipe out the death penalty in decades. A state commission had reported that the death penalty was outdated and unnecessary. Don’t you love commissions?
Without personally taking a view on that subject, it would be difficult to sell the idea of killing the death penalty to people whose loved ones died a violent death at the hands of a maniac, people like Marilyn Flax, whose husband Irving was killed in 1989. She says it is hard for her to handle the fact that the killer, John Martini Sr., will live on. She says that the killer lives while her ” innocent, loving, adoring husband lies in a grave.”
Flax says she believes the system has “spit on her.”
The New Jersey lawmakers gutlessly made their choice after the election, hoping that in several years, proponents of the death penalty may walk away from the issue and forget. Ironically, opinion surveys show New Jersey voters favor the death penalty.
There could be consequences.
And now, a question? Is the following how we do justice in America?
How about George Mitchell’s report on steroid use in baseball. Bud Selig, the baseball commissioner hired Mitchell, the former Senator Majority leader, to conduct the investigation. I’m sure he did a great and honorable job. But he has indicted, without a court, many baseball players who may have NO ARENA to fight these accusations. Among those named, Roger Clemens, and the Phillies ex favorite Lenny Dykstra. There were many others. Mitchell says he invited the players to talk and defend themselves, but they declined.
But here’s a thought. Dykstra is now a stock picker of note and decent reputation. Is he taking steroids or mind altering drugs? Should we suspect his honesty in stock picking? Does he or Clemens or the many others named have a chance to clear their names? At least, Barry Bonds is going to court to try and prove his innocence.
Mitchell is a director of the Boston Red Sox with a financial interest in the club. No current Red Sox players were named.
Mitchell also missed the main target, the Baseball Commissioner.
Should Bud Selig, who presided over the big home run days of the pumped-up steroiders, be forced to quit? He probably should. He watched his sport flame out in one giant burst of substance abuse, and let it happen. And then he hired a prominent Senator to do the dirty work he should have done years ago.
Why was Bud Selig not investigated? The world is chastising Barry Bonds, Sosa, and all the other big hitters. But Selig, who watched it all, gets a pass.
This is all one big kangaroo court.
Comments(21)
It was gutless of the NJ Democrat legislature to end the death penalty after the election.
However, they have no worries about consequences, because liberals (like L.K.) will be just as gutless and continue blindly voting Democrat regardless of what they do.
The decision of the New Jersey legislature to abolish the death penalty should be commended and used as a model of rational and ethical leadership in an era when personal biases and religious beliefs too heavily influence the political realm. I certainly appreciate the emotional difficulty encountered by those whose loved one’s have been murdered. However, the purpose of modern criminal punishment is not to make the victims’ families feel avenged or to assuage their anger and grief — it is to punish the criminal. Today in 2007, every other “developed” country in the world has decided that punishing criminals by death is barbaric and unethical. They have relegated its use to the halls of history where public hangings, torture chambers, and retributive disembowelments have rightfully been retired. To keep the death penalty is to deny the lessons taught by modern rational thought — it is saying to the world that we are content to be lumped together with middle eastern and african countries in our denial of human rights — we are happy to give-up any moral leadership we have left in this world. Sometimes a government is in a better place to see these issues than its constituents. Congratulations New Jersey: you are entering the modern world.
Larry have you ever been to a prison and seen those guys working out in the yard? My God the size of their muscles makes me cringe. Even the guys on death row look a lot better than me.(Why do THEY even bother?). Perfect v-shaped bodies with no waist… I’ll have what their having even if it is steroids. Their waists are so small that they have to wear their pants halfway down their ass. Quite a fashion statement. Jim Gardner should try that look. It’ll add inches to his height. By the way Larry does Jim wear any pants at all during the broadcast? Wouldn’t that ruin the crease in his pant legs? I don’t have that problem I’m still wearing my trusty Sans-a-Belt polyester slacks. you couldn’t lose the crease in a pair of those with a jackhammer. I also like that they never need washing. Except for that little accident I had at the airport trying to find a restroom these babies are stain free (I should have worn underwear that day). At the airport I did run into Pete Rose. I asked him what he thought about all these guys taking illegal growth hormones and such and whether or not any of them should be in the hall of fame. He just looked at me and said “would you like to buy an autographed bobble head replica of myself… ten bucks.”
Bud Selig should burn in hell! What a hypocrite.
PS; Larry, do I need a psychiatrist?
This country was formed by the disenchanted, disenfranchised dissatisfied desperate people from Europe. We have no womb to tomb security here. Throw in some ex slaves (no offense intended) and a race of people nearly wiped out to extinction (Native Americans) and you start to see some of the ingredients that give rise to who we are. We ARE quite the “Wild Bunch” Now toss in the likes of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffry Dahner, the DC snipers and terrorist Timothy Mcveigh. I think you get my point. We need the death pentalty here. “Don’t live here without it.”
I agree with you that there are certain characteristics of the American population that are not shared with other developed countries. However, these differences are somewhat overstated. I see your Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, the DC snipers, and Timothy McVeigh and raise you Bruno Ludke, Andrei Chikatilo, Moses Sithole, ‘Jack the ripper’, the Madrid terrorist bombers, and the London terrorist bombers. If you look up the first two criminals, you can see that the severity of their crimes exceed those committed by many American murderers. Addtionally, you can’t ignore Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Milosevic, etc. — a fairly ‘wild bunch”.
You stated that we ‘need’ the death penalty, however, you didn’t explain why. I presume you mean as a deterrent to prevent the disenchanted, disenfranchised, and desperate people from getting too desperate and going on a homicidal rampage. This theory can be discredited, however, by looking at the relationship between a state’s murder rate and its use of the death penalty. You will find that there is a strong positive correlation — I guess it isn’t that good of a deterrent after all.
There is nothing unique about the American people that make them morally and ethically inferior to our counterparts in other developed countries. If we aspire to once again be a moral beacon for the world, we must at least maintain the same human rights protections found in other contemporary democracies. New Jersey has taken the first step in this direction. I hope other states, including Pennsylvania, will follow their lead.
We surely need the death penalty, I see no reason with the DNA processes today, frying someone if they deserve it. I really don’t care what the rest of the world does, this is the United States, not the rest of the so called “civilized countries”. The death penalty is a proven deterrent. Prime example of someone who should have already been put to rest “Mumia”, why are we still paying for this scumbag to live, why hasn’t fast Eddie signed the execution papers yet? The only problem I have right now with death penalty, the appeals process lasts way too long and costs taxpayers way to much money.
And riddle me this batman, how many people in the middle east go around stealing things, not very many, or else they are missing fingers, hands, which discourages stealing. Do you hear of anyone hi-jacking an Israeli plan anymore? No, because they don’t negotiate with terrorists, and the terrorists know that it is fruitless.
Larry still “Makes It Work” !
Mike,
Just a thought….They’ve been cutting off fingers for a thousand years. If it was working, the stealing would have stopped 500 years ago.
american patriot,I’m afraid your raise doesnt entitle you to remain in this game. Especially after the Madrid and London bombings were perpetrated by people who couldn’t care less whether they lived or died anyway.
77 virgins in the afterlife sounds pretty good to me. Those animals don’t count.
The only reason that we should have the death penalty is the same reason we have erasers on the end of our pencils. You remember what a pencil is don’t you?
Opinions and surveys show that N.J. voters support the death penalty. Apparently the govenor has forgot that our government is of the people by the people and for the people.It doese not matter what any other country doese barbaric or not.He is a servant of the people not the other way around period.And if the people say the death penalty should stay then that is how it should be. I believe his reasoning has nothing to do with justice or the possibility of a death sentance for the wrong individual.It is about the amount of money that it costs to complete the death sentance,from the start of the first trial through the appeals and finally to the actual death of the criminal several years later.
anonymous,
Yes, I agree that the Madrid and London bombers did not care about their death. We can both agree that capital punishment is not a deterrent for terrorists. However, you stated earlier that we needed the death penalty to deal with domestic serial murderers such as Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey, and Timothy McVeigh. Two points: 1) It didn’t deter them, and 2) do you think they cared if they lived or died before or after their crimes. Did Timothy McVeigh look the least bit troubled when he was being strapped to that table?
Additionally, I’m afraid that your eraser analogy makes little sense. To erase something is to completely eliminate its existence. For example, I could write an offensive sentence on a piece of paper but then immediately erase it. Any offense that the sentence may have caused would been eliminated — there would be no physical evidence that I wrote the offensive sentence. It is as if it never existed. This is different, however, than executing a criminal. This “erasure” does not make the criminal’s past actions disappear. It does not negate any offense that his or her actions may have caused. It does not bring their victims back to life. Therefore, it is not erasing at all. It is simply ending. To correct your analogy, you could say that it is putting a period in the middle of a sentence instead of putting it at the end. What sense does that make?
Now for j’s argument: Neither the governor nor the legislature is under any legal obligation to enact laws that reflect the will of the people. The behavior of the New Jersey legislature and governor is simply keeping with a long American tradition of leaders not listening to the will of the people. The majority of this country would like the Iraq war to end, but the congress and president has not changed course. They are simply doing what they feel is right and just. This is the same reason why JFK signed civil rights reforms — against the majority will of the people. This is why Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation — against the majority will of the people. And, this is most likely why the New Jersey government will abolish the death penalty even against the majority will of the people. If New Jersey voters are truly passionate that the death penalty should remain an option, then they can and should voice their disapproval with their future votes. Until that time, their government has constitutional rights to continue enacting laws that it feels are needed and just.
am. pat.,Why do you constantly harp on the use of the death penalty as a deterrent. I never mentioned using the death penalty as a deterrent. These are your presumtions. People are going to do what they are going to do. Wake up and read my words. Are you thick in the head or what. Do I have to spell it out for you. The reason we need the death penalty is to get rid of the scum bags that don’t deserve to breath the same air as the rest of us. Be it a person who has raped and mutilated the body of a six year old or a sociopathic serial killer. So if you are going to come after me, bring more to the table than these idiotic arguments. I can’t be subtle or even use metaphors with you. Everything has to be spelled out in black and white. You are like Jack Russel, you are focused on one spot and refuse to lift your head up to see what else is going on in the world. You definitely have an agenda. There are enough people already in this country with an agenda. You seem like a decent guy but please don’t put words in my mouth and if you disagree with me, please read and understand my words first before you respond.
It would be great if the death penalty worked as a deterrent. It would be even better if our “enlightened” society actually worked as an incentive for some people to refrain from doing horrible things. However, neither are the case.
The problem most people have when they engage these sort of decisions is that they take it personally, when they should look at it with a cold blooded pursuit of the quality of the human race. It’s not the job of the government to be compassionate, and they need to apply a drastically different style of morality than is best for the private person. Right means only the long term health and quality of life for their constituency. Wrong means only sacrificing that for enough of a short term gain to get re-elected, or to follow the nearest political fad.
Gun control and death penalty moratoriums will not solve THE, or any problems. An armed citizenry or legalizing torture won’t either. We have tried either course in various ages of the human race, and it’s never truly worked in any case. However, hanging a child murder or sending a serial rapist to the firing squad is just good business. It keeps the scum of the human race away from everyone else.
Concerned: Very thoughtful.
Ed: You don’t need a shrink.
I am fascinated by this debate, but also fully that criminals DO think about the consequences of murdering someone.
That may sound shallow, but look what happened when Mike Nutter started sounding off about a NEW WAY, a crackdown on crime.
Fear itself is a deterrent.
Larry, do you recall the hubbaloo when Frank Rizzo was placed in charge of secuirty at PGW? It seems that within weeks, the theft of gas service went down about 50%! Its still talked about at PGW, to this day.
to american patriot-well said!
….and what a model of efficiency PGW has always been.
They are, now. The difference being…the Pennsylvania PUC took over as the regulatory body of PGW, rendering the corrupt and ineffective and inept Phila Gas Commission totally vestigial! Last week, PGW actually paid back half the $48 Million loan the City made to PGW a couple of years ago! The problem in the 1980s and 1990s was that the wrong people were put in leadership positions at PGW…based on reasons other than ability. Ya might as well have dropped a satchel charge on PGW, in those days.
Oh, and speaking of Rizzo and PGW…when Rizzo was appointed as Security chief at PGW, he instituted the K-9 patrol of retired K-9 cops and dogs…within days, incidents of employee car break-ins around 9th & Montgomergy went DOWN 95%…guess 100% of the thieves didn’t get the word!
A growing body of research suggests that ending the death penalty would result in more murder victims. Studies released over the past several years by economists from Emory University, the University of Colorado, Clemson University, State University of New York, Western Illinois University, University of Houston and the University of Chicago, among others, found that for each murderer executed, five to 18 murders are prevented.
And in direct conflict with opponents’ claims, recent Gallup and TNS/Washington Post/ABC polls have reported that public support for the death penalty has either remained steady at 65% or increased from 63% to 70% over the past five years. The fact that there have been nearly 27,000 fewer murders over this period may explain why Americans are not ready to abandon the death penalty for our worst murders.I think some of the people making comments here have there facts wrong.Stopping the death penalty is a nice idea it’s a shame that this society is not ready for that.
Yesterday, Jon Corzine signed legislation that bans the death penalty in New Jersey. The 8 Death Row inmates’ death sentences were commuted, or, more accurately, they were given a choice as to whether or not their executions would be carried out. I kid you not. Jon Corzine actually ceded his power and authority as Governor of new Jersey to 8 persons who have been sentenced to death for committing heinoius crimes against the people and state of New Jersey! And, no, in not one of the 8 cases is anyone making the argument that any of them had been unfairly tried and convicted! The actual argument for the change in policy is that it costs the people of NJ too much money to fight through the court system for all the appeals leading up to execution. In other words, the taxpayer has to pay both, for the prosecution lawyers, and for the defense lawyers, of a convicted killer. So, it was not some idealistic approach to banning the death penalty alone that did the trick, it was coupled with the thoretical avoidance of costs that made the ban happen! So, one could say the end justified the means!
I only wish Corzine would feel the same way about all the other high tsaxes and corruption that is going on in NJ!
And, I wonder, if anyone has the means to calulate the future economic loss to New Jerseyans when criminals murder with impunity, knowing they will not be required to pay the supreme openalty for their actians, no matter how agregious!