Phewfff. The Governator's delay was making me nervous. Now I'm thinking that maybe he just waited to give his decision so that there wouldn't be much time after his decision for criticism and hand wringing before the execusion. Maybe I'll stay up just to watch all the murder appologists and miscellaneous Kool Aid drinkers hang out in front of the prison till midnight.

Who knows? Maybe there'll be rioting.
 

Good for Arnold..but how ironic to have the terminator make such a decision! Just glad he made it.
 

My goodness, what does it matter whether he has reformed or hasn't? The people for whose deaths he's responsible are still dead. : (
 

He never should have been given the opportunity to reform. He may be a different person now -- I don't know -- but he didn't deserve that chance. The appeals took 24 years! Outrageous. It makes a mockery of the death penalty. Whether the death penalty is to serve as a deterrent or to see that justice is done, either way, a penalty of 24 years in prison followed by death is not a "real" death sentence. He didn't give his victims another 24 years to live. And I bet his lawyers were paid by us the taxpayers, killing him probably has cost us millions. This is just crazy. A death sentence should take take no more than a year to carry out, start to finish, with all the appeals.
 

I'm glad the governator did not commute his sentence. It would have made a mockery of the justice system. I agree that 24 years is way too long for appeal. "Justice delayed is justice denied."

I read once that in England the crime rate went down for two weeks after every hanging. With the current death row population, I think California should be able to lower its crime rate significantly for the next 4 years or so.
 

I think it is extremely difficult to tell whether a person is truly reformed, but in our free society it is certainly one of many compelling factors that ought to be considered.
 

Tookie Williams has 2 hours to live and from what I’m hearing on talk radio, every armpit hair braiding pacifist seems to have gathered outside the prison in protest.

Lord Emsworth: Welcome to the Coffehouse! Evidence on whether the death penalty decreases crime goes both ways. I think a more reliable argument for the death penalty rests on preventing murderers from killing again (which even life without the possibility of parole does not accomplish since many prisoners murder in prison), and exacting vengeance on behalf of society for the one crime for which the victim can not be compensated in any way. Those that are opposed to the death penalty have the much more immoral position to defend that all murderers must be kept alive.
 

From what I hear, he never expressed remorse for the killings, and never cooperated with authorities in prosecuting other gang members. If that is actually the case, then his reform is(was would be the proper tense at this time) hollow and insincere. I think(for once) Ahnold made a correct decision.
 

Ms. Katz - I think that a murderer's reformation, so to speak, would be a reason to keep him alive only if he is actively helping to make society better. That is pretty hard to gauge, I admit - did his children's books really matter? Based on current crime statistics I'd bet not.

If dilbert is right and this dude wouldn't help prosecutors, then I don't see any real reformation there. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't own up to the crimes. Who knows - doing so might have saved his life.

But on the whole I'm for a swift death penalty, too. When the Beit HaMikdash stood, it was a lot harder to get the death penalty, but when it happened, they took the dude right outside and did the trick (although they did have to take him out a ways to give a little time in case anyone else came forth with evidence in his favor).
 

Thought all you Coffeehousers might enjoy this one. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect my own...
 

Thanks for the welcome. Watch out. I'll be all over this blog from now on.