Leave it to Texas to produce an even lamer Govenor than George Bush!

Perry graduated from a well known Texas school known for its students' integrity and service to the nation. Unfortunately,it appears that Perry has sold his soul to politics in lieu of the truth. While I thought that Perry would at least be ethical based upon the ethics emphasized at his institution of higher education, it fully appears that Perry has sold his sole to the devil.

Although leading Texas politicians seem to be the most vicious and sociopathic of those with life-and-death decisions in these capital punishment matters, the behavior expresses itself nationwide to varying degrees. A recent analogy that I found apt compares the behavior of aspirants to higher office with those aspiring to join the most violent street gangs. Individuals in both groups often seem to feel the need to "earn their colors" by whacking someone. In the case of our national politics, it is disturbing that there is the appearance of a requirement for this rite of passage. What would be even more disturbing, however, is that demonstrating that one is truly a bad-ass politician is in fact a real requirement for receiving measurable support on election day. If that is the case, this sociopathy must have some pretty deep roots in our national culture.

The strange and disturbing path traveled by Bill Clinton demonstrates this, especially in the case of executed felon Ricky Ray Rector who, unlike this victim of the Texas "justice system" and Gov. Perry, appears to have been guilty of murders, but whose level of mental retardation suggests he never even knew what he had done wrong, and was thus likely incapable of remorse. However, it was Clinton's enthusiasm for approving Rector's execution that was most intriguingly disturbing from the perspective of sociopolitical dynamics. Although cold (and perhaps sadly valid) political calculation may have led Big Dawg to the decision to approve the execution, would a politician really lose that much support by at least showing some regret while signing off on someone else's death, even for a person guilty of the most heinous crimes? Collectively, I wonder if we wear our "civilized nature" as a thin dust on a more savage and primal body.

As an aside, that Wiki entry on Rector notes that the Supreme Court banned the execution of the mentally retarded in 2002 (Atkins v. Virginia), by virtue of being cruel and unusual punishment. Texas has gotten around this inconvenient ruling by not providing mental health evaluations for indigent people charged with capital crimes. Hah! Take that, poor people!

Read the article in the New Yorker re: this execution- http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann

It appears, to my reading of this, that they *did* execute an innocent man. Now, whether Perry is trying to punt? I wouldn't be surprised.

He doesn't stand "Willingham's chance" of winning against Kay.

Texans got pretty po'd when Rick tried to cram the Trans-TX-corridor down their throats via eminent domain; they see him for what he is, and will not take well to his meddling in what could be the exoneration of an innocent man - an innocent Texan!.

I suspect this is worth 2-3% for Perry.

Texas posts the last statements of those they put to death. Here is the information about Mr. Willingham.

Date of Execution:
February 17, 2004
Offender:
Cameron Todd Willingham #999041
Last Statement:

Yeah. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man - convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. I gotta go, road dog. I love you Gabby. [Remaining portion of statement omitted due to profanity.]

Thanks for following this story, Zach.

This is a profoundly important story and I ask that you stick with it.

the death penalty sucks. i always thought life in prison was worse. i never understood the state sanction of putting someone to death. was this guy guilty? i don't know, but he had 12 years to prove that he wasn't. still, the death penalty is barbaric.

I have a good friend who is a widely repected engineer in several fields, and in the service was literally a "rocket scientist".

In recent years he has worked as an arson investigator / expert witness.

90% of his work is defending people as an expert witness in court because so many "investigators" and Fire Marshalls today are incompetant and do not have the proper background to to do the work.

Unlike a coroner, who is an MD at least, some of these people do not even have a hard science background, yet are taken as authorities or experts in court.

This often results in criminals going free, or innocent people charged with arson.

I can't begin to recount how many so called "investigators" my buddy has demolished in testimony - half the time they've hopelessly contaminated the scene.

I have no doubt at this point that the investigation was highly suspect, and it's not only the death penalty that's on trial here but the whole system of fire investigation.

While I can't say for certain that this was a botched investigation, the odds are good that it was, especially if the DA was intent on nailing someone.

One also has to wonder if things would have gone this fire if a black man was wrongly executed in the great state of Texas.