Historical Image of the Day

Prison strapped down for execution in electric chair, Sing Sing Prison, circa 1900

Historical Image of the Day

 

"Old Sparky," Texas' first electric chair. Texas State Prison Museum, Huntsville, TX

Troy Davis

Is set to be executed tomorrow despite unreviewed evidence that he is not guilty.

The Supreme Court is set to review his case--six days after his execution date.

This is disgusting, it's immoral, it's basically everything that makes the death penalty a terrible idea. I'm opposed to it in any case, but in this particular one it's making me physically ill.

I wish there was more I could do.

Obama Pandering

I am not even going to bother attacking Obamas statement that child rapists deserve the death penalty on the merits, because clearly there are not any. This is just pandering and it sucks. Please stop. Yes, you want to look tough on crime. OK. But adopting right-wing positions on the death penalty that fewer Americans support every year is exactly what the Democratic candidate should not be doing.

Absurd Texts in American History (X)

From a recent brochure for Huntsville, Texas, home of the Texas State Penitentiary, where the state executes its citizens.

"Excite your senses. Huntsville if famous for its historic Texas Prison System. You can still hear the "prisoner-count" whistle blow every day. No one should leave without visiting the Prison Museum; home of the original electric chair, "Old Sparky".

And yes, they put the period outside of the quotation marks.

Rick Perry is a Bloody Moron

I'm really happy to be living in Texas now but I am not happy by having the execrable Rick Perry as my governor. The European Union asked Texas to consider a moratorium on the death penalty. Perry's response:

“230 years ago, our forefathers fought a war to throw off the yoke of a European monarch and gain the freedom of self-determination. Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens. While we respect our friends in Europe, welcome their investment in our state and appreciate their interest in our laws, Texans are doing just fine governing Texas.”

Of course, Perry fails to leave out how his Texas forefathers fought a war against Mexico 161 years ago to protect their slaves and another war against those American forefathers he claims to respect so much 146 years ago to do the same thing.

But hey, Perry's argument is so stupid just on the face of it to not even be worth mentioning. In fact, I dearly wish I had never seen it.