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FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUN 27, 2007 10:47 PM



Let this fact be known: The state of Oklahoma does not fuck around when it comes to the death penalty. This week Oklahoma executed 49-year-old Jimmy Dale Bland, who was a two-time killer. The US Supreme Court denied his final reprieve on Tuesday and they took him out at 6:19 pm. His lawyer had asked the Court to block his execution because he only had six months to live, but the state fought to kill him before he died. It was a race and we won!

Bland had a fatal case of lung cancer that had spread to his brain, and had undergone radiation treatment and chemotherapy, his lawyer, David Autry, told ABC News. Bland would have died in six months, Autry said.

"It's pointless to execute this guy," Autry said. "He was going to be dead in a few short months anyway."


Whatever, pussy.

Autry had warned that his veins had been “compromised” by the chemotherapy, which could lead to serious problems during the injection of the lethal chemicals. I mean, besides him dying, of course. The execution was scheduled for 6 pm, but he did not die until 6:19 pm.

Bland was not the best guy in the world. He first killed another human in 1975, when he murdered a soldier and kidnapped the soldierÂ’s family. He was sentenced to 60 years but only did 20. He was out for just under a year before he killed again. This time Bland shot his employer in the back of the head in a dispute over money. He was sentenced to death, obviously.

Friends of the executed employer arenÂ’t too upset that Bland was killed before he died.

"If Jimmy Bland wanted to die of natural causes he shouldn't have shot Mr. Rains in the back of the head," said Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Seth Branham.

"He's in the same position as any other inmate from the state's perspective," Branham said. "Capital punishment prevents death by natural causes."


So much for capital punishment being a crime deterrent. That sounds a bit like revenge. Opponents of killing people who are about to die believe the execution was cruel and unusual punishment.

"No one is going to argue that he's still dangerous," said Dianne Rust-Tierney, director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "There is something unsettling about the government doggedly getting its pound of flesh whether or not it matters anymore."


How is there something unsettling about racing to kill a guy before he dies? That is totally how the justice system should work. The good news is that this is going to start to happen all the time.

Death penalty experts expect that Bland's situation will become more common as the nation's death row population ages.

At the end of 1995, there were 40 death row inmates over the age of 60. By the end of 2005, the latest date for which statistics are available, that number had grown to 137 inmates, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In that time, the country's total death row population rose by 200, to 3,254.


Sweet. Old people are always getting cancer and other stuff that they try to die from. ItÂ’s a fucking race. And if we have to wheel a guy into the execution chamber instead of the ER, we will. ItÂ’s called justice.

Omega_Blue

Omega_Blue

Antelope, CA
June 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:16 AM

This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...

Nokturn

Nokturn

United Kingdom
April 2006

JUN 28, 2007 09:16 AM

America should catch up with the rest of the 'developed' world and abolish the death penalty altogether.

It's called 'justice' not 'revenge'.
Why not keep killers in shit prisons and make them build beds for hospitals or someink?
That would be constructive. The death sentence is not.
I'm surprised George didn't pop down to flick the switch himself.

smock_b

smock_b

Monroe, MI
April 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:16 AM

I bet before they gave him the injection they swabbed his arm with rubbing alcohol.

Loki

Loki

SUICIDEGIRL

Ontario, Canada

JUN 28, 2007 09:17 AM

what a waste of fucking money! people who are all yay death penalty never seem to realize that it actually costs more to kill them than to keep them alive. if this guy was dying anyway why the fuck couldn't they just say karma got him and save their dollars? because they are self-righteous and its easier to throw money at dead guys than to solve current problems for the LIVING members of our society.

NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

JUN 28, 2007 09:26 AM

Omega_Blue said:
This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...



Yes, that is the solution. Faster killings.

Yes, of course.

HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger

USA
July 2006

JUN 28, 2007 09:27 AM

Omega_Blue said:
This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...



Yes, this is the problem right here. whatever Kill them quickly so they don't have a chance to get sick and die. whatever
Its a good thing that we have identified the only problem in the U.S. legal system, let's get on this right away.



maquiladora

maquiladora

United Kingdom
June 2006

JUN 28, 2007 09:28 AM

Loki said:
what a waste of fucking money! people who are all yay death penalty never seem to realize that it actually costs more to kill them than to keep them alive. if this guy was dying anyway why the fuck couldn't they just say karma got him and save their dollars? because they are self-righteous and its easier to throw money at dead guys than to solve current problems for the LIVING members of our society.



What she said.

woweezowee

woweezowee

Denver, CO
November 2003

JUN 28, 2007 09:33 AM

people who have murdered someone should just be turned over to the families of the deceased, and allow them to do what they will.

aldoushuxley

aldoushuxley

USA
November 2005

JUN 28, 2007 09:35 AM

Alright, I think they should reform the death penalty. I think every person who has life in prison or is waiting to be executed should be executed as soon as possible. Get this though, not by conventional humane and costly measures. Give them the old wooden stick treatment, like clubbing fish. If that is too gruesome for you we could run all of them through a slaughtering house just one big chain, butchers are good at killing cows why not convicts too. Loki you are obviously disillusioned about the cost's of running a prison, this is why America has the largest prison population, I bet you if it was your family that got hacked up you would be crowing like all the other people who accept the death penalty. Once again Reaper you do not disappoint. biggrin

Mindbinder

Mindbinder

Medford, OR
May 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:36 AM

woweezowee said:
people who have murdered someone should just be turned over to the families of the deceased, and allow them to do what they will.



I don't think that whole 2 negatives equal a positive concept works too well when applied to sociological issues.

Omega_Blue

Omega_Blue

Antelope, CA
June 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:37 AM

deanmoriarty said:

Omega_Blue said:
This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...



Yes, this is the problem right here. whatever Kill them quickly so they don't have a chance to get sick and die. whatever
Its a good thing that we have identified the only problem in the U.S. legal system, let's get on this right away.






Sarcasm is a funny thing...Obviously that is not the only problem with the prison system (there are many, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion)...I was simply stating that if we are to have the death penalty the efficiency of the process should be increased...This would in the short term serve as a deterrent to potential criminals (they would know that if they do the crime the penalty will be fast and harsh), and in the long term operational costs would be cut...

azathoth42

azathoth42

Dallas, TX
September 2004

JUN 28, 2007 09:48 AM

The ironic thing to me is, if Bland were just another old guy with fatal cancer who wanted to die, those same gov't officials would have done everything in their power to keep him alive so he could die as painfully as possible.

So there's the solution for the terminally ill: Kill somebody and go to prison so they can kill you before you die

nicod

nicod

Oklahoma City, OK
March 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:49 AM

I live in Oklahoma, and I dont even think this made the news.

All_Sewn_Up

All_Sewn_Up

Papua New Guinea
January 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:49 AM

aldoushuxley said:
Alright, I think they should reform the death penalty. I think every person who has life in prison or is waiting to be executed should be executed as soon as possible. Get this though, not by conventional humane and costly measures. Give them the old wooden stick treatment, like clubbing fish. If that is too gruesome for you we could run all of them through a slaughtering house just one big chain, butchers are good at killing cows why not convicts too. Loki you are obviously disillusioned about the cost's of running a prison, this is why America has the largest prison population, I bet you if it was your family that got hacked up you would be crowing like all the other people who accept the death penalty. Once again Reaper you do not disappoint. biggrin



+1

So what if it's revenge? So is putting them in a "shit prison" for the rest of their lives.

Saraah

Saraah

Los Angeles, CA
March 2007

JUN 28, 2007 09:54 AM

Loki said:
what a waste of fucking money! people who are all yay death penalty never seem to realize that it actually costs more to kill them than to keep them alive. if this guy was dying anyway why the fuck couldn't they just say karma got him and save their dollars? because they are self-righteous and its easier to throw money at dead guys than to solve current problems for the LIVING members of our society.



Well...but the problem is that it doesn't inherently cost more. It costs more because of the decades of appeals, etc. I don't think this is a particularly sound anti-death penalty argument. I'd be curious, for example, who was paying for his chemo and radiation to begin with...

Nor, by the way, do I think the whole "crime deterrent" angle works very well for the pro-death penalty people. It's just not. But that's not the only argument in favor...

Personally, I am pro-death penalty, but even more so pro-death penalty reform. The system is a kind of half-assed bullshit compromise now, with the endless appeals and the decades of waiting, and yet we still have innocent people on death row who could be cleared through DNA testing. It doesn't work for anyone.

That said, I actually really don't have a problem with this guy being executed, even if his doctor said he had 6 months to live. It was at least six months more than he deserved.

HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger

USA
July 2006

JUN 28, 2007 09:55 AM

Omega_Blue said:

deanmoriarty said:

Omega_Blue said:
This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...



Yes, this is the problem right here. whatever Kill them quickly so they don't have a chance to get sick and die. whatever
Its a good thing that we have identified the only problem in the U.S. legal system, let's get on this right away.







Sarcasm is a funny thing...Obviously that is not the only problem with the prison system (there are many, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion)...I was simply stating that if we are to have the death penalty the efficiency of the process should be increased...This would in the short term serve as a deterrent to potential criminals (they would know that if they do the crime the penalty will be fast and harsh), and in the long term operational costs would be cut...



Here is the problem with that logic. The death penalty does NOT deter criminals. If it did, the number of people on death row would be declining not rising.

Vestril

Vestril

Coronado, CA
February 2003

JUN 28, 2007 09:56 AM

NickFaust said:

Omega_Blue said:
This is the problem with the legal system in the U.S, if this guy had simply been executed within a few months, and not allowed to send appeal after appeal, he would not have sat on death row for 12 years, and would not have had cancer, and we would not have this argument...



Yes, that is the solution. Faster killings.

Yes, of course.



Oh I dunno, I think that it would at least be closer to logical. I'm not a fan of the death penalty, solely for the reason that I think some innocent people will have to be executed under even the best system and that isn't an acceptable loss. That said, if we're going to be stuck with a death penalty (and we do seem to be) I don't believe it should take decade+ periods of time to kill people. That's absurd and a huge waste of money.

Ff

Ff

I'm lost
August 2006

JUN 28, 2007 10:01 AM

azathoth42 said:
The ironic thing to me is, if Bland were just another old guy with fatal cancer who wanted to die, those same gov't officials would have done everything in their power to keep him alive so he could die as painfully as possible.

So there's the solution for the terminally ill: Kill somebody and go to prison so they can kill you before you die



tongue awesome tongue

Skywisdom

Skywisdom

Portland, OR
December 2005

JUN 28, 2007 10:09 AM

MickFlicks said:

aldoushuxley said:
Alright, I think they should reform the death penalty. I think every person who has life in prison or is waiting to be executed should be executed as soon as possible. Get this though, not by conventional humane and costly measures. Give them the old wooden stick treatment, like clubbing fish. If that is too gruesome for you we could run all of them through a slaughtering house just one big chain, butchers are good at killing cows why not convicts too. Loki you are obviously disillusioned about the cost's of running a prison, this is why America has the largest prison population, I bet you if it was your family that got hacked up you would be crowing like all the other people who accept the death penalty. Once again Reaper you do not disappoint. biggrin



+1

So what if it's revenge? So is putting them in a "shit prison" for the rest of their lives.



Awesome, here's the thing. It's not about revenge, it's about the safety of society. And you know what? Studies have shown that people are more likely to commit violent crimes when the punishment is to be execution than life in prison. See, many of these people have very little regard for life, theirs or others, so execution isn't that scary. A long, horrible life in prison is actually more scary to them.
Also, does it not occur to either of you that a feeling of revenge rarely makes people feel better? Suprisingly, killing a murderer doesn't bring back the person they've killed!!!
Oh, and here's another point: What if the person is wrongfully accused! Shit, let's kill them right quick before they get a chance to appeal!

Doc_Brietz

Doc_Brietz

Fort Sill, OK
January 2006

JUN 28, 2007 10:15 AM

they should have shot this guy long ago.
get it over and done with.
as a taxpayer, i don't care if it costs more. string him up.
im glad i am in OK now. :-)

McKenneth

McKenneth

Macedon, NY
August 2005

JUN 28, 2007 10:18 AM

I guess I'm supposed to be outraged by this but the fact of the matter is, the guy killed two people. As far as I'm concerned, he had his shot at humanity and failed miserably. I don't care if the death penalty is a deterrent or not, there are just some people in this world whom we are better off without.

As for him being executed while having terminal cancer, so what? His sentence was that he die by lethal injection on a certain day at a certain time. As for the cost, who give a crap. When you consider that we spend $177 million dollars in Iraq every day, the average of $22.2 thousand a year it costs to keep a death row inmate is nothing.

Sea

sea

HOPEFUL

Mexico

JUN 28, 2007 10:20 AM

Saraah said:
That said, I actually really don't have a problem with this guy being executed, even if his doctor said he had 6 months to live. It was at least six months more than he deserved.



amen sistah.

personally, i'm tired of people thinking that just because these men are growing old and dying makes them less evil. there have been and will continue to be just as many geezers/ terminally-ill people out there molesting kids, killing people and being just as big a prick as any healthy middle aged criminal.

niccie

niccie

United Kingdom
March 2006

JUN 28, 2007 10:27 AM

The death penalty is disgusting but as it stands its still in place so what the fuck do they have to complain about, he committed the crime so take the penalty..having cancer changes nothing, that said having known two people die from brain tumours following lung cancer I'd be fucking thankful that they put me out of my misery.

redheadcd

redheadcd

Anaheim, CA
June 2007

JUN 28, 2007 10:35 AM

McKenneth said:
I guess I'm supposed to be outraged by this but the fact of the matter is, the guy killed two people. As far as I'm concerned, he had his shot at humanity and failed miserably. I don't care if the death penalty is a deterrent or not, there are just some people in this world whom we are better off without.

As for him being executed while having terminal cancer, so what? His sentence was that he die by lethal injection on a certain day at a certain time. As for the cost, who give a crap. When you consider that we spend $177 million dollars in Iraq every day, the average of $22.2 thousand a year it costs to keep a death row inmate is nothing.



Well put!!

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