http://gawker.com/a-letter-from-ray-jasper-who-is-about-to-be-executed-1536073598
Read that, everyone. Especially you pro-death penalty goons, but it's really something that everyone should read.
The man who wrote that letter, and who is sentenced to die on March 16th, never killed anyone.
I suppose he "technically" never killed anyone... but he did slit the guy's throat and then hold him down while his friend stabbed him in the gut until he died.
"Attempted murder? I mean c'mon now, what is that? Do they give Nobel Prizes for attempted chemistry?" - Sideshow Bob.
i find it interesting he makes no mention of the pain and suffering the victim's family goes through on a daily basis missing a loved one. Maybe he did not kill the person, but he did agree to and was part of the crime. If he did not get caught, would he still be in the crime world, I think so. The justice system has failed and is broken in his mind simply because he got caught and sentenced. If you believe in the death sentence or not, the matter is he was involved in a planned crime where an innocent person lost their life for no other reason then being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I watched a special a few years ago on the TV show 60 minutes where they went into a prison and interviewed many, many prisoners on life behind bars, what they are going to do when they get out etc, etc. The one main common factor was, each and every person interviewed looked into the camera and stated they did not do what they were convicted of. Probably close to 40 hard core long term prisoners, and not one did the crime they were convicted of. Think about that and then read the letter here. In my mind, maybe a death sentence was too harsh, but on the other side of the coin, an innocent person lost their life and all they lived for because this person and his accomplice decided to resort to crime instead of an honest living working 9-5 just like 95% of us do. Sorry, but I just can't feel sorry for him, he made choices, he knew if caught the result would not be good, he still made the choice to carry on knowing full well what being caught meant.. he got caught.. can't feel for him one bit... nope I am not a Texan, not even an American, I am a Canadian, and I believe those who do crime should pay.. if we make the penalties steep enough crime would go away.. you don't find thieves in the middle east, they cut hands off thieves there... it stopped the crime
image if the victim was your dad, brother or worse your child. I know if that was the case for me, I be begging them to let him out so I could give him a taste of his own medicine and see he died a very violent death like his victim, instead of the human way he will be put to death. At some point during the crime he had to look the victim in the eye and see the fear, he could have stopped there, but he chose to continue and killed him... I feel absolutely no sympathy at all
Except for that he didn't kill him. And I think the point about harshness of penalty and relationship to frequency of crime was already discussed quite a bit in the last death sentence forum. Having harsher penalties doesn't seem to decrease the occurrence of crime. But it will increase prison overcrowding.
Anyway, I see what you're doing here, EL, but I don't really anticipate this going well. Not that it is so far. But a least the personal attacks haven't started yet.
Anyway, I'm glad everyone glossed over the larger points he made, you know, about the racial disparity, the prison-industrial complex in the US, and the lack of positive and empowering voices reaching out to young minority youths.
Carry on with your blood-lust circle-jerk, everyone.
Eh....The prisons are overcrowded and certain demographics seem to get targeted a lot more than others but with that said, I'm cool with throat slitters being in jail. I don't think society should have to endure someone who is willing to commit atrocities. Yes, I consider what he did to be an atrocity and he'll get no pity from myself. Let's save the rehabilitation for non violent criminals and people who haven't displayed the behavior of a sociopath. I do believe everyone can make mistakes and there should be a level of leniency towards first time offenders but what this guy did was not a mistake. You don't accidentally slit someone's throat.
[Deleted] 10 years ago
Very interesting read. While I agree that he shouldn't be on death row, I don't really agree with his comment that sentences are getting out of hand. Many violent crimes are committed, such as rape in where the person committing the rape gets less than 5 years in prison, or sometimes no time in prison. I do agree with him that the justice system is broken though. The problem in my opinion is parole. Parole is almost expected in today's sentences. It should only be granted when the prisoner truly has displayed good behavior. Sentencing someone to 25 years for raping and killing someone, only to let them out in 12 years because that's when they're eligible for parole is preposterous. Make them serve their time...their full time. Parole is pretty much being granted to everyone because they need the room in prisons, and that's the real crime.
Topsail - try typing your comment outside of the quoted portion. I'm having a hard time reading your comment mixed in there.
As to what I think you've posted, what's your point? No one is trying to make an appeals argument that the statutes weren't complied with.
The Supreme Court of Massachusetts just ruled that you can take upskirt pics and vids of unwilling women in public without violating any laws. The court also acknowledged hat this ruling is a bit fucked up, but nothing was illegal by the statute.
It doesn't make the situation or the statutes right.
