A list of every Inmate Executed in Texas, and their last words.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > A list of every Inmate Executed in Texas, and their last words.

Badera: Jan 30, 2012; Student Brian Boyko has lost faith in America.

Mister Adequate posted:

I think it might be Heinlein during one of his Full Fascist phases, but I don't know.

I can understand the desire for vengeance as an individual, but a state is specifically erected to be a dispassionate and objective organism. Like, the entire foundation of modern states is that they are (ostensibly) independent and to a degree, even disinterested arbiters. Vengeance should absolutely never be a factor in anything they do.

Plus of course executing a single innocent person is far worse than letting a thousand guilty go entirely free.

States are in no way capable of being disinterested.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2015 05:07

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 04:51

Badera: Jan 30, 2012; Student Brian Boyko has lost faith in America.

Mister Adequate posted:

Of course they're not, but they should still try.

To note, I don't mean disinterested in the sense that they don't care whether justice is done or not, but that they don't have any interest in a given outcome, which is pretty violently contravened by a state like Texas which is killing people for avowedly vindictive purposes, even if they're factually innocent.

But they do have interest in a given outcome. It's just the nature of the beast.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/1/1/who_goes_to_jail_matt_taibbi

Sorry for linking to Matt Taibbi, but the point still stands.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2015 18:46

Badera: Jan 30, 2012; Student Brian Boyko has lost faith in America.

Mister Adequate posted:

Oh I'm sorry, I used the term "factual innocence" and states are absolutely interested in an objective and unbiased review of such cases, in no way deliberately sabotaging efforts to demonstrate a wrongful conviction. So the actual legal term factual innocence is not something I can demonstrate and, of course, this means no innocent person, or person whose prosecution falls far short of the truly high bar needed to warrant execution, has ever been executed.

e; ^^^ Of course they do, that's what I'm bloody well angry about. I'm saying they shouldn't. I don't honestly know if that is possible, but it should be aimed for nevertheless.

Right, and what I'm saying is that it isn't possible. A state is not a neutral arbiter between groups in society.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2015 20:05

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > A list of every Inmate Executed in Texas, and their last words.