View on death penalty from brother of Parkland victim

[MU82]

His sister died in the Parkland massacre. He wants the gunman to live.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/27/parkland-school-shooting-trial-death-penalty/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F380a929%2F63331d84f3d9003c58f54a24%2F5f8d147cae7e8a56e5b732a4%2F8%2F72%2F63331d84f3d9003c58f54a24&wp_cu=b1005792a416de1fbe1f17e5cf366b7d%7CB1FF71CA724A36FAE0530100007F88D6

Even 3,200 miles away in a new city, he struggled to avoid news out of the Fort Lauderdale courtroom where jurors will soon decide whether Cruz lives or dies. Since the proceedings began in July, they have reviewed nightmarish surveillance footage, toured bloodstained classrooms and heard, in clinical detail, how AR-15 bullets destroyed young bodies. Robert refused to watch, but when he thought about prosecutors mentioning Carmen, he got angry. Then he started typing.

“I have been dreading this phase of the trial for the last four and a half years,” he posted on Twitter. “Because this is the part where people will tell me that retribution will bring ‘justice’ and ‘healing’ to me and my family. This is the part where pundits on TV will invoke the name of my sister to support the murder of another human being.”

[tower912]

That's very kind.


There is no way this thread ends well.   C'mon, Mike.

[pbiflyer]

He’s a better person than I.
As someone who knows an ER doctor that treated the Parkland victims and heard a bit of the description of the carnage, I would like nothing more than to see the shooter fry.

[Billy Hoyle]

my wife and I differ on the death penalty. She's 100% for it, I think it should be used only when there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt the accused perpetrated the crime. In this case, we're both on the same page and believe the shooter should be sentenced to death.

[CountryRoads]

my wife and I differ on the death penalty. She's 100% for it, I think it should be used only when there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt the accused perpetrated the crime. In this case, we're both on the same page and believe the shooter should be sentenced to death.

Agree. I’m pretty on the fence and indifferent about it in general. Repealing that is a discussion for another day though. I don’t think this case would be the one to make an exception for. Personally, I think it’s kind of dumb since it’s 10-20 years before they are put to death anyway. The family really gets no closure either way.

[Jockey]

His sister died in the Parkland massacre. He wants the gunman to live.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/27/parkland-school-shooting-trial-death-penalty/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F380a929%2F63331d84f3d9003c58f54a24%2F5f8d147cae7e8a56e5b732a4%2F8%2F72%2F63331d84f3d9003c58f54a24&wp_cu=b1005792a416de1fbe1f17e5cf366b7d%7CB1FF71CA724A36FAE0530100007F88D6

Even 3,200 miles away in a new city, he struggled to avoid news out of the Fort Lauderdale courtroom where jurors will soon decide whether Cruz lives or dies. Since the proceedings began in July, they have reviewed nightmarish surveillance footage, toured bloodstained classrooms and heard, in clinical detail, how AR-15 bullets destroyed young bodies. Robert refused to watch, but when he thought about prosecutors mentioning Carmen, he got angry. Then he started typing.

“I have been dreading this phase of the trial for the last four and a half years,” he posted on Twitter. “Because this is the part where people will tell me that retribution will bring ‘justice’ and ‘healing’ to me and my family. This is the part where pundits on TV will invoke the name of my sister to support the murder of another human being.”

I agree with what he says.

Of course, the gunman ‘deserves’ to die, but with the death penalty we all become murderers. Not worth it for a few moments of revenge.

[muwarrior69]

I agree with what he says.

Of course, the gunman ‘deserves’ to die, but with the death penalty we all become murderers. Not worth it for a few moments of revenge.

So being sentenced to death for such a heinous crime is revenge, not justice. I always thought life in prison without parole is a worse fate than death, but then there is aways a Governor or President granting a pardon. Regardless, a part of him will away be broken and nothing will bring her back.

[MU82]

That's very kind.


There is no way this thread ends well.   C'mon, Mike.

I think people can maturely talk about an important topic.

For the record, I agree with the young man whose sister was killed. I like to think I would still agree with him if a loved one of mine had been killed, but it's not as easy to know how I would react if actually faced with such horror and sorrow. I hope that I -- and the rest of us here -- never have to find out.

[Jockey]

So being sentenced to death for such a heinous crime is revenge, not justice. I always thought life in prison without parole is a worse fate than death, but then there is aways a Governor or President granting a pardon. Regardless, a part of him will away be broken and nothing will bring her back.

Here we go. A pretend pro-lifer calling for death.

[MU82]

Here we go. A pretend pro-lifer calling for death.

Can we keep it civil?

[21Jumpstreet]

Eliminate the death penalty, it’s inhumane and courts have been proven to not always get it right.

[StillAWarrior]

Can we keep it civil?

Is that rhetorical?

[Dickthedribbler]

Here we go. A pretend pro-lifer calling for death.

Well, that didn't take long.

[jficke13]

my wife and I differ on the death penalty. She's 100% for it, I think it should be used only when there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt the accused perpetrated the crime. In this case, we're both on the same page and believe the shooter should be sentenced to death.

Beyond a reasonable doubt is the burden of proof for all convictions.

If what you say is true then you support capital punishment for all convictions, or you support convictions where the state proves guilt by some standard lower than beyond a reasonable doubt.

[tower912]

I embrace Catholic social teaching on the death penalty.    I acknowledge my imperfections for all Catholic social teaching.   But this one I embrace.

[Uncle Rico]

Does it deter violent crime?  Doubtful

Does it satiate the bloodlust of a society numbed by violence?  Probably

Eat at Arby’s

[Pakuni]

The only compelling argument for the death penalty is retribution. And I'm not dismissing that... retribution feels good. It feels right. It feels like justice.
But other than that, what's the point? There's no evidence that it deters serious crime or murder. It typically costs taxpayers way more to execute someone than to lock them up for life. And there are literally dozens of cases in which a person sentenced to death has later been exonerated. It's a virtual guarantee that other innocent people haven't been so fortunate.

So, I guess it comes down to whether the feeling of retribution is worth supporting a costly, ineffective system that risks an innocent being murdered by the state in my name.
For me, it's not.

[MUBurrow]

In before this thread gets the death penalty.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

In before this thread gets the death penalty.

I pray that the mods kill it in the most humane manner possible.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I am against the death penalty except for one very specific situation. If someone who has already received life in prison murders or attempts to murder someone else in prison. I may not be thinking about it logically, but my thought is that I don't like the idea of someone who has already received the worst possible punishment being given multiple chances to end someone else's life. The only other alternative I can think of is keeping a person like that in isolation but to me that is a crueler punishment than death.

[rocket surgeon]

I think people can maturely talk about an important topic.

For the record, I agree with the young man whose sister was killed. I like to think I would still agree with him if a loved one of mine had been killed, but it's not as easy to know how I would react if actually faced with such horror and sorrow. I hope that I -- and the rest of us here -- never have to find out.

  very well said 82

[Lennys Tap]

The only compelling argument for the death penalty is retribution. And I'm not dismissing that... retribution feels good. It feels right. It feels like justice.
But other than that, what's the point? There's no evidence that it deters serious crime or murder. It typically costs taxpayers way more to execute someone than to lock them up for life. And there are literally dozens of cases in which a person sentenced to death has later been exonerated. It's a virtual guarantee that other innocent people haven't been so fortunate.

So, I guess it comes down to whether the feeling of retribution is worth supporting a costly, ineffective system that risks an innocent being murdered by the state in my name.
For me, it's not.

These are precisely my sentiments. Very well laid out.

[Jay Bee]

Where’s Jackie?

[We R Final Four]

my wife and I differ on the death penalty. She's 100% for it, I think it should be used only when there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt the accused perpetrated the crime. In this case, we're both on the same page and believe the shooter should be sentenced to death.

So your wife is 100% for it……but doesn’t need any evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to come to this conclusion??
She just wants it used more often?

[lawdog77]

The only compelling argument for the death penalty is retribution. And I'm not dismissing that... retribution feels good. It feels right. It feels like justice.
But other than that, what's the point? There's no evidence that it deters serious crime or murder. It typically costs taxpayers way more to execute someone than to lock them up for life. And there are literally dozens of cases in which a person sentenced to death has later been exonerated. It's a virtual guarantee that other innocent people haven't been so fortunate.

So, I guess it comes down to whether the feeling of retribution is worth supporting a costly, ineffective system that risks an innocent being murdered by the state in my name.
For me, it's not.

yep. I am 100% against the death penalty. I don't like making the financial arguments, though, because pro death penalty people would argue that the state needs to speed up the time on "death row", or just throw them back in genpop to save $$.