I am very happy indeed that two major, declared candidates unequivocally oppose the death penalty.

[Nye Bevan]

(Sanders and O'Malley of course).

I like Barack Obama but I just wish that he would come out in opposition to this medieval barbarity that most of the civilized world did away with long ago. Just the racial bias in its application alone should be enough to make any progressive oppose it.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Hillary's husband executed a lobotomy patient in 1992 to get elected president.

Last edited Sat May 30, 2015, 07:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Tough on Crime Clinton.

Ricky Ray Rector was his name.

From that moment on I vowed to never support or trust him or anything close to him.

Fuck that shit.

Editing to add link to the execution.:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Ray_Rector

[Nye Bevan]

4. Yep. I like Bill but that was an ugly, disgusting episode.

Rector was the guy who saved the pecan pie from his last meal "for later".

[cui bono]

9. omg, that's so sad.

[madashelltoo]

16. I remember him.

That really made my heart hurt. It was one of those events you can never forget.

[KingCharlemagne]

6. Well, I voted for him in 1992 and '96, but that execution (to take everyone's

mind off Gennifer Flowers during the '92 New Hampshire primary season, IIRC) was a pretty scummy thing to do. Rector requested that his dessert from his last supper be saved for later. Under current SCOTUS guidelines, Rector would not be executed I think, since cognitive disability is one category that now earns automatic exemption from the DP. Rector's IQ was pegged at around 70, right at the current threshhold. But it is Arkansas (think Duggars), so there is that to consider.

Cue the cadre who claim Rector was faking his cognitive disability in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1

[cali]

2. me too. alas, Clinton is a long time advocate for it

[Jefferson23]

3. YES, me too. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

5. It is sad that the establishment candidate is too timid to take the moral high ground on this.

When a state like Nebraska can repeal the death penalty, the times they are a changin'. Like Obama with LGBT rights in the 2008 campaign, Clinton is unwilling to take a risk and do the right thing.

[sabrina 1]

13. To be an establishment candidate under the current system we live in, you have to be a follower

not a leader.

Contrast someone like Sanders eg, who voted against DOMA when nearly everyone else was afraid to risk doing so. He was FOR Gay Marriage 20 years ago, publicly and didn't need to 'evolve' on the issue.

Good for both Bernie and O'Malley for taking a stand against this medieval practice.

[Fumesucker]

7. As soon as I saw "unequivocally" in your title I knew Hillary wasn't part of the conversation

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

8. I'm surprised and a bit pleased that we're up to 20 states now

(if I counted correctly) that do not have the death penalty.

I forget which talking head show was on at the time, but I was listening to one recently in which someone was actually defending the death penalty by saying that Barack Obama and others were for it. The same guy claimed we haven't executed any innocent people, although I think he hedged that a bit later with 'in the last 50 years'. I strongly suspect that's because the exoneration project folks concentrate on people who still are alive. If they put as much effort into those already executed, I really believe the chances are good they could find that we have indeed executed innocents.

[Schema Thing]

15. We almost certainly have in the last 10 years in Texas

[CTyankee]

10. Hillary has got to wake up and smell the coffee...

[Logical]

11. Hell, many DU members still love the DP. Disgusting. nt

[loyalsister]

12. After the recent "mishaps" the time may be right to finally elect someone who opposes it

Not to mention what DNA evidence has revealed. I would love to see that!

[L0oniX]

14. Hey ...why doesn't Hillary come out against the DP?

Side tracked here: Thought crossed my stoned mind ...I wonder if Hillary would side with Obama on opening relations with Cuba?

[Nye Bevan]

17. 1. I wish she would. 2. I sincerely hope so. 3. No need to hide behind a wall (nt)

[lovemydog]

18. Same here Nye Bevan.

I'm unequivocally opposed to the death penalty. No exceptions.