POST SCRIPTS

But think of how many fellas we'd have to put on death row! Do you know what that costs !?!?

Well...not exactly Libby. The state's desire was to have the right to punish with the death penalty in those cases where the rape was particularly brutal...not all cases. As Obama said:

...if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable...

How about the cost of having your child raped you inconsiderate whelp.

Do you even have kids, or a soul for that matter?

Libby writes:

"But think of how many fellas we'd have to put on death row! Do you know what that costs !?!?"

No Libby, do you?, How much? And how much in comparison to having particularly heinous crimes repeated by the same people, who go in and come out? Or easier yet, how much in comparison to keeping an inmate for Life without parole?

And then, I'm afraid I will need you to put a price on the damage done to the child victim, so I can make a comparison. I have never been able to marginalize the suffering of the victim of a violent crime down to "bottom line economics", but since you apparently can, please enlighten me.

Perhaps re-structuring the death penalty system, especially in this state, to where a common sense policy regarding the appeals process. And then actually carrying out the death penalty on a more frequent than a one a decade schedule, you would cut costs and we could actually see some deterrent effect.

For most murderers, I have experience with, the death penalty is not an issue in California. #1, it is extremely difficult to obtain a death penalty conviction. #2 for most people, the crime is long forgotten during the 11 year minimum appeals process. #3, some celebrity shows up at the prison and raises the convict to saint status if the sentence is even carried out.

It may not deter the worst of the worst, but there are a lot of kids in the gang life, who would think twice if it was a realistic consequence. That is my experience any way, Please Libby, what's yours? Is it more than listening to Ed Asner or Mike Farrell?

Hey, I'm all for putting all the vicious, violent, groady, heinous criminals to death, but that is an uncivilized, vengeful attitude which cannot be allowed to dictate public policy.

Just today, down here, we had our emergency alert system activated. All our broadcast media told us citizens to be on the lookout for some g**damned druggie boyfriend of some godawful slut who allowed him to take her five-year-old son to the 7-Eleven at midnight last night ... the boy has not been seen since. You don't even want to think about it.

And when they catch the pig, I should not be allowed anywhere near him.

However, as a good progressive, I must reiterate that if the goddamned pig had been born to people fit to look after him, and into a society that provided lots of healthy attention to little boys, we would not be in this fix.

Death row is too damned little, too damned late.

Hey, I'm all for putting all the vicious, violent, groady, heinous criminals to death, but that is an uncivilized, vengeful attitude which cannot be allowed to dictate public policy.

Libby you are absolutely right! Laws are not, and should not be, written for the sake of satisfying attitudes.

Jusctice, however is a different thing. What I love is that your argument can be used to make the another case equally compelling:

I feel incredibly bad about people who haven't had a good upbringing, who may have a terrible addiction because society didn't care about them, who do terrible things to helpless vulnerable little children however, that is an emotionally childish "attitude" which cannot be allowed to dictate public policy."

Justice is blind...there's a reason...thank you, Libby!

"However, as a good progressive, I must reiterate that if the g**damned pig had been born to people fit to look after him, and into a society that provided lots of healthy attention to little boys, we would not be in this fix.

Death row is too damned little, too damned late."

And here we find libby's agument for abortion. Don't wait until the crime, kill him before he is born to unfit uncaring parents.

Note: Editor is responsible for **

I want an answer to my question...

Libby do yo have children?

here Ill go first..I have 3, 2 girls and a boy.

There, now your turn.

No, I do not have children. I am not fit to raise children. And I really do wish that more people gave the matter more thought. It would save no end of grief.

I am, however, a superlative Auntie.

Maybe if you had children, you would have a clearer understanding of why those of us who do, feel that child rapists should be subjected to at least the same measure of punishment that you compassionate "avowed progressives" administer to, oh I don't know...defenseless fetuses.

I also find it interesting that you are not fit to determine how a child should behave, yet you feel perfectly qualified to tell the rest of us how to live.