November 27, 2007
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Capital Punishment and Baby Grace
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I wrote in my photoblog about a young girl who was killed by her parents.
She is the same girl that police released a sketch of because they were trying to figure out her identity.
(I am still not sure why they release sketches when the people never look like the sketches).
The girl was beaten and tortured to death by her mother and her stepfather. She was beaten with leather belts. She had her head “held underwater in a bathtub.” She was thrown across the room. She suffered from three skull fractures. She was 2-years-old. Here is the link: Link
When I posted this in my photoblog, there was some discussion about the death penalty.
“Death penalty” BillBryant
“Capital punishment indeed.” Tallon5
“no these people don’t deserve the capital punishment, they need something worse” Arieltaval
“Yes, that was absolutely horrible. The punishment? Life in jail where inmates be mean to them. The chair is an easy way out.” HaveChanged
I hear people say that they don’t believe in the death penalty. Then I hear some of those people say that it is far worse to spend a life in prison. However, when people are about to receive the death penalty they almost always fight against it legally. In fact, we take special notice when someone wants to be executed.
I think the death penalty would be one of the harshest penalties because of the emotional toll it would take on a person leading up to it.
Would you rather have life in prison or receive the death penalty?
Comments (116)
me first?
I think it depends on what I did… If it was something so horrible that I couldn’t live with myself, I’d probably want the death penalty.
Thats a horrendous death!!! That is just wrong! They do deserve death penalty indeed for that! It would depened on what the sentencing was or what I did wrong in order for me to decide.
that poor poor baby…
I’m really not sure where I stand with the death penalty.
woohoo!
i’m a firm believer in the capital punishment system and for reprobates like these parents it’s the perfect solution.
as to (if i would ever do anything worthy of such a penalty myself, which I highly doubt) myself- i guess i’d be content with either- i’m not afraid to die but neither am i afraid to live.
You have to remember what the Police artist have to work with Dan. I will take life in prison any day brother. You forget most murderers do not have the same level of remorse that the rest of the population does due to other factors in their makeup.
makes me sad every time I read about it. I say death penalty. Don’t waste my tax dollar on these bastards.
Give me death … hihi
I didn’t see this the other day, i dont’ think it matters what the sentence is… they will die in prison for killng a child. Inmates don’t like that.
I’d say *I’d* prefer the death penalty, kill me and get it over with that way I don’t have to live with my conscious.
I’m all for capital punishment
Sorry, if you don’t treat fellow humans like the people they are, you deserve to be extracted from society and liquidated.
id want the death penalty….
Even though I do not know much about the death penalty, since our country abolish it years ago.
I think I would want the death penalty as too life in jail to the day I die I would probably hanged myself anyway.
Life in prison.
Take it from one who knows…death penalty, NO QUESTION!
Poor girl. What happened to her was so sad.
If those are the only choices, I would probably go with life in prison and hope for redemption. I would probably change my mind in a short time, though, because I’m a wimp.
Death penalty……other “parents” should know what to expect if they torture and abuse a child. Plus, why should we support these deadbeat baby killers in a prison system for the rest of their lives?
I personally am conflicted on the death penalty, however it serves a purpose. There is the cost of housing a life sentenced convict, it does cost a great deal of money. If and I mean IF the person who is convicted, committed a crime that is extremely heinious, then yes I believe that the death penalty is in order. For the record, I am not some soft liberal, I am a very conservative republican, but when you are taking a person’s life, it is a very big decision, and not one to be taken lightly. I think that there should be very specific criteria that should be met, and that the crime should merit the punishment. Acts of sexual violence, murder, severe child abuse…those are the types of crimes I am thinking of. I would think, however I haven’t done the research…that the parents would most likely fit into that criteria.
Strange, but I think there is enough of a resemblance in the picture to warrant the sketch being done.
Yes, in the picture above she isn’t as emaciated as in the sketch, but beyond that I definitely think the sketch gives a good idea of the girls basic characterestics (for example that she’s a blonde lol)
I guess what we really need to ask is what has the harshest affect on the criminals family?
with the death penalty–even if they have last minute jitters–they’ll soon be gone, deceased. Yet they probably have a family that will continue to live for years.
Is it easier for the family to have the person gone–no more worry about visiting in prision. Able to better move on with their life?
Or does the person have kids who are going to be very traumatized by the killing of their father?
That is the real question. . .
Time to die
Punishment fly
Person’s been bad
And we’re mad
Time for justice
Time for vengeance
Time to destroy
Steady, death’s no toy
Soon they’ll be gone
It won’t be long
it would be easier for me to face my life coming to an end, than it would to live it out confined as someone else forced me to be.
That was an awful sketch.
Prison.
What did you get for your birthday….The Hillary Nutcracker?
Prison, and then a priest so I can confess………..then let whatever happen happen
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20
So, I guess that means I already chose the death penalty.
Since I’d have been framed and was innocent anyways, I’d want Life.
*HUGS*
What did you get for your Birthday?
I added you on Facebook!
They’ll get to spend time in jail where they will be abused and hounded by fellow prisoners while they are awaiting execution. Fry ‘em!
The justice system is not about revenge. These people will be removed from society because of their crime via the prison system. I believe the death penalty is morally wrong. Yes, it has been scientifically proven to be a deterrent, yes these people deserve it, but I still believe the death penalty is wrong irrespective of the above arguments. It’s OK to stand up and say “some things are just wrong”.
If I ever have a choice between life and death, I will always choose life.
awww this reminds me of the book “a child called it“
While I believe that the death penalty is justifed for many crimes, (and I also believe that rape should be one of those), I also believe that being on death row is far easier now than life in prison.
Death row convicts are not in general population. They have more access to attorneys. They get their own cells. It costs far more to house someone on death row than it does to keep them in prison for life.
In this case, as much as I really want this evilness of a “mother” and her “husband” to be dragged out back and shot in the head, I think that they should be given life, so that they can be in the general population with the likes of Jeffrey Dahmers cellmates. Didnt they beat him to death with a broomstick?
The punishment should fit the crime.
i think life imprisonment would be a far worse punishment. to have to live out your life with little distraction from the reason why you were placed in prison, inmates and wardens that judge you for what you did… i think that would be far worse
My cousin was killed by being beaten to death when he was 18 months old…. the guy got 15 years, served 5, and now lives free…. I’m not sure, even with that having happened, how I feel about the death penalty. I’m not a pacifist, but I’m not a sadist either…. it’s hard…. death doesn’t solve anything, yet, a punishment must be given.
As for myself…. I cannot fathom doing something against another human that would require my life to be given…. it doesn’t register in my brain!
If I did something so horribly as to warrant the death penalty, I don’t believe I deserve to take up space and breathe air any longer, some prisons are more like horrible motels~
I think the question itself is flawed, because it’s assuming the purpose of the death penalty is to punish.
To punish someone is directly linked to rehabilitation, because the whole idea of punishment (whether time-outs, spanking, loss of ice cream, or jail time) is supposed to act as a deterrent to future aberrant behavior. You don’t want to sass your mother/steal a handbag/smoke pot again because you know you’ll get punished again. (Or so the theory goes.)
The death penalty only acts as a deterrent if the perpetrator of the crime is considering the possibility that he’ll get the death penalty before he commits the crime–fairly unlikely, in my arrogant opinion, but whatever. So therefore the death penalty is not punishment, because once you get the death penalty you no longer have any chance to reform. The purpose of the death penalty, as I understand it, is to remove a criminal who (society judges) will never be rehabilitated, who will never reform. In short, the death penalty is for those for whom punishment will no longer work. It’s not about vengeance, because vengeance would express itself in a lifetime of torture, not a quick and painless execution.
So even if, as some are claiming, life in prison is worse than getting the death penalty, it’s irrelevant. It being worse from the point of view of the convict is a function of punishment, so even if the death penalty is easier on the convict, he is being removed from society permanently in lieu of punishment.
Fry ‘em!!
WHY ARE THE PARENTS SO CRUEL?! If there are here in Singapore, they WILL definitely get the hanging, and a few strokes before that.
yeah, i think i have to agree with you.
I just wouldn’t do the crime… but I guess if I were framed or prosecuted wrongly (which does happen, people) I would prefer life in prison.
those parents are sick, sick people. They definitely test my views on capital punishment. That is why I never say I’m all for it or all against it, I’m definitely on the fence about it as it involves so many difficult issues to have to consider.
I think she does kind of look like the sketch, just that the artist kind of stretched her face out a bit.
Well said, ChrisRusso. As usual you have given me a few things to think about.
though, i think they may not survive in jail because of the severity of their crime against an innocent child. some prisoners are killed by other prisoners because of the horror of the crime they commited. if that makes sense.
They are about the same in this day and age, but given a choice I’d rather have them kill me and get it over with.
I would prefer life in prison were I sentenced. I would use the time to read all the literature in the world.
-David
Particularly in US prisons, I’d rather have life, particularly if I was in solitary and had access to a library and/or computer (or at least a book a week).
I could definitely live the rest of my life in an 8-by-10 cell with books, a window, a bed, and fresh fruit. I might even become a mathematician and send out work to be published.
I still stand strongly against the death penalty for reasons already stated in previous posts.
-David
Have them spend 10 years in prison, and make sure they know through-out all of those 10 years that they’re going to be executed. That’d really screw with their head.
i’ll take a pardon
I agree with HaveChanged, death is faaaaar too easy.
I don’t think I would want to have to choose. Don’t plan to ever do anything that would cause me to be in that situation.
As for the couple that killed the little girl, they really need to be punished for their crime with the severest penalty the law can provide. I just can’t undertand how people do such things to other human beings, especially children.
Death penalty for sure.
Why waste tax dollars on some murderer who can live in a air conditioned/heated building, given 3 meals a day, showers, free clothes and immunizations? Kill them all.
Prison…so maybe i could break out
I would definately prefer life in prison if I had to choose a punishment for myself. When Paul, from the bible, was in prison, he used that time to share God’s love with others and made some pretty close friends. Now, life in solitary in prison might be another story – I think I’d go nuts!
In reality, we already are sentenced to both.
How about throw the parents in prison and, each day, hold their heads underwater until they stop breathing, then recessitate them and beat them up until they’re screaming from the agony, then lock them back in their cells…and do this every day!!!
Then again, what kind of cruel prison worker would be willing to inflict such pain on another human being – even if they are a criminal and a murderer?
I too pick prison.. poor girl!
I don’t know what I would choose for myself. However, I do know that I want to meet those people face to face and let them know what it’s like to go through what that poor baby did. 2 years old… how can people do that? I have a 2 year old. I have a 4 year old. Put them together, it’s not easy. But they are my babies. The thought of causing them pain is so far out of my reality…. I want to murder those people.
Since I’d be in prison for some “white-collar” crime or something with special circumstances (e.g. innocence or taking the heat for something big,) I take the life imprisonment in a country-club minimum security facility v. the death penalty. Even if it was worse, as long as I ended up connected with some peers, not raped every other night, and had acess to Dan’s Xanga, I’d do ok in prison.
I wont even think about the awnswer to that question- I would never do anything like that to anyone – My kids have been total asses at different points during their lives…HOWEVER- I just cannot even comprehend what they could ever do (EVER) that would make me treat them like that.Especially at that age… And look at her- She’s an absolutely beautiful little girl. Its completely and totally sickening, andI cannot fathom a sufficient punnishment for those two. How could anyone be so evil?
People should have to fill out eligibility applications to get married, have pets and have kids. Some people are just not fit to do it. It makes me angry.
If I ruled the world, criminals would be tortured until they begged for death, but that’s just the kind of vengeful person I am. I’m glad I don’t rule the world.
I’d rather have life in prison. Death is it, it’s final. It is the end of your existence here on earth. However, just because I choose life in prison does not mean I am against the death penalty. I believe that if the death penalty was used more then there would be more apprehension about committing crimes.
If I did something that would require such a punishment I would want the life sentence so I could spend the rest of my life thinking about the consequences of my actions.
I’m all for slow torture. Slow, painful, and exactly what they did to that child! Then, let the inmates have ‘em for a while. I hear child abuse is one of the ultimate sins in the slam. THEN, death penalty.
morning. i dont htink i caught that post, what was the reasoning for doing that?!
If those were my two options, I’d rather go ahead and get the death penalty. Much more merciful than spending an entire lifetime rotting in jail. But I think people fight it more b/c they think they might still get out of jail early (since rarely does “life in prison” seem to actually mean that).
If it were me personally? I can see advantages to both. On the one hand, at least you can still see people and do stuff if you’re alive. On the other, heaven is much better than Earth, so that would be better.
For a crime such as the one committed though, I’d say death. I don’t see how anyone could do something like that to another person–especially a little, defenseless kid.
Life in prison, if I was innocent. Death, if I was guilty. Not sure I’d ask for the death penalty, though.
Actually I was astonished how much she looked like the police sketches.. some of the photos were pretty striking in comparison
Anyway I’ll take life in prison over death
Some people just need to be removed from the earth.
And some people, like the ones in that link, should be removed very, very painfully.
I think life in prison is punishment enough b/c it allows for that person who has committed such a serious crime to spend all those years remembering the pain that they have caused a family by the crime they have done. To me when they are put to death by lethal injection it doesn’t give them time to think about what they have done..its just an easy way out. Let ‘em sit in and rot in prison for all the days of their life and let ‘em think about what they should have done different.
I’d rather have the death penelty.
I would rather have the death penalty than to live a life in prison…I think.
Hmmm, depends. Is prison coffee any good? I wonder if the heinous two will cop insanity…
I would prefer life in prison, though, if it came down to one or the other being warranted, I probably would deserve death.
These “parents” deserve death. It should, however, not be as humane as a lethal injection. All that does is allow someone to go to sleep and then they are killed chemically thereafter without feeling any pain. Emotional pain? Poppycock!!! The emotional pain leading up to the injection cannot compare with what that child experienced. Those folks need to die a very painful and prolonged death.
And then I think of the love our Father has for them and that they would be forgiven if they truly were repentant. Amazing love, how can it be?
I’d rather be executed then spend the rest of my life in prison.
If I was guilty, I’d deserve it. If I was innocent, God would know.
But that’s just me, I know I’m twisted
I like Laserlawyer’s response, even if it seems a bit beside the point. I completely agree with it.
My own response would be that I would prefer life in prison because I am more afraid of death than prison
I guess the sketch was good enough that her granmother recognized her and contacted the police.
here is a link to a cnn story about how the sketch was made: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/27/riley.sketch/index.html
For people who commit such heinous crimes as this one, I think either life w/o parole or capital punishment.
But, dammit, I am so SICK of people whining about the unpleasant deaths that people could possibly suffer with lethal injection or whatever.
People tlike this need to be fitted with a feeding tube and locked up in concrete boxes too small to move around in until they die.
It depends on the prison.
I wouldn’t be alive for the trial. If I’m going down, I’m doing it in a blaze of glory.
In this case, I feel the punishment should suit the crime. And I think that this crime was horrible to rob a two year old girl the rest of her life. Perhaps life in prison would be a good idea so their lives will be robbed, and then have the option of capital punishment at any time they are both on death row. I also have mixed feelings on capital punishment. But when I read about crimes like this, it really stirs up some strong feelings for me. Sounds like it has for others on here too.
I think the murderer(s) should die the same exact way the victim was killed. That way maybe they will understand what their victim felt before dying and maybe they will learn something before they die.
Death penalty please. I believe in capital punishment and if I did something to deserve it I would face the consequences.
I’d rather have life in prison. If things are really that bad, then I’d just take my own life.
And for people out there who think the death penalty is the lesser burden on our tax dollars, think again. Because death sentences allow for so many appeals, it’s quite a strain on our legal system and ends up costing more tax dollars than ‘housing’ an inmate.
“However, when people are about to receive the death penalty they almost always fight against it legally. “
Actually, the system does it for them. In Texas and I’m sure in other states as well, the case of a person sentenced to death is automatically appealed.
id rather recieve the death penalty.
Life in prison
If I knew for sure I could never get out, probably just death penalty.
kill me. if i had no chance of getting out. kill me. what’s the purpose of living if you have nothing to live for?
pretty much the same thing with the way the appeals process works soooo there is really not much reason to choose.
I’d take the death penalty, simply because if I were to murder someone, I would feel horrible about it, and wouldn’t want taxpayers to waste their money on me. Because, I guess, unlike homicidal parents, I have a conscience.
Death penalty. I refuse to rot in prison.
But I’d kill myself moments before they tried.
Its cases like this that make me want the death penalty used, purely out of anger.
I cannot imagine that there are people who could do this to anyone, let alone a small child. There is nothing this girl could to do warrant abuse like that.
I just think of how much pain she was put in and how she must have cried and been afraid. People who make a child endure that are the worst of humanity.
My reaction when the Andrea Yates’ story broke was that if I were her, I’d be begging for the death penalty. I couldn’t imagine living another 50 years with what I had done.
If I had a clear conscience, though, I’d happily rot in prison instead.
Probably death penalty. If I get life in prison, there’s nothing more I can do. My life would be a waste.
A friend of mine knew the father, and the family in general. They were originally from my area, I think. I wish I knew more details, but I don’t. Terrible.
I would be more for solitary confinement for life, but how is that really different from capital punishment? Alone and in prison forever can’t be that much better than death.
There’s a Dostoevsky quote for this…I’d take life in prison.
my husband and i were talking about the sketch and how scary it looked.
regarding your question: i would never be in the position, except of course anyone did something horrible to anyone of my kids … then i would tell them to kill me.
Your question does not compute, Dan. That is a decision I will never have to make since I am not EVIL and would never MURDER a child.
If it were a perfect world, those people would be tortured to death the same way they tortured that little girl. But alas we are civilized and can’t do that sort of thing can we. Dang it.
I’d prefer Death Penalty, living life in jail isn’t really living, I say.
i’d rather get the death penalty.
I believe they should be tortured just as little grace was. This is the worst crime possible. The poor baby was tortured and killed by people she loved. The stepfather is bad enough but her mother. What kind of mother is she? I cannot fathom how someone can kill their own child especially that brutally. They need a slow death and torture in the afterlife by people they know and love.
That little girl looks so familiar. I would go with the death penalty. I believe in it.
i agree with “Excido_Charon” because if anyone is this terrible then they are unfit for society. End of story. Think if this was YOUR cousin, granddaughter… wouldn’t you want the people to be murdered. I think i would choose life in prison. Too many people have died in my family for various reasons (though not in prison or by death penalty!) and they all seemed terrible…
If I did a crime that could be one that could carry the death penalty, I would rather get a life without parole sentence, because I know not only would I never get out, but I may get killed in prison depending on the crime committed. It would also make me live my life everyday with whatever I did
I would probably want life, I’m kind of afraid to die, so that would be pretty torturous sitting thinking about the exact day for the remainder of my life. However, in this case, I would be sickened to find out that my tax money were going to keep those people breathing. That girl was gorgeous; they have got to be some really screwed up people. Fricken disgusts me.
I believe they should have life in prison to deal with what they did. Sure, death penalty is emotionally taxing, but the rest of your life in prison will eat your soul away with the knowledge of what you did to get there.
My mother is really freaked out about this case. I have a little cousin, who’s my mother’s favorite of all my cousin’s, and her name is Grace Riley. This little girl here is “Baby Grace” Riley. Creepy.
* Grace-Riley ((*not putting last name lol*))
death penalty.
they deserve MUCH worse than that.
ME???Now this is a different angle! I would want life. But then, I am in a state where I think I could DO something with my life.
Prayers for enabling compassion…..healing is possible. Even for those most despicable: this does not mean it is ok or that anything should be easy….just…..compassion can heal. Who can love THAT much? Prayers for that poor girl; eventually prayers for the perpetrators
well, prison does have cable tv and weightlifting…
the prison system of our country is completely messed up. the point of a prison isn’t to dehumanize people….otherwise, once they’re released, what can they then contribute to society? and as for someone committing murder…something about capital punishment just isn’t working. did you know that in sweden, the maximum jail sentence you can have is 25 years, even if you’ve committed murder? and the rates of murder in sweden are a lot lower there than here.
http://onlizine.net
http://www.erinfitzvoices.com/main.swf
http://daverave.buzznet.com/user/photos/recent
What crime did the little girl commit that she was sentenced to death?
Killing the parents is an act of mercy, showing far more mercy than they showed their little girl. Lead by example: be merciful to the parents. Let them die.
If you knew you were going to be executed, retroactively aborted, killed for committing a crime, would you commit the crime?
That is just absolutely disgusting….who the FUCK would do that to their own child?! AND A TWO YEAR OLD NO LESS?!?!
I would say that they should spend a very long time in jail, and then get the death penalty, because they would get both harsh ends of the deal.
motherfuckers……people fucking make me sick.
awww man… that’s perhaps the most horrible thing I’ve ever read… These people deserve a fate WORSE than death… just like people who abuse animals and other children, and also rapists…
death penalty