Why I'm for the death penalty

[YOhio]

I don't think I have ever been this angry or sad about something that did not directly affect me.

Well put. Tragic. Sickening. Pathetic. Disgusting. Evil.

[scottie]

This is not a pot shot at religion, it's just a comment about how I honestly feel at times after reading the details of this case, the Elizabeth Smart case, after watching Blood Diamond, whenever I learn about horrific things happening to children -- unfortunately it makes me question the existence of a Heavenly Father, and I hate feeling that way. It honestly, truly makes me question His existence.

[Indy Coug]

This is not a pot shot at religion, it's just a comment about how I honestly feel at times after reading the details of this case, the Elizabeth Smart case, after watching Blood Diamond, whenever I learn about horrific things happening to children -- unfortunately it makes me question the existence of a Heavenly Father, and I hate feeling that way. It honestly, truly makes me question His existence.

God hung his own son out to dry....

[Coach McGuirk]

[MindfulCoug]

I think these two are psychopaths, especially the guy. Someone more knowledgeable than I on the subject can weigh in, but I think those types of people never deal with it in a way we think they would or should.

If these people are as psycho as you think they are so the biological father and/or mom#2 got to be waiting to receive the charge. Its so obvious that you cannot afford to let the kid get into the psycho's hands without proper supervision.

[Goatnapper'96]

This is not a pot shot at religion, it's just a comment about how I honestly feel at times after reading the details of this case, the Elizabeth Smart case, after watching Blood Diamond, whenever I learn about horrific things happening to children -- unfortunately it makes me question the existence of a Heavenly Father, and I hate feeling that way. It honestly, truly makes me question His existence.

I used to think the great litmus test of Discipleship was giving one's will to God. Last open mike sunday an older dear sister in our ward bore her conviction of the Plan of Salvation, the previous week she had buried her 45 year old son. I had the thought that perhaps the true litmus test isn't so much giving your will to God, as much as it is accepting what happens as His will. I am not sure what the difference is, but in my world it is the giving of our wills is what makes us sufficiently softened to accept His will, whatever it may be....but I hope it includes lots of fake jubilees on the womenfolk!

Leonardo diCaprio also made an awful South African mercenary and his accent was piss poor!

[LiveCoug]

http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2...74&pid=8111236

What is written on this page sounds nothing like what these despicable humans are really like

[Indy Coug]

http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2...74&pid=8111236

What is written on this page sounds nothing like what these despicable humans are really like

I Would Do Anything for her. Fight for Her. Kill for Her. Live for Her!! Die for Her!!

[KillerDog]

I don't understand this kind of lack of humanity. Are we truly created in God's image?

[venkman]

http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2...74&pid=8111236

What is written on this page sounds nothing like what these despicable humans are really like

WTF?!? I can't even process this right now.

[byu71]

If these people are as psycho as you think they are so the biological father and/or mom#2 got to be waiting to receive the charge. Its so obvious that you cannot afford to let the kid get into the psycho's hands without proper supervision.

Not sure I know how to spot a psychopath before they act out. A former girlfriend said something like, he had a bad temper, but wouldn't think he would kill a child. She then said though she wasn't surprised.

[ERCougar]

This is not a pot shot at religion, it's just a comment about how I honestly feel at times after reading the details of this case, the Elizabeth Smart case, after watching Blood Diamond, whenever I learn about horrific things happening to children -- unfortunately it makes me question the existence of a Heavenly Father, and I hate feeling that way. It honestly, truly makes me question His existence.

Through my job, I see a fair amount of these types of cases--not to this extreme, but many involving repeated intentional injuries to children--and each one just makes you feel horrible inside. A recent one comes to mind. I actually wrote about it on here shortly after it happened in an attempt to process it somehow, but lost it when the computer auto-logged me off, and I was just too exhausted to type it again.

Back in January, a baby was brought into the ER completely lifeless by his grandmother.

Never mind...I can't do it again. Long story short, we resuscitated this baby only to discover evidence of multiple subdural hematomas--blood on the brain from trauma--that had occurred over a period of at least several weeks. I can't relate to you how awful the emotional trip was from the elation at having saved a baby's life (before we saw the head CT) to the sinking pit in my stomach as I realized this baby hadn't flinched at anything we did to him--we had saved a vegetable. It was all I could do not to strangle the skinny tattoo-infested meth-addicted dickhead who I knew was responsible but was sitting in my ER suggesting that the baby might have hit himself in the head with a toy.

As I testified in the preliminary hearing against this guy, I'll admit to feeling a little satisfaction at somehow "getting back" at him. What followed however was the realization that someday, in this life or in the next, the awfulness of what he did is going to hit him, and the hell that he will go through on that day and for the rest of his existence will be far worse than anything we could dole out. There's a moment of satisfaction in that too, but more than anything, there's just an immense sadness at the tragedy of it all.

When I talk about hating the death penalty, it's not that I don't feel anything when I read these stories. It's that I feel completely powerless and hopeless in providing any justice. The only hope I can hold on to is that there is a God out there who can somehow restore the injustice of a life brutally cut short, who can soothe the pain and wonder in the mind of a child as the most important figure of his life beats him. If man invented God, this is the reason why--the despair of the alternative is simply unbearable.

[wuapinmon]

As I testified in the preliminary hearing against this guy, I'll admit to feeling a little satisfaction at somehow "getting back" at him. What followed however was the realization that someday, in this life or in the next, the awfulness of what he did is going to hit him, and the hell that he will go through on that day and for the rest of his existence will be far worse than anything we could dole out. There's a moment of satisfaction in that too, but more than anything, there's just an immense sadness at the tragedy of it all.
.

Damn, dude, you just made me cry.

[Donuthole]

When I talk about hating the death penalty, it's not that I don't feel anything when I read these stories. It's that I feel completely powerless and hopeless in providing any justice. The only hope I can hold on to is that there is a God out there who can somehow restore the injustice of a life brutally cut short, who can soothe the pain and wonder in the mind of a child as the most important figure of his life beats him. If man invented God, this is the reason why--the despair of the alternative is simply unbearable.

Very well said. When I hear these stories, I can' t help but think what must be going through the mind of the child as this is happening to him. Is he questioning what he did to deserve it? Does understand he didn't do anything wrong, and that he just drew a rotten lot in life?

I always find myself hoping, in retrospect, that God intervened and, while not removing the free will of the violator, provided a measure of emotional and physical comfort to the child in a situation that was purely beyond his control.

[DU's cUTEy]

The only thing that brings me any comfort with this story is the thought of what this poor boy would've gone through if he lived. I can't imagine the horror he would've faced over the years knowing what his own mother could do to him.