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Rell Promises Veto of Death Penalty Ban

By TChris, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Mon May 25, 2009 at 06:01:00 AM EST
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Connecticut's Republican Gov. Jodi Rell promised to veto a bill that would eliminate capital punishment as a sentencing option. Overriding the veto would require a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative chambers. Since the state senate passed the bill by a 19-17 vote, an override is unlikely.

Rell says the veto is for the families of victims who believe there are crimes "so fundamentally revolting to our humanity" as to warrant death. What about the family members who believe that the death penalty is fundamentally revolting to human values? And given the haphazard application of the death penalty, does Rell seriously believe that only the worst offenders who commit the worst crimes will be executed?

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    Rell Promises Veto of Death Penalty Ban | 15 comments (15 topical)

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    I'm personally pretty ambivalent (5.00 / 0) (#4)
    by andgarden on Mon May 25, 2009 at 12:02:30 AM EST
    about the death penalty, as I think many Americans are. I doubt if I could sign a death warrant, though. And I'd probably vote to repeal it.

    Good decision by Rell if she wants to be a player (1.00 / 1) (#1)
    by ProudTroll on Sun May 24, 2009 at 11:08:33 PM EST
    on the national scene.  Chris, Americans overwhelmingly do not support your point of view on the death penalty.  Neither does Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.  Over half the members of your own party support the death penalty.

    Americans Hold Firm to Support for Death Penalty
    Only 21% say it is applied too often
    http://www.gallup.com/poll/111931/Americans-Hold-Firm-Support-Death-Penalty.aspx

    Whoop-de-doo (5.00 / 4) (#2)
    by TChris on Sun May 24, 2009 at 11:33:38 PM EST
    Is it my obligation to echo the opinions held by a majority of Americans, or even by a majority of Democrats?  A majority of Americans at one time supported slavery, and then segregation, and most now oppose equal marital rights for same sex couples.  The opinions I express about civil rights and the politics of crime are my opinions, not those of the nation's majority.

    [ Parent ]
    nope .. of course not ... (1.00 / 1) (#7)
    by narius on Mon May 25, 2009 at 09:01:25 AM EST
    but a majority of Americans decide who is representing us and who is making the decision.

    You can bitch & moan, but that is about all you can do.

    And for one person who want to coddle murderers, there are more who wants him dead. Democracy is a great thing, isn't it?

    [ Parent ]

    democracy is a great thing... (none / 0) (#10)
    by of1000Kings on Mon May 25, 2009 at 01:38:22 PM EST
    but I think we're learning that it doesn't work on a large scale...

    [ Parent ]
    If a majority of Americans opposed free speech (none / 0) (#12)
    by MrConservative on Tue May 26, 2009 at 01:05:34 AM EST
    Should we repeal free speech?  I say no.  In that instance, the majority can go fuck itself.  My free speech, and our right to life, it more important than the majorities whim.  There is more to a democracy than mob rule.  The death penalty is disgusting and absolutely unjustifiable under any circumstances.  Rell should be ASHAMED of herself and I am said to think that I live as a member of the same species.

    [ Parent ]
    Well, (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by eric on Sun May 24, 2009 at 11:56:01 PM EST
    the majority of elected representatives and senators in Connecticut voted this way, who is she to stand in the way of the majority?

    Its a silly argument to claim some kind of majority justifies this decision.

    Furthermore, there have been a lot of terrible things that were one time supported by the majority of the people in this country.  Her choice will be hers alone, and she has to live with it.  And people may die because of her decision.


    [ Parent ]

    there was a point in time (none / 0) (#5)
    by cpinva on Mon May 25, 2009 at 03:54:44 AM EST
    when the overwhelming majority of white americans believed that african americans were an inferior race. they were wrong.

    just because an "overwhelming majority" believes something doesn't, by definition, make them right.

    a brief history lesson: the reason the bill of rights exists is to protect the minority from the beliefs of the "overwhelming majority". the authors weren't stupid, they recognized that there will be times that the "overwhelming majority" will be however.

    There is no right and wrong ... (1.00 / 1) (#8)
    by narius on Mon May 25, 2009 at 09:02:36 AM EST
    "just because an "overwhelming majority" believes something doesn't, by definition, make them right."

    Only public opinions and politicians who bent to them.

    [ Parent ]

    There is a right and wrong (none / 0) (#14)
    by MrConservative on Tue May 26, 2009 at 01:10:17 AM EST
    Right: Human rights, death penalty abolition, me

    Wrong: You, the death penalty, and all other evil everywhere

    [ Parent ]

    To me it seems like (none / 0) (#6)
    by Mikeb302000 on Mon May 25, 2009 at 07:21:11 AM EST
    the governor is really going that extra mile to support the death penalty. I love the way TChris put it, "What about the family members who believe that the death penalty is fundamentally revolting to human values?"

    When I wrote about this story last week I expressed the hope that Gov. Rell will follow in the footsteps of her esteemed colleague from New Mexico.  Gov. Richardson was said to be in favor of capital punishment but signed for it's elimination in New Mexico mainly because of the costs involved in a capital case.

    I see now, it doesn't look good for Connecticut.

    What about the family members? (none / 0) (#11)
    by wagnert in atlanta on Mon May 25, 2009 at 04:58:15 PM EST
    The story link was to Fort Worth, TX.  That's a long trip from Connecticut to find a family member who didn't want a murderer fried.

    [ Parent ]
    Fucking moron (none / 0) (#13)
    by MrConservative on Tue May 26, 2009 at 01:09:13 AM EST
    Just because the story is from Atlanta doesn't mean there aren't dozens of more family members who support basic decency.  You, my good sir, fail logic forever.  To find out which percentage of Americans are dumbest, you simply take the percentage that support the death penalty rather than doing an actual study.

    [ Parent ]
    hope a family member faces it (none / 0) (#9)
    by Dadler on Mon May 25, 2009 at 11:55:56 AM EST
    that seems the ONLY way these unrivaled morons come to any kind of logic or sanity.  there is not a bigger joke of a democracy on the planet right now than us.  period.

    Rell shouldn't defame family members like this (none / 0) (#15)
    by MrConservative on Tue May 26, 2009 at 01:15:21 AM EST
    Let's face it.  Death penalty supporters do not care about family members.  They merely use them as human shields for their abhorrent beliefs.  When a family member agrees, they are paraded around.  When they don't, they're told to fuck off and not come back again.  As always, conservatives simply use people as tools, when convenient, and throw them away afterwards.  The victim's family members of Connecticut are, once again, being victimized by Rell.

    Rell Promises Veto of Death Penalty Ban | 15 comments (15 topical)

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