Governor Rick Perry of Texas Is An Idiot. (DP Thread)

[Solomwi]

That alone calls for transference to life.
An execution doesn't generally happen on one person's whim. This one did.

No and no.

[Kuciwalker]

This was basically legalized vigilantism. Perry was not elected judge. He should be made to push the button (or whatever) himself on these executions, and on camera.

Because he killed this man personally -- even though he didn't pull the trigger.

This doesn't make sense. He was elected judge, under your incredibly broad use of the term.

[SlowwHand]

No and no.

Yes and yes, unless you care to explain your brilliant revelations.

[Solomwi]

This doesn't make sense. He was elected judge, under your incredibly broad use of the term.

Not to mention that someone who was either elected or appointed judge under even the narrowest use of the term had already sentenced the guy to death. All Perry did was pass up the chance to reverse that judge.

[a.kitman]

well even then it doesnt make much sense to have the governor have greater authority. you would also expect a governor to act in way to get him re elected. and my concern is that would make individual executions a policial issue and open to public abuse in both directions.

[Solomwi]

Yes and yes, unless you care to explain your brilliant revelations.

You're the one who made the assertions, and thus bears the burden, but since I don't want your impending cardiac death on my hands, I'll oblige this once.

First, there's no reason to believe Butler's sentence should act as a cap on Thompson's. Each was tried by a jury under the same rules, and there's no indication of anything being amiss in either trial. Different juries are allowed to reach different conclusions, especially when they're ignorant of what the other is doing, as the system strives to achieve.

Second, you're ignoring the roles of plenty of people when you say it happened on Perry's whim. The prosecutor, judge and jury all played their parts in making this execution happen at trial. From Perry's statement, Thompson made use of the appeals process, and at every stage, the appellate courts let the sentence stand. In short, that it came down to Perry's decision doesn't mean it wasn't the result of a lot of consideration and action on the part of many different people. Perry could stop the execution on a whim, but it takes all of those people coming to the same result to make the execution go forward.

[Solomwi]

well even then it doesnt make much sense to have the governor have greater authority. you would also expect a governor to act in way to get him re elected. and my concern is that would make individual executions a policial issue and open to public abuse in both directions.

This is Texas we're talking about. On average, coming down on the side of executing killers is the way to get re-elected.

[-Jrabbit]

I've no doubt that he was a repugnant excuse for a human being, and it's pretty clear that he did plenty of evil in his pathetic excuse for a life. But in terms of the actual court case, it appears this guy's biggest issue was not having a better lawyer. The fact remains: he got a death sentence for a killing he did not personally commit.

[Solomwi]

Personally committing the murder isn't the bar for the death penalty in this case, though. If your position is that the death penalty wasn't morally appropriate, that's fine, but your qualm is with the laws of Texas and the U.S., at least as much as with Perry.

[SlowwHand]

Bull****. You keep saying things that are your personal opinion, but aren't true.

Yes, Texas supports the death penalty, but that doesn't mean Perry is right in viewing himself as god-like.
This has nothing to do with support of the death penalty in general terms.
It's a particular case. See if you can wrap your mind around the fact.

[Solomwi]

Bull****. You keep saying things that are your personal opinion, but aren't true.

Yes, Texas supports the death penalty, but that doesn't mean Perry is right in viewing himself as god-like.
This has nothing to do with support of the death penalty in general terms.
It's a particular case. See if you can wrap your mind around the fact.

WTF are you talking about?

It's my personal opinion that he was sentenced to death only after trial by jury? It's my personal opinion that the state appellate courts and U.S. Supreme Court let his death sentence stand? That the criminal justice system strives to have a jury that's ignorant of the case going in? That Thompson's jury was not bound by the findings of Butler's? That the death sentence had to pass through many hands intact in order to even get to Perry in the first place? Those are opinions?

And my response to Jrabbit was in terms of this particular case. Thompson was found to meet the standard for the death penalty, which, by law, does not require personally committing the murder. Texas law allows the death penalty in this case. The Constitution does not prohibit it. If you have a problem with Thompson's execution on moral grounds, you have a problem with the laws of Texas and the U.S.

If you're *****ing about my little joke to a.kitman, remember that you asked for it in the OP.

Feel free to make all the belittling remarks that you want, because, they've been earned.

[-Jrabbit]

Personally committing the murder isn't the bar for the death penalty in this case, though. If your position is that the death penalty wasn't morally appropriate, that's fine, but your qualm is with the laws of Texas and the U.S., at least as much as with Perry.

True dat.

[SlowwHand]

Personally committing the murder isn't the bar for the death penalty in this case, though. If your position is that the death penalty wasn't morally appropriate, that's fine, but your qualm is with the laws of Texas and the U.S., at least as much as with Perry.

This, is bull****. Keep up.
It has nothing to do with the laws of Texas. I'm fine with the laws. Perry, I have a problem with.
You cite the OP. The OP was clear in that this is about Perry being a dickhead.

[-Jrabbit]

He was talking to me. And his assessment of my POV was correct.

[SlowwHand]

oops.