Child Killer To Get Life-Saving Operation

[ecstatic]

Lanny Perry Barnes admitted running down two women and three children in a McDonald's parking lot in Covington 17 months ago, killing a two-year-old.

On Monday he was sentenced to life in prison.

The 47-year-old Barnes suffers from leukemia and is due soon for a bone marrow transplant.

Taxpayers will pay for the procedure.

Police said the Barnes' car struck the five, hit the restaurant, then backed up and hit the victims again. Witnesses said they saw Barnes laughing behind the wheel.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14348495/detail.html

[acmavm]

1. Let him die a natural death and spend the money on some poor

kid with leukemia. Screw this piece of human garbage.

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. How would that be different from execution?

He was sentenced to prison, not to death. What you suggest violates Constitutional protection against "cruel and unusual" punishment. How would this be any different from torture? How would this be any different from skinning someone alive? How would this not be murder by neglect?

[acmavm]

16. Oh bullshit. The man killed people. He's human garbage. Make

him comfortable as can be while he dies. Like millions of people do every year from cancer. And treat someone worthy.

Don't give me this pathetic 'how is it different than execution' shit.

[TechBear_Seattle]

17. So he should have been sentenced to death. He was not.

What you suggest is murder by neglect, pure and simple. And you think that makes you better than him?

[acmavm]

25. Murder by neglect? You're funny. I suggest let nature take its course.

Save the cures for someone who is worthy. This person is not.

Best I can recall, I never ran people down and then backed up and did it again. So save that whiney drivel for someone who doesn't know any better.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Yes, the state needs to provide medical treatment to prisoners.

Also, food and shelter.

Shit, have we regressed this far that people have to ask?

[ananda]

3. Right is right no matter..

.. what else is wrong.

Every human deserves good healthcare.

[LakeSamish706]

4. He was probably just off his meds or something! :sarcasm: n/t

[MnFats]

5. once you start with this, where you gonna stop...?

the warden picks and chooses who gets treatment on the basis of their evil deeds or their disposition?
no....gotta hold your nose and give the guy his treatment....

[LeftishBrit]

6. Yes, If one doesn't support the death penalty, in a specific case, or in general..

then the death penalty should not be applied indirectly, by deprivation of essential medical treatment.

Of course, I am speaking from the perspective of a country where all citizens are, and have been for 60 years, entitled to essential medical treatments. I can perhaps understand the resentment of people who are denied such treatment through poverty, if it is then given to a criminal. However, the solution is not to deny it to convicted criminals but to make it - at least essential, life-saving treatment - available to all.

[Cathyclysmic]

7. These are situations in which it's very difficult being liberal-minded.

[ileus]

8. he should have gotten the DP to begin with.

[RubyDuby in GA]

15. Yes he should have - we (the people of Covington) are outraged that he didn't

This town is pissed about it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. What was his motive?

Why did he run these people over?

[RubyDuby in GA]

22. He claimed it was grief over the death of his father

Who had died quite a while ago.

http://www.newtoncitizen.com/NC-Templates/ncnews1.shtml

Though he said there were no issues pertaining to his client’s competency, Chris Adams, who represented Barnes along with Newton County Public Defender Anthony Carter, told the court the defendant suffered several “major losses” in his 20s which may have triggered the onset of depression and possibly schizophrenia.
(snip)

“Lanny wants to accept responsibility,” he said, adding that he has a “great heart ... We hope he can turn all of his attention to fighting for his life.”
(snip)

“I do not believe that you have a great heart, because people with a great heart do not run down 3- and 4-year-olds with their vehicle,” he said. “There are heroes in this world (Casola was referring to the man who took his son to the hospital in his own vehicle at the time of the incident) and you’re not one of them.”
(snip)

King also described Barnes as “evil” and said she couldn’t fathom how he could laugh as he ran over innocent babies.
“I screamed, ‘Stop! They’re babies, stop!’ And you backed up and hit us again and again,” she said.

[glowing]

10. Hate to sound like an ass... but ass hat veto's children healthcare

and a killer gets it for free.

[ecstatic]

20. That's what bothers me too... many middle class children go without nt

[glowing]

23. The man should get his procedure... But I hate the metality they put

us in with the we/ them thing.. I work hard and have to pay a lot of money to take care of my family, and if anyone gets seriously hurt, injured or sick, have an insurance co. deny me the coverage or my son the coverage... It angers people towards the person not the problem... I hate this country sometimes.

[robinlynne]

11. This is hard, because none of us can get a free bone marrow transplant.

If everyone were entitled to a free bone marrow transplant, I would then say yes.
And the other side is also true, if you deny medical treatment to one prisoner what is to stop a warden from denying treatment to all prisoners.

kind of like nazi freedom of speech, which I support, but it's hard.

on edit: If I were making the decision, I would not give this person a transplant. Once you laugh at killing, you're of no use to this society, in my opinion.

[KingFlorez]

12. I don't think he should get treatment unless he can come up with the money

After what he did, I don't think it's appropriate for tax dollars to be used to save his life.

[Warpy]

13. As a ward of the state, he's entitled to treatment

However, do some research on what bone marrow transplant involves and you realize this might be the worst punishment of all without a great deal of hope for a positive outcome.

Were I in his place, I'd turn it down. Even in my place, I'd turn it down. It's that bad.

[RubyDuby in GA]

14. I am from Covington, GA - still live here after 20+ years

I am outraged to have to pay for this monsters medical care. He is a cold blooded murderer who deliberately killed these people - including a 2 year old child. And laughed while doing it.

The people of Covington are not taking this well. We are pissed.

[mainegreen]

18. Just to make this more complicated: life in prison means he must die in prison, right?

If that's the case, clearly at some point they must let him die in prison. So, when is that point?

(being difficult here, I know).

[MnFats]

19. not necessarily, unless the trial judge specifies it. at least,

that's how it's done in my state. "Life" can mean "life, with the possibility of parole in 30 years."

just happened in my county. guy murders his ex, who impudently demanded he pay his share of their child-raising costs. He agreed to plead to first-degree murder with parole possible after 30 years. that was all he had to bargain away because prosecutors would not accept anything less than first-degree. He will be around 70 when he becomes eligible.

[Evoman]

24. Of course he should get the operation.

He was not given the death penalty. Since the state has taken responsability for him by locking him up (he can't very well work to pay for his own surgery), then they have to ensure that he does not die and they must pay for his surgery.

What he did is irrelevant.

[Rhythm and Blue]

26. He was sentenced to life, not to death. nt

[Mz Pip]

27. Lucky him

How many people die because they can't find a bone marrow match? I guess the State has to provide medical care for him but in the grand scheme of things karma doesn't seem to be doing her job.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[MomWithMouth]

28. killer to get surgery

Maybe his luekimia is his death penalty from God.  We should
not intervene with surgery, let him die naturally. The
hundreds of thousands of dollars could go to children with
cancer or even to pay the family's medical bills.  Personally
it outrages me so much I say just put the needle in his arm
and get it over with!!

[WinkyDink]

29. That's the price of being his care-taker. He wasn't sentenced to death.