Hard decision for Arnie

[LATECOMER]

Soon Arnold Schwarzenegger has to decide the fate of multiple murderer Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Having spent some twenty odd years on death row, time is running out for this "reformed" hardman. A lot of people are saying he should be granted clemency! He was quite happy to kill other people but his bravery seems to be evaporating now.( Can dish it out but can't take it!!!! ) A Schwarzenegger should take a long hard look at the pictures of the people murdered by this man then speak to the victims relatives. I don't think his decision will be too difficult then. Does anybody disagree with my comments?

[ShawTee7]

Nope. Nail him up,hang him high or whatever. Funny how a death sentence brings out the born again do-gooder in people eh? Like you say ,ask the victims family how they feel. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Still think sentences like this should be reintroduced over here. Especially for these little pr*cks who think `wasting` someone earns them respect. Unreal.

[coyn]

I am against the death penalty for one reason only and that is that the jury system is a farce, it simply doesn't work, and in Britain we have ample evidence of that in the hundreds of people convicted of serious crimes which they were clearly not guilty of.

However in this case even I would have no problem in passing the death sentence on this piece of human garbage.

[LATECOMER]

Hi Shawtee7. You are not alone in wanting to see the death penalty reintroduced in the UK, the majority of people do!! In this country the "gentleman" Mr williams would have served his time , around 10 years with parole for good behaviour, and now be walking the streets a free and doubtless reformed character. It makes me want to vomit.

[LATECOMER]

Hello Coyn. Your answer leads me to believe that you are in two minds over the death penalty but the last sentence in your reply makes me believe you are heading in the right direction!!!

[undercovers]

just thought i'd pipe up and say, i do not believe the majority of people support the reintroduction of the death penalty in the UK (though i can't back that up with any stats so if anyone knows where to find a recent and unbias survey/report that would be great). I for one would never support such a move as it is a step backward in our development as a society, it does not act as a deterent, and if you wanted a pure economic reason it is not the cheaper option as some people say as there is appeal and appeal in america and costs millions on legal fees before 15 years later or so the switch is pulled. Basically it does not and cannot be used in a civilised and forward thinking society, it is not just that i don't believe in taking another life but if just one innocent is killed that would be too much to bear... if the death penalty was reintroduced would you be able to prep the convict, talk to him before the act and then pull the switch - i don't think many could

[ludwig]

I think Arnie should smash through the appeal court window in full commando gear, cigar in mouth, and blow the guy's head off with a rocket launcher before muttering 'case deesmeessed' in his best austro/american drawl.

[coyn]

Latecomer to put it simply I would love to eradicate people like this, but while the system of guilt or innocence is as flawed as the British system I could never vote for it.

I've been appalled at how many innocent people have been convicted over the last 35 years, and having been on jury service I can see why it happens.

The jury system is seriously flawed.

However if someone can come up with a foolproof system where only the guilty are convicted I will be happy to be the next hangman.

[Drusilla]

If all death Row cases were so cut and dried, I don't think any of us would have a problem with the re-introduction of the death penalty, but sadly they're not and like coyn I wouldn't want the ultimate penalty re-introduced over here.
I will praise the Americans for giving life sentences that mean life, however. I'm fed up reading about convicted killers walking free after 15 or 20 years and starting their lives afresh. Many of these men are still only in their early 40's.
That offends me!!!

[coyn]

It offends me too Drusilla, if sentences were life without parole for the worst offenders we probably could drop this ongoing discussion, but whilst we have a system where "Life imprisonment" means 12 years, the public will always vote for the re-introduction of the death penalty.

We have proved that if you lock up an offender for life, he can never hurt anyone else, there is no need to kill him.

and of course with our hopeless system when you find out 10 years from now he wasn't responsible for the crime you can let him go.

As opposed to digging him up and saying sorry.

[LATECOMER]

Undercovers think about this, how many times does a convicted murderer have to be released and kill an innocent person again before that becomes too much to bear!!!!!

[LATECOMER]

If somebody had killed one of relatives then it would be my pleasure to look them in the eye and say "Soon i am going for a drink, are you hanging around here for a while" before pulling the switch!!! Do killers the decency of treating them to the same way they treated their victims.

[johnlambert]

Shame it's taken 20 years to pull the switch on the evil cold blooded killer. It should have been done about 20 mins after the sentence was passed.

[undercovers]

Latecomer - i do not know to which case you are refering, i do not know of a convicted murderer being released and then murdering again, whereas I can quote you many cases where innocents have been convicted for crime that could have earnt them a death sentence under old legislation or for that matter people executed in the past under some seriously dodgy evidence and trials... it was for this reason that the death penalty was repealed, and its probably why support of the death penalty is waning in the states. Steps forward people not back. I am still certain that the majority of people do not support the reintroduction of the death penalty (this is at times of common reasoning rather than when emotions are high following a terribel crime).

[LATECOMER]

Hi Undercovers. Would you welcome a referendum on this topic! I would, but our MPs know what is best for us!!!!! Society is getting more and more vicious and its time to fight fire with fire. life can be risky but i would take the minute risk of reintroducing the death penalty because the chance of any "decent" person ending up in court for murder is virtually nil.

[undercovers]

hey Latecomer - maybe i'm a wuss but I'm a bit uncomfortable with fighting fire with fire - the girlfriend, and the firebrigade, are still angry with me after i tried it last year when we had a chip-pan fire - though i have nearly finished rebuilding the kitchen now (",)

anyhoo bring on the revolution - the streets will run with the blood of the whinging liberals ... oops might have got carried away - shall be start with a referendum :)

[LATECOMER]

Hi Undercovers! No right or wrong answers with capital punishment, on this we shall have to agree to disagree. I like the kitchen fire comment!!! Will cross swords with you on another topic soon. When the Americans eletrocuted notorious rapist and killer Ted Bundy they cooked burgers and called them Bundy Burgers. ( Sick, but very funny!!!!!! )

[coyn]

This one has been settled "Tookie" has been executed, although you have to think that 25 years after he was convicted what is the point?

[LATECOMER]

coyn. The point is to warn others of a similar mind, not to follow in his footsteps. Lets hope its not lost!!!

[luckyboy]

Whatever the pros's and cons of the death penalty, and i can see how people would like to see murderers pay with the ultimate price. the evidence out there suggests it don't deter murderers from committing their heinous crimes.

[coyn]

Latecomer, when this man committed this crime I was a young man in my prime of life (early thirties) I'm now fast approaching sixty,

This sentence is absurd and deters no one, the young thugs and criminals of today weren't born when this man was found guilty, so how can this possibly be a deterrant?