Posted on 06/23/2015 5:16:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
It is fitting, if late, that South Carolina's political leaders seem ready to evict the Confederate flag from the grounds of their state Capitol in response to the vile shooting that left nine African-Americans dead in Charleston's Emanuel AME Church last week. In a Monday news conference while flanked by Democrats and fellow Republicans, Gov. Nikki Haley noted that many in the Palmetto State see the Confederate flag as a tribute to their Southern roots but said, "Today we are here in a moment of unity in our state, without ill will, to say it's time to move the flag from the Capitol grounds." She urged state lawmakers to act next week.
Haley is also right about another way to demonstrate her state's outrage. She told NBC's "Today" show, "We will absolutely ... want him to have the death penalty."
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., opposes the death penalty. Still, he noted, "If you are going to have a death penalty, then certainly this case would merit it."
This slaughter was an act of racial terrorism -- meant to deprive defenseless churchgoers of their precious lives while instilling fear and dread among all black Americans. The accused killer -- I shall not reward his delusions of grandeur by repeating his name -- wanted to start a race war. He wrote: "We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me."
The standard arguments against the death penalty do not apply here. The shooter told the world what he wanted to do. Though every defendant deserves the presumption of innocence in a courtroom, we on the outside are under no obligation to pretend the defendant did not signal his malicious intent. This case is no whodunit.
With 44 inmates on death row, South Carolina is one of 31 states with capital punishment. The state most recently executed an inmate in 2011. Since then, the state's supply of one of the three drugs used in lethal injections expired. South Carolina effectively has been unable to conduct executions and will have to find new drugs or other methods in order to resume executions. (Electrocutions are allowed in South Carolina if the condemned chooses that method -- but why would anyone choose that now that the state is out of the lethal drugs?) Perhaps this case will prompt state officials to do what they must to enforce the law.
On Friday, Charleston County prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said she had not decided whether she will pursue the death penalty for these nine counts of murder; she wants to hear from victims' families. "They deserve to know the facts first," quoth Wilson. "They deserve to be involved in any conversations regarding the death penalty."
At a bond hearing, several members of the victims' families told the shooter they forgave him -- so expect advocates to suggest the victims' families oppose executing the killer and thus capital punishment should be off the table. I respect the families' graceful resolve not to fuel the race war this young thug wanted. But forgiveness doesn't mean that a killer shouldn't go to prison, so it should not spare him from the death penalty.
I heard the shooter loved McDonald’s too. Shouldn’t we get rid of McDonald’s?
I would second getting rid of McDonalds.
It’s a Democrat flag. yawn.
Tough one for the left. If they don’t ask for the death penalty does that mean they don’t love blacks as much as the evil, racist right wing?
Do they not think that THIS crime is not worthy enough? Then what is? The cop who shot the gentle giant should he get the death penalty?
I mean honestly these were just bible gun clingers so eff em.
We need to beat the drum on this. If Dems don’t demand the death penalty - they are racists. Sauce for the gander.
I’m a 1960’s era baby-boomer. theatrics r us
I’m not getting this.
Was the south for mass murder of Black people?
Did this a-hole shooter wear a confederate flag, or say he was going to kill Black people for the Confederacy?
can we at least wait til after lunch?
We can do that.
Did you “conservatives” call for lowering the US flag after Columbine and Newtown? You think that 9 black South Carolinians would be alive today if that flag had been taken down two weeks ago?
Absolutely not, but what else could the governor do?
I don’t see how he avoids the death sentence unless he pleads guilty, and I doubt he will.
If a gay man murdered could we pair the killing with the gay rainbow flag? Then demand the rainbow flag NOT be flown?
She could have kept quiet about the flag and concentrated on the lives of those martyred.
Generally, everyone in America knows the direct consequences if you kill someone. If you establish facts and do a jury trial....I don’t see an issue in an execution being prescribed. It’s not a shock to anyone or surprise that you didn’t expect...if you shot some guy.
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