Proclaiming his innocence, Troy Davis was put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday night, his life — and the hopes of supporters worldwide — prolonged by several hours while the Supreme Court reviewed but then declined to act on a petition from his lawyers to stay the execution. – Davis Is Executed in Georgia
There was no basis on which to expect Pres. Obama to intervene in the wrongful execution of Troy Davis.
However, there was no reason Barack Obama, acting as a human being, could not have weighed in on the grievous nature of this injustice. I’ve said it before, but it applies doubly here, our President, the first African American to hold the office, but also a constitutional expert, is one cold brother.
I’ll leave it to people who cover criminal justice as their primary beat to unpack the insanity of what happened in our country yesterday.
I long ago quit looking to the Supreme Court for justice or for that matter to even make sense of difficult cases. But the inability of our entire American system, leading institutions failing to get it right, led by humans who would not budge when an obvious wrong was being committed, it’s the final proof that the United States of America is headed where it is because we have so profoundly lost our way that keeping to rules is more important than admitting you got it wrong.
I’m against the death penalty, having been informed by my brother so many years ago, who did enough research as a lawyer in Missouri to believe, to come to know, it is not a deterrent. Since then, the innumerable cases of innocent people being freed from death row, not to mention the race-based bias in our system, propelled me further into my opinion.
Now, by all appearances, it seems obvious we’ve killed an innocent man when there were many opportunities to turn back to correct the wrong. But yet, Americans couldn’t bring themselves to do it, our systems failing completely.
We are truly lost.
I’ve always opposed the death penalty.
We know innocent people are executed, with the need for politicians and Electeds to claim they are “tough on crime” one underlying reason for the “mistaken” executions. I guess being “tough” doesn’t require being accurate.
In addition to innocent people being executed, there is, as you say Taylor, the fact that the death penalty is not a deterrent.
Larry, my big brother, taught me about the injustices of the death penalty when I was very, very young. Few things I’ve learned from him over the years have not stood the test of time.
If we judge the nation by it’s leaders, then this is what we have become. Standing still, doing nothing, and letting people die.
How eloquently put…
If we judge the nation by it’s leaders, then this is what we have become. …
Thank you for taking the time to post this, ladywalker68.
This just sickens me. I was hopeful last night that the SUpreme Court would stay the execution, but, no… The death penalty is so inhumane. Sad, dismall state of affairs. A president can intervene, can’t he (maybe I’m wrong). Why do you state there was no basis for it? Given the potential for riots, and what seems to obviously be doubt pertaining to the man’s guilt, and the injustice re: more blacks finding themselves in jail and on death row, even if there was no precedent for it based upon the actions of a former POTUS, as the first lack POTUS, he should have stepped in if he could (maybe he couldn’t… I really don’t know). But the silence is overwhelming. Perhaps he’ll speak about it today, but today is TOO LATE!
black POTUS…..
A president cannot intervene on a state case, from what I’ve been told by lawyers who know.
Pres. Clinton commuted sentences as governor to life, then was silent as president.
There was nothing keeping Mr. Obama from commenting on the injustice of the Troy Davis case. As the first African American president, but also a constitutional lawyer, he knows that the racial component to the death penalty is undeniable.
However, the fact is that the majority of people in this country believe in the death penalty today. It’s a election issue.
Oh — I see, he can only intervene on federal cases. Still, I wish he would have spoken out before re: this. He may have influenced someone who could to act. Obama seems so hesitant to make a stand for racial issues which is sad. Another political move I assume.
You assume correctly.
But if executing an innocent black man doesn’t inspire the first African American president to take a risk nothing will.
It’s just not appropriate. We may not like that fact, but that’s the way it is. Would you have liked it if Geoge Bush had spoken out against a state that commuted a sentence of a mass murderer? No, it would have been inappropriate as it did not concern a federal issue.
And we don’t know that Troy Davis was “innocent”. There were problems with his trial, and he shouldn’t have been executed, but that’s a far cry from proclaiming him innocent.
I just love your comments! You readily admit your ignorance all through the comment but that doesn’t stop you from going on and on and on! Who but you doesn’t know that the President has no legal standing to intervene in state cases? You are a deranged Obama hater and this comment is proof! LOL!
Definitely not an Obama fan and I have certainly stated as much many times. I’m not afraid to admit when I don’t know something… that’s why I ask questions. I predict there are many things I know Solo that you would not even begin to understand. Feel free to try me if you wish, instead of presenting your condescending, arrogant, abrasive, and rude manner on this board.
So let me get this straight, you hate this country’s first African American President but you care about the latest African American victim of a racist justice system? LOL!
Your implication lacks substance. Once again just another attack from you. Why did you jump from not a fan to hate? The entire dialogue I have had with you is ridiculous. Why does it bother you so much that I am not an Obama fan and why do you find it offensive that I find what happened last night to be inhumane? I am against the death penalty (I was against last night’s execution in Texas as well). Most on this board come here to openly express their opinions of what is happening in this country. Most don’t denigrate other posters… they disagree with opinions, but they don’t ridicule the poster (and I say “most”).
cmugirl 22 September 2011 at 9:43 am
Would you have liked it if Geoge Bush had spoken out against a state that commuted a sentence of a mass murderer?
It would have revealed him as the Christian he says he is and a true compassionate conservative.
It would also have been courageous.
Try Davis clearly deserved a stay and a new sentencing trial, but I am still in favor of the death penalty for the most egregious offenses: murder of a child, police officer, etc. It is not about deterrence, for I agree it is not a deterrent. It is about retribution. There are quite simply some people who do not deserve to be on the same earth and breathe the same air as the rest of us.
I am thinking that GWB might have been the perfect president for a society of mean-spirited, vengeful, uneducated people who cheer at death (see the GOP primaries). This is what we have become. Killing is something we do so well. As for Obama–a non-entity. He might as well not even be there.
Looking to what happened last night, uh-oh, Rick Perry may be the perfect next president for our diminished times.
Today should be a day of national mourning. Not just for the state sanctioned killing of Troy Davis, but for the loss of any illusions we ever had that ours is a “just” nation. Add to that the loss of any illusion that we have moral leaders who stand for justice. Yes, Taylor, we are truly lost.
… but for the loss of any illusions we ever had that ours is a “just” nation. Add to that the loss of any illusion that we have moral leaders who stand for justice.
Again, each of you are adding such profound words to this discussion.
Thank you.
Ed Schultz had a professor on his show last night who had been a warden who oversaw executions. He was quite profound in his belief that it is wrong.It was based on the evidence that it does not deter crime and the fact that it had traumatic impact on the people who had to carry it out. He spoke of his own recurring nightmares and emotional struggles with his involvment.
He called it premeditated murder preformed by the government to satisfy a family’s need for revenge. He said it is perpetuated by psycopathic politicians. I would say sociopathic but never the less.
Of course the great irony is that it is so fervently believed in by the people who say they are for life. At least Catholics are consistent.
Of course the great irony is that it is so fervently believed in by the people who say they are for life. At least Catholics are consistent
Well said. Life in prison seems like a much worse punishment to me and it’s cheeper in the long run.
I challenge all of you to maintain your view if one of your loved ones is brutally murdered. I used to be where you are. Not anymore.
Some people in this country are worse than the Iranians or the Taliban. Our leaders should be very careful when we get on our high horse criticizing others.
Ahmadinijad was interviewed by Nick Kristof yesterday. It would have been ironical had he mentioned Troy Davis. May he RIP.
Really. I guess that those hikers were lucky that they weren’t “illegally” in Georgia or Texas. There has always been this myth that life is cheap in other uncivilized ares of the world. Really? In so many ways life is really cheap in the good old USA.
And Rick, revenge is just an endless cycle of violence. State-sanctioned murder solves nothing–whether it is a criminal, Afghanistan, or even Osama bin Laden. Shouldn’t we be better than this? Shouldn’t mankind have evolved a little?
Rickroberts,
It is entirely understandable that the family of a victim would feel angry enough for vengeance. I’m sure I would want vengeance if someone I loved were murdered; however, that is exactly why I oppose the death penalty. A government, a society needs to behave in a rational way, not an emotional way, to crime. If I were in a situation where a loved one were murdered, I’d want my government to behave that way and not satisying my need for vengeance. Bottom line–mistakes are made. they can never be repaired once a person is killed.
Uh-Oh, my five-year old precious nephew was snuffed out by his own father last summer when it became clear to him that he would not win custody. He bound his feet and hands with duct tape, put a plastic bag on his head and bound it with more duct tape. Then he stood on him until he was dead. He did this in plain view of my other nephew who was four. When the first was dead, he moved onto the second, but a co-worker of his showed up and interrupted the deed, saving my second nephew’s life. My poor sister is devastated and my little nephew, though in intense therapy, is likely scarred for life.
This is a death penalty case here in Georgia. It has not come to trial yet. I would consider it an offense against all that is good for us to have to share the same world and air with that fool. He deserves to die.
It is not revenge. It is retribution. There is a difference.
It’s easy to be pro-life until your own daughter is pregnant, or raped or killed. An eye for an eye.
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