Comments on: Cruel and Unusual
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By Craig moore on 08-15-12 @ 2:57 pm
He deserves the death penalty for what he did.
That being said I have wondered why the 2 step dance on leathal injection. Why not just give a
lethal dose of morphine?
By kalispelling bee on 08-15-12 @ 6:28 pm
What a shallow column this is. Dave Skinner regurgitates the unoriginal and irreverent commentthat Ronald Smith should be released to exposure to justice that would supposedly be exacted by
the friends and family of the victims in this unforgettable crime. There’s some deep thinking.
Ditto with the comment about the governor “waffling.” In contrast to your black and white world,
perhaps the governor is considering something most of us will never have to contemplate: Is
ordering the execution of a man the right thing to do?
I sure don’t have the answer that that question. but I sure don’t find Dave Skinner’s
thoughtless insights moving.
By RussCrowder on 08-16-12 @ 12:15 pm
Good job Dave on the recap of what is important in this case. I am deeply moved!
By fourweight on 08-16-12 @ 4:13 pm
Death is most likely deserved in this case. Tough to argue against it…..unless you are arguing with Skinner, and best buddy Crowder. These two have an uncanny ability to make any opposition they
face appear as genius.
Throwing out the typical unenlightened, partially informed, red meat on such an issue does not
raise the perceived intellectual standards of these two. Tis a real shame given the potential for
improvement and their current scores of “zero” on the enlightenment scale.
By RussCrowder on 08-17-12 @ 4:03 pm
You do have to wonder though Dave what the attitudes of some people like fourweight would be if the victims in this case weren’t native American.
By Mark Phillips on 08-17-12 @ 10:00 pm
All good conservative thinkers agree that less gov’t is a good idea. The death penalty is a massive expenditure of moral values(thous shalt not kill) and money (they are taxing us too much) that nets
nothing for the state. It makes the victims feel like someone cares(the state? we don’t value gov’t so
why should we care what the state looks like?) but violates the very tenets that most conservatives hold
most dear (10 Commandments). What’s it going to be? State as God or not?
By montanaeasy56 on 08-18-12 @ 9:04 am
This is exactly why sentencing in this country needs to be handled in a more expeditious manner. Years and years after the crime, the populace begins to soften their reasoning for
convicting and executing, in this case, a cold-blooded killer, and begin to rationalize that he
should be spared. I’m with Skinner on this one. This guy needs to be put to death and it should
have happened years and years ago. I’m tired of paying for these killer’s three squares a day,
free TV, food and lodging and all the drugs these clowns can smuggle in.
By Mark Phillips on 08-18-12 @ 9:56 pm
I understand your feelings. However, it does not change reality. The cost of housing a convict for life is less than the death penalty. We all feel obliged to allow a person in this state the fullest possible legal
recourse when execution is on the table. Speeding the execution up won’t fly. Would you feel
comfortable pulling the trigger on a person who has not had the fullest possible legal representation?
By montanaeasy56 on 08-18-12 @ 11:03 pm
I can’t believe that after almost 3 decades this guy wasn’t provided the best trial our justice system could provide. He admitted his guilt, actually asked for the death penalty, and, then, I
suspect some smart lawyer got a hold of him and changed his mind for him. In the meantime
we have clothed, housed and fed this admitted killer for a long, long time. It’s time to end this
case for everybody’ sake, including his. Pretty soon the attorneys will be arguing the lengthy
time this has taken to finally execute him is “cruel and unusual punishment”, which would be
ironic becasue their filing motions, asking for stays, and trying to convince a judge that “new”
evidence contradicts his own confession.
By Mark Phillips on 08-19-12 @ 10:55 am
I think that the long drawn out legal dance just highlights our reticence to taking a life in the name of the state. His guilt and the heinous crime are a given in this case. What we are having a hard time with is
the belief that we can judge others to the point of killing them. I understand the historical basis for
thinking that it is ok to kill in the name of the state, but we continue to evolve.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.