Man on Texas' death row writes moving letter to Gawker

I find it very sad...that he never comments on the pain and suffering that he put on that poor man's family not to mention his own family. Killing a person is wrong...plain and simple it's wrong. It may well be justified in war or in defending your life, but it is still wrong. I'm afraid that my opinion is, is that if he participated in the act that led to the demise of that person, then he deserves the death penalty.

He may very well be sorry and remorseful now, but then again, almost everyone that ever went to prison, is sorry for what they did...Charles Manson even said he was sorry...once! They say that if you truly want to find GOD, look in the prisons, because everyone who goes there, finds GOD...! I'm sorry, but an eye for an eye...the State of Texas should have carried out this sentence, the week after he was sentenced. Look at all the money it has cost the tax payers.

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Originally posted by EricLindros

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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.

Eric, I am curious. The death penalty seems to be a topic that holds your interest. Clearly you are not in favor of it.
Are there any circumstances at all that you are OK with the death penalty and if so what are they?

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Originally posted by kylecook

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.

What would you have the courts do, disregard laws passed by duly elected legislators. BTW most judges in this country would object to your language and have you removed from the proceedings .

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Originally posted by Topsail

... What would you have the courts do, disregard laws passed by duly elected legislators. BTW most judges in this country would object to your language and have you removed from the proceedings .

You don't seem to understand what I'm saying. I'm not saying the courts did anything wrong. That doesn't mean the statutes are well written or a good idea. The courts are bound by the statutes, unless unconstitutional.

BTW, we aren't in a court of law. We're on the internet. On a site that is primarily porn. So if I want to say that a ruling is fucked up, even though it is a correct one by the statute, I can and I will.

Even if I wasn't an experienced litigator (I am), I would know that profanity isn't tolerated in court proceedings, except for in limited circumstances when relevant for testimony.

I read that guys letter and I feel he thinks of himself as a victim in this case... And then he likes to bring race into the issue as well. I'm so sick of people playing the race card. Its getting old. Find something else to complain about that's relevant.. Like the fact he helped murder an innocent individual.

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Originally posted by B0b11

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Eric, I am curious. The death penalty seems to be a topic that holds your interest. Clearly you are not in favor of it.
Are there any circumstances at all that you are OK with the death penalty and if so what are they?

No, I don't think that killing human beings is an activity a state should be doing.

Anyway, KyleCook was right, this was destined to fail as a thread because people either didn't care or want to actually think about some of the real issues the guy raised.

I'm more sympathetic to him because I think some very stupid, heinous act a kid commits at age 18 should condemn him for life, and because I understand that people can fundamentally change over time. But one doesn't need to believe those things in order to find value in some of the concerns Mr. Jasper raised. Regardless, I think it's important for people with opinions on the issue to have some understand of how the people who are actually in the system see things. More information is never a bad thing.

Quote:

Originally posted by EricLindros

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.

The Victims and their families don't care about analyzing the US justice system when it comes to seeking justice. That is a separate issue. This issue is whether this person committed the crime against their loved one. Since that has been clearly decided then it is time for punishment for the crime. You and the perpetrator are just trying to muddy the waters. There are different types of murders. There are crimes of passion. In the heat of the moment a person lashes out and kills someone with not much thought to the act before hand. There is self defense killings. Then there are the senseless murders. There are the planned murders. I would call this one senseless and planned. Senseless and/or planned should fall under the death penalty in my opinion. There is no reason to try and rehab a person who committed a senseless and/or planned murder. I don't even think you can rehab a person like that. I don't think society should have to support a person like that in prison ie house, feed, cloth, medical etc. That type person thrives in a prison environment. Their victim(s) dead and they continue to live and in this case write about being a victim of society blah blah blah. Just no excuse for a planned and/or senseless murder. 18 year old are considered adults. They know right from wrong by that age. Time to fulfill the death sentence. All just my opinion

Death Penalty Goon you better check yourself my friend because i am one of those death penalty goons
myself and many others like me served a dealth penalty for (limpwristed nuttless i am right you are wrong assbags) like you
its called being a soldier and going to war so you can spout your drivel we didnt commit crimes like the person you are so eager to defend and yet
when we returned home people just like you treated us like crap so check who you crusade for and the way you do it

Thank you for your service Jerry guess I'm in the goon crowd as well eye for an eye.

Not supporting the death penalty in no way means not supporting military service members.

He should do the right thing, save the tax payer some money and kill himself.

Could rant on my personal views about racism in America but this is suppose to be where I look at cars and titties.

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Originally posted by jerryseagrahm

Death Penalty Goon you better check yourself my friend because i am one of those death penalty goons
myself and many others like me served a dealth penalty for (limpwristed nuttless i am right you are wrong assbags) like you
its called being a soldier and going to war so you can spout your drivel we didnt commit crimes like the person you are so eager to defend and yet
when we returned home people just like you treated us like crap so check who you crusade for and the way you do it

I fail to see any connection in how serving your country as a soldier equals you serving a death penalty.

If you mean that some soldiers didn't make it, well I guess you could look at it that way if you wanted, but it still doesn't make it the same as a state sanctioned execution. As for the soldiers who did return home, like yourself...I'm sorry that you've been "treated like crap", but thats hardly even remotely similar to being executed.

A response from the real victim's brother:

http://steven-alejandro.kinja.com/a-discussion-of-the-ray-jasper-death-row-issue-from-a-f-1536676452

It seems Mr. Jasper isn't this great, reformed ex criminal who just had it rough growing up on the wrong sides of the tracks. He grew up in a military household with both his mother and father. He was not appointed a lawyer, his family hired a private law firm to defend him. He has multiple prior felony convictions (this is where the argument of what rehab is actually going on in prisons is valid) and was on probation for assaulting a police officer during the time the murder took place. Like I said before. Dude gets no sympathy from me whatsoever.Whether or not you believe in the death penalty, this man is a danger to all of society and no amount of prison time or rehabilitation would change that. When you are willing to plan a murder and slit someone's throat just for some extra money, you're just plain evil.

We don't have he death penalty here in England. I'm not sure what purpose it would serve (other than to free-up space in crowded prisons) but I've often thought about which side of the fence I sit. To this day, I can't choose. Certainly there are criminals all over the world that commit horrendous acts, acts that I imagine a lot of people would happily see an execution as the fitting punishment. As someone mentioned earlier, perhaps executing someone can be viewed as giving them an easy way out, but the reality is they have to wait years on Death Row before the 'big day'. I've often thought that the build up to an execution date would be the biggest punishment of all. I can't begin to imagine what that feels like.

I thought the first letter was well-written, and certainly made me think about a lot of things that I previously hadn't. No, I don't particularly think the guy was hard done by with his verdict. If the law in a particular place states that if you are involved in the killing of a person alongside another crime, well then you could be executed - then he certainly can't argue that one. As for the point about him not killing anyone, perhaps when you look at it from a completely legal POV, I suppose he didn't land the fatal blow. But I think everyone who reads this story knows full well that when you slit someone's throat, it's not to give them a warning. He intended the victim to be killed, whether it be at his hands or his colleagues, and it is for that reason he is in the sad situation that he is in today. I'm not sure who advised him to go to a jury trial, but that was probably the second worst decision of his life.

I guess using this story as an example, the fact that the Mr Jasper has had contact with his daughter for the last 15 years made me stop and think. Is it fair that he gets to have this contact while his victim's family have only had memories for the last 15 years? Is it fair that at 15 years of age, this young girl has to go through the pain of her father being executed?

Whether you are pro-execution or not, you're entitled to your views but you can't shout someone else down because they disagree with you. I can't help but think most people have missed the points that surprised me the most - things like the amount of money that is made via the industry, for example. The points Mr Jaspar made that weren't specific to his own trial were actually very interesting.

I think some of the points he made about the prison industrial complex were spot on. Unfortunately, coming from the source it makes it tough for an outsider to take it seriously. Yes, there are a large number of people incarcerated in the US who shouldn't be. Yes, most of them are in jail for non violent drug crimes. Yes, police do target certain demographics unfairly. Unfortunately, this guy isn't saying any of this to educate. It's a last desperate plea from a desperate murderer who refuses to admit he's a killer. How about instead of writing letters to websites while you're locked up, you avoid the whole fiasco by not committing felony after felony. He's using the plight of others who haven't gotten a fair shake to defend his own heinous actions.

Now THAT is an awesome response D45 !

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Originally posted by Davey45

A response from the real victim's brother:

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Except that its not really a response. He admits to not reading Jasper's letter. Regardless, I think it too was a well worded letter, and I respect the fact that he's conflicted. On one hand he opposes the death penalty, but on the other he really sees no reason why this execution should be stopped.

Not a direct response but definitely brought about by the much publicized original letters.

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Originally posted by kylecook

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You don't seem to understand what I'm saying. I'm not saying the courts did anything wrong. That doesn't mean the statutes are well written or a good idea. The courts are bound by the statutes, unless unconstitutional.

BTW, we aren't in a court of law. We're on the internet. On a site that is primarily porn. So if I want to say that a ruling is fucked up, even though it is a correct one by the statute, I can and I will.

Even if I wasn't an experienced litigator (I am), I would know that profanity isn't tolerated in court proceedings, except for in limited circumstances when relevant for testimony.

You can of course say anything you wish counselor here or any locale. I am stating that my country is one of laws and until repealed or declared unconstitutional all laws are to be enforced. I rest and see no need for further dis-course on this case.