Uncle Sam Legitimising Murder Again . . . .

[Canary42]

. . . . especially if the murderer is the State and the victim is black.

Land of the free - you're having a laugh.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/chemically-burned-stake-inside-execution-145528756.html

[youngmafbog]

Didnt do anything eh?

//Officers Carlos Owen, Harley Chisolm and Charles Bennett died at a drug house while serving a misdemeanour domestic assault warrant. Woods was accused of setting up the ambush that led to their deaths in 2004.//

So he led them t their death. But I suppose thats ok in your book

[dannyk13]

Canary, I suggest hat you look up the definition of murder before accusing anybody or organisation.

[vulcan42]

Kerry Spencer, the killer'

Writing in an open letter, Spencer said: “Nathaniel Woods is 100 per cent innocent. I know that to be a fact because I’m the person that shot and killed all three of the officers that Nathaniel was subsequently charged and convicted of murdering.”
Ironically, Spencer is still on death row.

[Mozz71]

There does seem to have been issues (for the want of a better word) with the sentencing, but to be honest, I've neither the time, nor the inclination to study the case further. I do find it ironic that the man who did pull the trigger remains on death row, while this man's sentence has been carried out, despite pleas for clemency by many, including the sister of one of the victims.

That's just one of the problems with the death penalty. Cases have to be air tight.

[jim360]

If the person who pulled the trigger says he didn't do anything, if the sister of the victims says he shouldn't be executed, and if there's otherwise a lack of evidence, then is execution really justified?

And, besides, even if this case isn't an example of the death penalty getting the wrong person, there are plenty of others.

[Old_Geezer]

Murder is still murder even though authorities think it ought not be admitted when used as a State punishment. I don't see this case being vastly different when that penalty is still being applied to many cases. But I have to accept that not all of the world is at the same level of civilisation. The human race is still a disappointment even at this time.

[dannyk13]

OG, Execution by a state is not murder.Suggest that you look up the definition of murder.

[jim360]

A dictionary definition isn't the place to go to in order to discuss moral issues. I agree that calling execution "Murder" is emotive, but there are times in the past when it has amounted to little more than a deliberate and premeditated state-sanctioned killing of an individual for no justification.

[dannyk13]

Jim. I did not take the definition from a dictionary, but the legal definition. The word you are ignoring is unlawful.

[jim360]

Fair enough, but even then it's still not necessarily unreasonable to refer to execution as "murder" in a moral sense, even if there's a legal distinction. Execution shouldn't be lawful.

[ToraToraTora]

This is a bit like the Derek Bentley case back in the 50s, he was hanged but did not pull the trigger, he merely shouted "let him have it Chris" to Chris Craig who had the gun - the meaning of which has been debated ever since. Did he mean; give the policeman the gun or shoot the policeman, Bentley was hanged under the principle of "common purpose", I imagine this guy was similarly executed under the US equivalent of that principle.