What's with the Legal System?

Ok, you've heard the story before: Guy lives life of crime; Guy hangs with bad guys; Guys do crime; Guy gets Capital Punishment; Wrong Guy dies. This issue seems to come up quite often and opponents to the death penalty bring it up as a crux to the position; that anyone for capital punishment should concern themselves first and foremost with executing the innocent. Why then does the death of the innocent seem to have more to do with vengeance than justice?
When Ruben Cantu was executed in August of 1993, there were more than the voices of silent witnesses waiting for his death. There were public figures interested in death and popularity more than truth and light. Shouldn't cases like this demand the most concrete facts, more than any other? Well, in an article found in Houston's "Chrono.com", there is nothing but pain and regret from those directly involved, while those who had the power to make a difference from the start of the case talked business as usual.
How did it come to this? How can a seventeen year old spend his final years on death row without the case being seen through fresh eyes and a fine toothed comb? Aren't we dealing with the life of a human being here? Shouldn't the first thought of the Prosecutor be to administer justice? And what of death, should it not be approached as the final option? It seems, however, that the legal system with all its layers of bureaucracy will always kill the innocent, as the confessed killer sits on "the Row" twenty years and the lawyers collect their millions. I guess there's no money in freedom.

Baby's, equal to pickup trucks

Just when you thought politics was about electing like-minded individuals, Gov. Rick Perry flips this notion to affirm his backing of a presidential candidate, who is diametrically opposed to his stance on abortion, for Perry; a historically serious issue. I guess when it comes down to it; politics is all about distancing ourselves from our moral (and historical) points of reference; in order to be men pleasers. Such is the case with Gov. Perry's endorsement of Rudi Giuliani as the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Let's face it, this is politics and we are dealing with human beings. That alone is a recipe for disaster and when there are hundreds of issues; we simply can not expect the candidates to agree across the board. But in an article in the Austin American Statesman, Gov. Perry says, "I go to buy a pickup truck, if it's got one option on it I'm either not particularly fond of or not looking for, it doesn't mean I discard that pickup truck". Wait, did he just equate his long time stance on abortion to features on a pickup truck or was he describing the well known fact that children are like features on a pickup truck? Maybe I'm just pedantic in my assessment of a candidate and the views they hold in high regard, but one thing's for sure; the next time I go car shopping, I'll be sure to ask the Salesman if it comes with kids.

Perry goes on to say, private meetings with Giuliani were sufficient to win his endorsement, as the former New York City Mayor promised to elect Judges that would view the Abortion issue conservatively. How absurd. It is quite clear, Governor Perry could have benefited from a Public School education to resolve his major differences with Giuliani.

Now, how can Texans, who hold issues like abortion in high regard, marry their approval of Gov. Rick Perry when important issues can be so politicized? Do Texans even care enough to raise the issue? Seeing how Party Identification takes precedence over real world issues; I think it just occured to me what the nerve of the problem is: We moralize on ethics and politicize on morality.
What say you?

Can Innocence Be Saved?

It seems some players on the state and national scene believe there are innocent people on death row that might need a break from the fear of being put to death over crimes they didn't commit. I cry fowl and in the proper forum, I would call their bluffs instead.

In an article from Fort Worth's Star Telegram, we find the details of Lt. Governor, David Dewhurst's decision to support Sen. Rodney Ellis's (D-Houston) sponsored legislation to create an innocence commission. The Start Telegram goes on to say, this "follows 14 DNA exoneration's of prison inmates from Dallas County... more than any other county in the U.S.", but I think it's interesting to note there are more executions in the county and state than anywhere else in the U.S. Why is that? Doesn't the fact that Texas leads the rest of the country in executions provide enough of a deterrent? The population on death row has gone up considerably since 1974 and I wonder if a faster judgment wouldn't be the better route to take.

Now, I believe in the right of the appeals process being afforded to every innocent inmate, but it seems to me, the criminals play on the weakness of society. Perhaps that is where the deterrent loses its "umph".

My thought: there are criminals on Death Row 15-20 years that admit to the crime. Why should they sit there and use up tax payer money? Give them the swift execution they ask for and deserve, and lets use that saved money to thoroughly investigate the claims of innocence.

What do you think?

State can not regulate Bible schools

In a world where the skewed perception of Separation of Church and State is king, I found it odd that there was a Texas Supreme Court ruling in 1998 that passed new regulatory powers for the state allowing it to set the standard for seminary degrees and fine institutions for not complying. Were Puritan's elected?

An article written in the Austin American Statesman sited that ten years after it had become law, the ruling was struck down and the $178,000 fine levied against a single institution was repealed. "That the statute clearly and excessively entangles the government in religious instruction is beyond dispute," the court's ruling said.

This is a perfect example of why close attention to the hypocrisy of ruling bodies and representation must be on the minds of all citizens. It simply isn't enough to cast a vote and think the government is on auto-pilot. Economics, religion, and of course government representation are components to be watched and scrutinized constantly...by the people.