Troy Davis execution

[dudetyson]

FYI, there's this black guy named Troy Davis in Georgia whose case is utterly BS. He was supposed to be executed an hour and a half ago, but his case is so bad that the US Supreme Court is getting involved.

However this attention from such a powerful institution did not happen without popular ruckus-making. If you will it, it is no dream.

Democracy Now! is doing live coverage.

[boksmutant]

What the fuck! Give me a second & Ill look this up. Classic bullshit from the past. There will still be a lot more of these.

Awake!

[sin]

It's a damn shame that he was sent to his death in the absence of evidence. No murder weapon, no DNA, that's reasonable doubt. I don't support the death penalty. We are a society of punishers, and *someone* has to be punished when 'law enforcement' falls. Its more symbolic than it is justice.

"As if one crime of such nature, done by a single man, acting individually, can be expiated by a similar crime done by all men, acting collectively."
-Lewis Lawes

This man was a sacrificial cow, nothing more. In spite of 'protests' he was still put to death. Protesting does NOTHING but voices outrage. I honestly don't know how a modern society can justify the death penalty, but they do.

AM radio took an opinion poll this morning:

1. What are the benefits of the death penalty?

2. What purpose does it serve other than as an act of Vengeance?

3. What reprieve is there when innocent men are put to death?


The jury deliberated for 2 hours before coming back with a guilty verdict.

7 of 9 jurors claim they were pressured by police.

Only one stands by his decision.

It wasn't about 'race', or so they say because some of the jurors were black. That's like saying I'm not racist, I have black friends.

[dudetyson]

Uggghhh Cthulhu help us, even the SUPREME COURT backed their decision. This is so dumb.

[sin]

Its really insane. Corrupt Judicial System, and this country runs in spite of itself.

Did you see this dude?
www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/22/us-usa-execution-idUSN2250765020080522

[Deleted]

Aren't we all destined to die ?

Is it really less cruel to sentence a human to jail for all his life ? Is it worth spending $24,000 a year (for so many years!) for that purpose ? Can we afford it ?

Will the criminals put an end to the death penalty for their victims ?

He was probably innocent ? Then the problem is a poor justice system, it has nothing to do with putting him to death or in jail for all his life.

I live in a country where more often than not murderers are free after less than 10 years. Trust me, the majority of the population is outraged and is wishing the return of the death penalty. Me too.

I must say I am surprised to read here so much concern about this. Why feeling sorry for this machine ? Remember we will all die ! At least he had plenty of time to prepare himself for this moment.

Ia Ia Cthulhu fhtagn !

[Voraxith]

Having spent a considerable amount of time as a ward of the judicial system, and having seen how it is run and who is involved, I have a very interesting take on this issue.

First of all, I strongly and whole-heartedly support the death penalty. Crowd control and good riddance to scum are the two major reasons why. I cry out for more people to be executed. However, this case makes me question that point of view. I'm all for state execution, but shouldn't there be just a little bit more involved in the ending of a life in the name of justice? The only time an execution should take place, in my opinion, is when there is incontrovertible evidence that the condemned is actually guilty of the crime and deserving of the punishment. No DNA? No evidence? Then no death penalty. Period.

Personally, were I convicted of a crime that would warrant my life being spent incarcerated, i would request execution. What purpose does life in prison serve? But if there's the chance of freedom or reprieve, then absolutely fight it tooth, fang, and claw.

That's just my opinion, though.

[glow=red,2,300]Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn![/glow]

[dudetyson]

Hey Cora, I didn't see it til you brought it up, GRRRRRR

Well Voraxith, I'm afraid I am generally on the side of the crowd and not on the side of "controlling" it, but personally I agree, I'm not against the death penalty 100%. I just don't trust my own government with it, and want it banned until there is systemic change. My society is still way too racist to allow people the option to push the button on someone, as well.

[Voraxith]

So then here's an interesting question I pose: what about state execution in a Lovecraftian Theocracy? What happens to the death penalty when the Cult of Cthulhu arises in glory and might?

[glow=red,2,300]Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn![/glow]

[sin]

Sept 22, 2011 21:13:16 GMT -6 Voraxith said:

So then here's an interesting question I pose: what about state execution in a Lovecraftian Theocracy? What happens to the death penalty when the Cult of Cthulhu arises in glory and might?

[glow=red,2,300]Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn![/glow]

Ideally, with proper guidance and motivation - people are working to better themselves. I don't see that it would be necessary to execute those we find abhorrent to that cause. There will be mentally defunct humans that, due to their physiology, can not be treated as equals. There will be special considerations to be made. Each case should be treated as a unique case, rather than type-casting the individual into a group, or 'race'.

Example, there are individuals that have to manage their compulsions more aggressively than behavioral modification. Medication aids in balancing out an imbalance but its not a cure, its a management mechanism. Otherwise, sociopathic tendencies rule them, and they can not function along with others. What do we do with our criminally insane now? Do we kill them off? Is there something more within institutions that can be done, to give their lives deeper purpose than rotting away, waiting for death?

If, our society is going to take a moral high ground, why not a firing squad? Why do we torture them cruelly, by forcing them to live in the confines of a prison system for up to 22 years (as with this case)? 22 years is a long time to live in a controlled environment, only to be executed. Is that not cruel and unusual punishment?

So the question remains: What do we do? Social ethics, social morality, natural and universal laws - should be a consideration; however how effective have they been thus far? Why do prison populations continue to grow? It seems to me, that due the current state of our modern societies it is the ideal environment for people to act impulsively yes, but also pushing the limits of the laws so hard, that the levies break and those laws are of no use to them at all. The Law-breakers then, must be managed. If we change ourselves, our society changes, and thus true governing can lead people to their own autonomy.

ROMANtism? Perhaps, but big dreams take big work.

www.scribd.com/doc/62323598/Lovecraftian-Theocracy

VS interviewed me a few years back, one of the questions was about my ideal system of government. I'd rather see think-tanks in place than the system we have now. I still stand by that idea.

www.blogtalkradio.com/poisonappleradio/2011/09/23/a-right-to-moral-self-defense

[dudetyson]

I think punishment is cruel, by definition. In fact keeping someone locked in a cell is one of the cruelest things I can imagine. I'd rather be tortured for a day than locked up for a month.

I want a system of democratic management/ownership of workplaces. I feel this would eliminate most of the economic frustrations, which boil over into seemingly personal frustrations, which cause violence and other crimes. For example, child abuse increased with the recession. For any remaining crime, well, I never said I was 100% against the death penalty. But I think we'd need to use it tremendously less.

Is the situation described above in line with the "Lovecraftian Theocracy?" Maybe not, I dunno, it's what I want. I do feel it sort of qualifies, because a democratically planned economy demands that ordinary people either (1) be yanked out of their sleep or (2) to actually be allowed to have a say, for those already awake. Economic planning is a society governed by consciousness. To truly be Lovecraftian in my mind, it has to involve everyone, because Call of Cthulhu is all about an insurgency of the marginalized, breaking the barriers that contain them.

I think a lot of what people consider to be "sleeping society" is actually just the fact that we have no power anyway, and therefore appear to be inactive, but actually do not even have the choice of being active.

[sin]

I think a lot of what people consider to be "sleeping society" is actually just the fact that we have no power anyway, and therefore appear to be inactive, but actually do not even have the choice of being active.

Nietzsche called this slave morality. An admission that you have no power, therefore you justify having none. Justify the servitude and masters you serve.

Much of what is called a sleeping society, is just that, because people don't realize how much power they actually have, and how they can use it.

Never under-estimate the power of a mob.

[dudetyson]

I half-agree, there are two kinds of power here. There is thinking that the existing institutions give you power, which you and I both agree is a false assumption -- we don't have that kind of power. Then there is the power we can establish by breaking from them and self-organizing.

However, it's not simple, because we're dealing with a social process. A lot of people are totally down for rebellion, but they don't know what to do. They don't see people around them resisting. They don't see the point in being a beacon even while there is no actual rebellion going on around them.

It doesn't help that people have difficulty articulating what exactly their problems are, because the language and assumptions of our programming leave us totally devoid of a vocabulary to describe it. For ages the word "class" did not even appear in the news, and has only begun to resurface since the crisis in 2008. In fact our programming even convinces us we are insane for even having any grievances in the first place, and makes us feel ashamed for speaking out about it and finding allies in the same boat. Mobs help, but sometimes higher, more disciplined forms of organization are also necessary, and that blank spot in our vocabulary cripples us against knowing what to do.

There is a difference between slavishly justifying your powerlessness, and acknowledging that the institutions of this society absolutely do not represent you and that changing the situation is a long uphill battle with no quick fix.

[lokidreaming]

I watched a movie this year called Defiance

www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/

There is a scene where the villagers on the run beat up the captured opposing force due to tthe loves one they have lost and one of the villagers of them asks Daniel Craigs leader to stop it Daniel Craig just looks and walks away.

Every one wants justice, everyone wants to vent their frustrations.
An eye for an eye goes a long long way to pacify the distressed people.

If I was in his position, I would walk away myself.

1. What are the benefits of the death penalty?
2. What purpose does it serve other than as an act of Vengeance?

It is more of a smoke and mirrors and PR spin and a way on controlling the masses.
ie, we are doing our job and other families and public finally sigh a relief that a another dirt bag has been executed.

7 of 9 jurors claim they were pressured by police.

Not surprised for obvious and not so obvious reasons, one of them being outlawing execution will be likened to trying to outlaw interrogations via torture, it ain't ever going to happen!!


What reprieve is there when innocent men are put to death?

There is none but a lot of wasn't me, wasn't us crap excuses.

In the long term, the innocent men put to death a collateral damage in the scheme of things.

LD