Day 11/Post #10: What say you???

I read in the news earlier today that convicted sniper Allen Muhammed (who reportedly went on a 3 week killing spree in Washington back in 2002 that ended in the deaths of 10 innocent people) was executed by lethal injection last night.

His accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo was spared this fate because he was a minor at the time of the killings is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Now...I'm not saying either of these men didn't deserve to be punished for his actions and I could only imagine that feeling being amplified if one of the victims was a loved one of my own BUT it STILL doesn't change my being against capital punishment.

Surely, there's something VERY WRONG about making the decision to drive around shooting random people from a hole in the trunk of a car but the same can be said of person(s) strapping another to a gurney, inserting an IV into his arm that will pump through his veins a lethal injection all while grieving family members of those he murdered and prison officials stand by to watch him die in anticipation -- right???

Personally, I think having him alive to spend the rest of his days confined to a cell (as is the case with Lee Boyd Malvo) is far worse.

I mean...Just think about it for a second (if you will)...

Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole vs. the 7 minutes to 2 hours it's estimated it could take for one to die by lethal injection.

Seems to me, like the latter is the easy way out.

What say you?

7 Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest:

DorchestersDaughter said...

Before I begin I will confess that I have been one of the lurkers you profess to hate, lol. That said, I agree 100%. Just yesterday I said- in response to a tweet regarding this execution-"ironically we see fit to kill people, because they killed people because killing people is wrong".

Nothing in America makes less sense to me then capital punishment. It is a waste of government resources. Not to mention our prison system is supposed to be reform oriented. Dead men cannot reform, repent, renew, re-anything!

Rashan Jamal said...

To me, I'm against capital punishment because its applied unevenly and there are people being proven innocent after being convicted all the time. Also, I just think that its not man's place to kill another man in the name of justice. It's like people look for loopholes around the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" commandment. Either you do, or you don't.

That being said, I realize I didn't answer your question... I think death is worse, b/c there's no coming back from that. A future in jail is better than no future at all to me.

Jameil said...

I am very against capital punishment. I have no problem with life imprisonment without parole for heinous crimes.

Super Dave Van Buren said...

Capital punishment is cheaper. Housing someone for life can get expensive.

I think the death penalty is useless since it don't being the dead back, Just think if your tax dollars went to paying for that dude's food, shelter and education for the next 40+ years.

Thoughts of a Southern gal said...

I'm against capital punishment. I understand what Dave is saying. But that's why people like Mike Vick and Plaxico Burress shouldn't be jailed. That's a waste of taxpayers dollars. Use that money for more serious criminals.

Jewelry Rockstar said...

I am with Rashan. I am against it mostly because innocent people get executed all the time. I also agree with you, life imprisonment seems far worst punishment then a quick injection. Speaking of quick, they executed him in a short period of time. Some stay on death row for decades, that was only 7 years. I also can see Dave's point about the money. However, inmates make money for the state nowadays. The money they make should go to the victim's family for the rest of the criminal's life.

RealHustla said...

I think it's the family members who want justice with the satisfaction of watching the person who killed their family member die. Like back in the day, waaaay back when there were no laws that said you couldn't avenge your own family member's death. Folk would just roll out with their posse and some swords. Others would even stop everything and go out on a mission to find the person who killed their loved one. Now that we're more "civilized" people can try their best to go on about their normal lives without having to hunt for the person themseleves (they leave this up to the authorities), but they still get their vengence, just with the help of the state.

Now a life sentence for the minor accomplise, way too harsh for someone who the law said was supposed to still be under someone's guidance and care. The government created his mentor afterall.