The death penalty continues to disturb America and it has sprung back to prominence in a way that has bewildered, pleased and incensed lots of people depending on their point of view. The news waves are humming with debate which has been surprisingly mature in some instances considering the issue at stake. The main cause of the maturity of the debate seems to be the actions of one victim who does not want his assailant who also murdered two other men before severely wounding him, executed. Not only that but he is campaigning against his execution. I have been reading the story from several view points and it is quite fascinating.
The victim in question is a man called Rais Bhuiyan who was shot in the face causing serious damage including the loss of an eye, he is an immigrant from Bangladesh and the two men murdered just before him were from India and Pakistan all three are immigrants to America and all three legal, and all three killed by a man called Mark Stroman using his own personal all American shotgun. Mr. Stroman's sister died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, an event which clearly unhinged him somewhat. The accused is known to fly the flags of America and the Confederacy from his prison cell, he is described as a 'white supremacist'
America today is going through hard times and when this happens there are always those who will do everything they can to fan the flames of hatred, people like Murdoch's Fox News and evil twisted so called journalists like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and Bill O'Reilly are partly to blame for such events happening but; will they accept culpability? They will no more accept responsibility than the odious Sarah Palin did after targeting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot following political propaganda put out by Palin showing an image of Giffords seen through cross hair rifle sights. When asked why he did this Stroman perversely said he wanted to "kill foreigners who threatened the American way of life" By the American way of life I think we can assume he did not mean the random murder of 2 and the attempted murder of another innocent man. Men who ironically came to America to be part of the American way of life, what a mess.
Polls show that a majority of Americans still support the death penalty so shamefully does President Obama; or so he says. I think if he could find a way of opposing it without suffering a huge backlash he would do so and that does him no credit at all.
The case shines another big light on the barbarity of the death penalty which shames a modern country like America and hopefully another nail will be driven into its coffin by the publicity. Is it not the case perhaps that this man who committed these atrocious crimes did so while the balance of his mind was disturbed? Unhinged by grief and taught to hate by evil media forces. I find it inconceivable that he was thinking straight when he took these two men's lives and wounded the other one, will they kill someone who did not know what he was doing? America would be better served by trying to get to the bottom of why such things are happening and the first people to be investigated ought to be the hate mongers and racists who preach such poison. Low life vermin like Limbaugh, Beck and O'Reilly how are ye?
8 comments:
By Tom Paine on A MESSAGE TO THOSE GOOD OLE BOYS IN AMERICA-“JESUS... at 08:00
I would not vote for the death penalty myself, Councillor, but when you say disdainfully; "Polls show that a majority of Americans still support the death penalty" you should acknowledge that UK polls show a majority in favour too. Even among Labour voters, in 2006 (the last poll I can find) 46% still favoured hanging vs 47% who didn't. Among the general population, it took forty years **after** its highly-undemocratic abolition for the antis and don't knows to outnumber the supporters of hanging. The antis still don't. I know you don't like America for oh-so-many predictable reasons but in this case you must acknowledge that the American people, in their democracy, get what they want, while ours don't.
By Tom Paine on A MESSAGE TO THOSE GOOD OLE BOYS IN AMERICA-“JESUS... at 08:00
“you should acknowledge that UK polls show a majority in favour too”
Could you direct me to these polls please. How does 46% for hanging and 47% against it become a majority in favour?
“its highly-undemocratic abolition”
Please explain.
“The antis still don't”
You need to explain this I can’t follow what you are trying to say here.
“I know you don't like America”
Absolute b******s
Only 25% of Americans eligible to vote supported George Bush in his second successful presidential election. Did you miss that?
Surprised your not posting on the workers strike Terry. Red Ed condones strike breaking.
Didn't you vote for him???
"The Labour leader said the strikes were "wrong" because negotiations with the government were still ongoing.
He said his MPs should turn up for work as normal on Thursday despite the picket lines outside Parliament"
By Anonymous on LABOUR FIGHT FOR THE VULNERABLE WHILE THE SNP DESE... on 30/06/11
You display a laughable lack of any idea of how politics works, I don’t control Milliband and I don’t agree with what he said about the strike but I do know why he said it. Have you got any idea why he said what he did as did Swinney of the SNP? Have you got the tiniest clue?
what? no comment on the massive Labour victory in Inverclyde
10,000 Labour voters go AWOL and not a cheep. 9.9% swing to the Nats imagine that at the next council elections.
Bring you out in a cold sweat it would if I were a Brit Nat like you.
TK,
Your article featuring the case of Mark Stroman and the Gabrielle Giffords shooting takes too many factual liberties to qualify as decent work. A good rant is good reading, but your way off in your facts here.
Stroman was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and a convicted felon with a significant record. His claims to have had a sister killed at the Twin Towers were never substantiated. He committed the murders while robbing convenience stores. His story about his sister's death was no more than an attempt to cast himself in court as a distraught victim rather than a murderous thief. Rais Bhuiyan does not want Stroman executed, and has made public his opinion. Bhuiyan's story seems to be about forgiveness and compassion, both very laudable qualities. He will find numerous supporters in his quest for commuting Stroman's death sentence. At this point the only support that matters is Governor Perry's.
Jared Lee Loughner, held a grudge against Gabrielle Giffords, dating back to 2007. Apparently the Congresswoman did not answer a question he posed at a meeting in 2007 to his satisfaction, and he viewed her as a phony Democrat because she was not leftist enough. He could also get worked up into a rage about George W. Bush and perceived governmental plots. In times past he had enjoyed LSD and psychedelic mushrooms. In May Loughner was ruled mental incompetent to stand trial.
Obviously you feel that there is, or should be, some connection between prominent conservatives and occasions of mayhem in the US. If you have examples of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or Bill O'Reilly suggesting that someone should kill convenience store workers, brown-skinned immigrants, American Muslims or anyone else, then please share them. Media Matters for America has special links for all three of these guys. Don't like the opinions of the threesome above, fine! Just show us their incitements to murder, and call Limbaugh, Beck, and O'Reilly out for real.
The story about Jared Loughner going on a killing spree because of Sarah Palin is a detestable lie that was cooked-up within hours of the shooting as a smear tactic against her. There is absolutely no evidence that Loughner was even aware of Palin's Facebook map, and he certainly wasn't interested in doing Palin's nefarious bidding. See for yourself. The link to the Facebook page is below. Your readers can decide if American politics is nastier politics than Scottish. You don't like Palin? No problem, lots of other people don't like her either. But linking Palin to the Giffords shooting is completely dishonest.
The facts don't support your assertions. You can do better. There are numerous reasonable arguments against the death penalty that could be made, you can actually use some of them if you choose. Piffle about a climate of hate and regurgitation of the slanders of American leftists is revolting. Over hear, we can read that kind of rubbish any day of the week.
BeegJeem
http://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/dont-get-demoralized-get-organized-take-back-the-20/373854973434
There is a theory that says if you sit a group of monkeys down with type writers and give them enough time they will come up with the complete works of Shakespeare, there is even hope for you.
By BeegJeem on A MESSAGE TO THOSE GOOD OLE BOYS IN AMERICA-“JESUS... on 04/07/11
“TK, Your article featuring the case of Mark Stroman and the Gabrielle Giffords shooting takes too many factual liberties to qualify as decent work”
That condemns me and many others who have commented on this, you have a high opinion of yourself haven’t you.
“Obviously you feel that there is, or should be, some connection between prominent conservatives and occasions of mayhem in the US”
You are dammed right I do and you are nothing more than an apologist for them.
“If you have examples of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or Bill O'Reilly suggesting that someone should kill convenience store workers, brown-skinned immigrants, American Muslims or anyone else”
Lies like this put you in the same camp as the 3 thugs mentioned, Hitler never once made a speech in public telling anyone to kill Jews, think about that or is it too subtle for you?
“linking Palin to the Giffords shooting is completely dishonest”
Perhaps we should all listen when an expert on dishonesty like you speaks, putting a political opponents picture on political pamphlets with crosshair rifle sights superimposed on it is reckless incitement anyone who says different is either a liar or a fool or perhaps in your case both.
Here is another Palinism for you said at a right wing rally which could have been held in Nuremberg, to shouts of “kill the nigger” (Obama) from her foaming at the mouth audience she screeched “don’t retreat, reload” is that incitement?
There is dangerous current of racism and right wing extremism growing in America typified by the Tea Party thugs and anyone who denies it is party to it, that means you and the right wing Goons that you make excuses for.
I was just waiting until some SNP clown commented on it.
Labour happy? Yes, relieved? yes. SNP disappointed? Yes, pretending not to be? yes
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