Since Im against death penalty alltogether, I find this sentence a bit harsh. No doubt is there a great chance he was involved and knew more about it than he later admitted, but death? I just cant digest Texas law. Maybe we are to kind and tolerant in Sweden...Hm.

I might not agree with you but I do respect your P.O.V. Laws such killing a murder are to safe guard the rest of the community while at the same time showing others that such acts will not be tolerated.

The logic doesn't really work. If it were just that good a deterrent, people'd quit killin' each other. But apparently it's not that good a deterrent. That's a big part of the reason I'm opposed to capital punishment: it makes ZERO sense. You cannot say 'Murder is wrong, but state sanctioned murder is okay!' It doesn't make any sense. I have no emotional investment, but I just don't see the logic of it.

I can see putting to death rapists, people who kill children, people who rape children, and people who kill officers of the law. Rapists kill the soul, children are so far beyond innocent that those that kill them do not deserve to live. I personally have a thing for police officers - some of the best men I know and my most adamant defenders happen to be police officers.

you don't see the obvious contradiction between these two statements?

I can, and I realize it is contradictory. But some people do not deserve to live. Rapists and baby killers come instantly to mind, but perhaps it's my bias: I'm a parent and a rape survivor.

but if you believe some people do not deserve to live, aren't you saying that you DO support the death penalty, under certain circumstances?

You're right. I do.

I change my position. I believe in the death penalty, just disagree with some of the logic.

You know I read this topic last night before deciding to post a comment. Something bothers me about punishing a man with death when he was not the one to directly pull the trigger and murder someone. I do not know explicit details of the situation, but I don't think I have to know that unless he was the direct murderer, the law is unjustly taking his freedom to live.
I could easily say fear or being under the influence of drugs motivated him to go along with his friends, and his claim is that he didn't know that his friend would be commiting this murder, but no matter what excuse he gave, he should be punished. Only not with his life. I do not really believe in the death penalty, only in a very severe instance, so it makes me biased. I do not believe in sentencing people to death to atone, but in the event that they are a general threat circumstances might ask for death. In this case, the man is probably a drug addict that needs to be off the street and institutionalized in prison for his crime. Even if that is still not the case, the point is that he is not the direct executioner.

But according to the Texas statute, he is equally culpable for the act as the actually 'trigger man' (for lack of a better term). He aided and abetted the commission of a felony that resulted in a murder. That is, I believe, Murder in the First Degree in the state of Texas. And to aid and abet a felon in any way, be it in flight (as in this case), by hiding him, by giving him money, or any other way after the commission of the felony act can be punishable by death in the great state of Texas. I'm not sure I disagree with that law.

I dont get your point of view at all here. The logic fails, cause murder cant justify murder, you say. Same time your for it. I have hard time mastering that level of diplomacy, so please, elaborate a bit.

Very true it's just Stupid!!!

I really don't agree with sentencing him to death, but I will definately agree will Davious, that you have to be aware of the company you keep. And regardless of how we feel about a person being judged based on their own merit, society (generally speaking) will judge you based on the peers you choose to hang with. We have all been guilty at some point of saying or in the very least thinking that someone was a certain way because of the people they hung out with.

I had a very close friend early on in high school, as our sophmore year ended so did our close relationship, she started hanging out with some other girls who had a rep for being 'promiscuous and easy' eventually so did she, and I wasn't having it because I was not that way and didn't want people to think that I was...and guess what, in the long run they ending up turning her onto their lifestyle. Thank God I had enough sense to realize that.

So it was ultimately his poor choices that lead him to this point, hopefully it will be a lesson learned to some of the youth/adults in Texas.

Also, if indeed he had no prior knowledge of his friends intentions, why after he realized his buddy shot/killed someone didn't he just leave, he should not have stuck around to give him a ride, plain and simple.

Please tell me someone remembers that movie 'The Accused' with Jodi Foster, anyway she was raped by a few men in a bar while several others watched and some cheered, anyway the ones that watched and cheered were convicted too. Because they stoodby and watched as a crime was being commited.

I do believe he should be punished, but truly not by death, but that is the law so again...(see above bold)

jmo,
Breena