Texas executes Mexican-born killer

"Only God has the right to take a life". Cousin Reyna should have said that to Mr. Medellin before he raped and murdered two children. "No to the death penalty...may God forgive you". How about "No to raping and murdering two children. May God forgive him." If I had a cousin that did something so horrible, I wouldn't be protesting for him, I would be apologizing.

People who gather to watch someone die are just plain sick, no matter what has been done to themselves or their loved one's.

Madverts: I am sure they didn't go there with pop corn and soda. When in a situation like that, who knows what they will do. Perhaps they will regret going there.

Let me ask, what is the difference watching a gory movie with blood shooting all over the place, especially if its based off a real story than seeing a guy get a needle and sleep his death off?

The only problem with the death penalty is that the condemned murderer doesn't die the same painful way their victims did.

Suggestion for those that oppose the death penalty. Just think of it as a late term abortion.

the condemned murderer doesn't die the same painful way their victims did." Did you read the article on his bragging of the crime? I've lost my appetite.

Suggestion for those that oppose the death penalty. Just think of it as a late term abortion." Good point, noticed that most people opposed to the death Penalty are usually advocating in high fashion late term abortions.

Skip,

Because gore films aren't reality and most of us are well aware of this when we watch them (though Planet Terror nearly made the missus puke :D)

Perhaps this guy deserved to die - his crimes were afterall horrific. I just think those that went to watch the snuffing are pretty sad or even sick people.

yup, well i guess we can file this in the "everybody has got an opinion" folder.

No, we can file it in the "VOR didn't have a better reply so VOR turned to making derrogatory replies" folder.

mad: What, really, would you have done if it was your kid that was brutally murdered in the manner in which this killer's victims did. Did you read the story? I wasn't just some drive by. It was a long and painful experience.

Skip,

That's why I said "Perhaps this guy deserved to die - his crimes were afterall horrific".

I just think the family members are sick for watching his death. It isn't going to give the "closure" they seek, let's be fair, nothing is.

Madverts,

With all due respect, I think that the family's are hoping for closure when they go to these exectutions. You are probably right that they can never get complete closure. However, hearing the man apologize just before his death might give the victim's family a bit more peace than otherwise. I don't know that they should be considered 'sick', unless you mean 'sick with pain'.

Texas executes Mexican-born murderer.

“I’m sorry my actions caused you pain. I hope this brings you the closure that you seek. Never harbor hate,” Jose Medellin said to those gathered to watch him die.

Reasonable chap.

This notion of closure is an Americanism. The idea that one feels better because the convicted has been executed is patently stupid. If they want to deal with their grief then they should seek help from a psychologist. To advocate death for those convicted of a capitol crime is sociopathic

I am going to have to take the word of the victims father over the word of the instant experts out there that justice is served when convicted murderers are put to death.

“We feel relieved,” Adolfo Pena said after leaving the prison. “Fifteen years is a long time coming.”

These are the words of a sociopath? Paahleeeeeeze!

VOR - lets us all adjust our moral compass to accommodate a father's desire for retribution. Why on earth would I want to watch the murderer of my daughter put to death. I am sure if he had stayed home the execution would have still gone ahead. I can't help but to think there is something unusual about that desire. To refuse to watch it would have brought more dignity to himself and his daughters' legacy. Even the Japanese with its sad, pathetic history of executions conducts it in private.

This notion of closure is an Americanism. The idea that one feels better because the convicted has been executed is patently stupid

. Everton2 Umm no it actually is a heck of alot older then that.. France used the Gulitine, England the gallows and axe, and on and on with all those other countriesthat did it before there was an America. America just picked up the idea from them..

As far as watching him die... Maybe they will stop having nightmares that some dumb clause would get him released from prison to do it to another. Seeing him dead will put that fear to rest.

Before you go telling people what Americans started and do you should look at your countries history closer. America is a very young country and has a lot of things to do before it catches up to all the things other countries have done...

I don't think the folks who watched the killer die were necessarily seeking personal closure or revenge. Perhaps they were fulfilling their duty as "witnesses". The family members, press, or whoever else was present can testify to the fact that the killer was punished according to the judgements of the law. Most official acts require witnesses.

Thumbs up to Texas for standing for states' rights against their former governor and now semi-tyrannical President. Thumbs up to Texas for asserting that the citizens of Texas are subject only to the authority granted to them by the U.S. Constitution and aren't subject to the "morality" dictated by foreign cultures, foreign courts, and foreign governments. Now, if only we could force our own U.S. federal government to do the same... keep out of other sovereign nations' internal business and keep other nations out of our internal business.

Everton: Here's the problem, because you don't think capital punishment is right or because you would choose not to witness the execution of the rapist, torturer, killer of your own daughter, you think you own the moral high ground its you my friend who demands we adjust our moral compass to accommodate you. BS!

Until you suffer the pain of losing a daughter in such a horrible way, you have no right to pass judgment on this family.

Closure being an Americanism denotes a modern day excuse for the practice. It is an attempt by the state to recruit the aggrieved families into this barbaric act. The state encourages and supports the presence of the families at these executions, because it wants to be seen as having the legitimacy and the tacit approval of the traumatized families.

In short, the state manipulates the families and seeks to deflect the focus from the fact that executions serve almost no purpose in the quest to deter others.

Most developed countries have long abandoned the practice of putting their citizens to death for any crime.

barbaric act" so putting them in jail for life is not barbaric?

Why do people attack the punishment and not the crime?????

Most developed countries have long abandoned the practice of putting their citizens to death for any crime." Most of those countries don't have such a horrific crime record either!

Are you going to tell us that had it been one of your kids, killed in the manner they were, you wouldn't pick up a 9mm and look for them yourself?

Kinniku,

I still think going to watch a person get snuffed is barbaric. He may well have deserved to die, that is not the point I'm making - but turning his punishment into a revenge-fest is sick, sad and abomnibal IMO and lowers the people seeking justice. It's no different to the fundies in the middle east, only they use a needle instead of a sword.

Was there something in the article that I missed. I didn't get the impression that the witnesses were seeking revenge. Perhaps posters on this forum seem to want revege, but it is proper and necessary for there to be witnesses.

A desire to be a witness doesn't imply to me that the person necessarily wants to seek revenge or to view a "barbaric" act. Perhaps a family member feels it's their duty to assure that the lawful judgement is fulfilled (brought to closure). Perhaps a family member feels it's their duty to be a witness so that other family members don't need to witness the execution personally but still be assured that the sentence was carried out.

The state encourages and supports the presence of the families at these executions

Encourages? How exactly do you know this? Please provide a source.

It's no different to the fundies in the middle east, only they use a needle instead of a sword.

The fundies in the ME carry out public executions which I would agree is barbaric. But having select family members of the victim choose to witness the execution is different IMO.