And you wonder why we become so exasperated with Texas that we strongly recommend putting a fence around it to keep the Texans in and everybody else out.
The most recent example of barbarous behavior comes on the heels of the the 230th state-sponsored murder in Rick Perry's 11 years in the governor's office, this one of a retarded criminal, its sixth such execution of a mentally deficient in roughly 20 years. Milton Mathis, an African-American of course, committed some awful acts to land on death row, but there's more to state-sponsored murder than simply killing people for crimes committed. The justice system is supposed to be based on, well, justice. What is just about killing a man who doesn't understand what's happening? (I will also offer this: "What is just about killing a man who does understand what's happening?" The death penalty is simply wrong and not a result that leaves anybody better off. If you're "pro life" you can't be "pro death penalty" and make any sense at all.)
See the story here.
Rick Perry, who wants to be president, for god's sake, said he didn't have the authority to overturn the penalty. Prosecutor Fred Felchman said, "We don't execute people who are mentally retarded" shortly before Texas executed a man who is mentally retarded--in direct violation of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on that very matter. You'd think Antonin Scalia, one of three resident Cro-Magnons among the Supremes, might be put out by this.
How good a nation are we if we allow this to happen even once, let alone over and over in a state that has become an example of what America should never allow itself to become? It is simply shameful and Rick Perry needs to go back in his hole.
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