Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Killing Frances Newton

I don't oppose the death penalty for Frances Newton, who is scheduled to die tomorrow night, because I believe she didn't kill her husband and children. I think we can't know for sure, and that's the point. I don't trust Texas' system not to make mistakes. Actually, from what I've seen, occasional mistakes, often big ones, seem nearly inevitable, and certainly constant.

Newton's dead husband's parents say there's enough doubt to stop the execution. How in heaven's name can the government be entitled to more terrible retribution than they desire?

That's the stuff that bugs me. Sure, terrible things happen in the world, and in theory there are folks who need killing. But do you trust Texas' criminal justice system to pick the right ones?

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