Did you celebrate the execution of Timothy McVey?

[kentuck]

I recall the debate that went on at that time. Many DUers were against the death penalty. Some thought he was getting the justice he deserved. However, it seems to me, and maybe it's just my perception only, that we are not as compassionate or anti-capital punishment today as then. Perhaps the times have hardened our hearts and many of us have become right-wingers without us knowing it? Perhaps we have not changed at all? Do you recall your position at that time?

[H2O Man]

1. I am opposed

to capital punishment.

[spanone]

19. I too am opposed to capital punishment.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I was against McVeigh's execution then

and I'm against Saddam Hussein's execution now. And anybody else's, for that matter. I just consider capital punishment barbaric and uncivilized, no matter how dastardly the criminal might be.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. I am opposed to the death penalty

And those who think they got 'closure' should think again. Every anniversary of his execution is news worthy.

[Lex]

4. I've celebrated no one's death. Barbaric to do so, imho.

nt

[bklyncowgirl]

5. I'm opposed to the death penalty but I wasn't going to waste any tears over the likes of McVeigh

I'd rather worry about the poor slob with the incompetent lawyer and a prejudiced judge and jury.

[Mr. Blonde]

6. The only thing I really remember about it

was that it was delayed but one of the tabloids still ran a picture of his "corpse". I felt an amazing amount of indifference towards his execution. I didn't think he would live very long in prison if he weren't executed by the state.

[Nicole]

30. He wasn't executed by the state, he was executed by the federal govt.

McVeigh was not tried or sentenced in Oklahoma on state charges. He wasn't executed here either.

[L A Woman]

7. I recall it well and was quite sickened by it...

and I was certainly no fan of the guy but when the day actually came, I remember thinking, "Geez, is this the best we can do?" It just felt so wrong. How can you justify that? How can you kill another person so deliberately for killing other people so deliberately???? Where is the humanity and where is the logic?

[Monkeyman]

8. I am never happy with someones death no matter what

Seen to many die. Held to many in my arms as they went.

[EST]

9. Are we talking about that committed republican terrorist who, up

until 9-11, had the record for the biggest, most tragic act of terrorism on American soil?

I celebrate no one's death, unless they ask me to.

[JohnnyLib2]

10. No. I thought about his poor, sad father and sister.

And wish he had, too.

[Solon]

11. No, I oppose the death penalty, I didn't cry for him, but thought the punishment as barbaric as...

his actions. To be honest, I would have been more satisfied if he spent the rest of his natural life in jail with pictures of his victims lining the walls of his cell.

[Catch22Dem]

12. One's waning opposition to capital punishment doesn't make them a right-winger

At least I don't think so.

[Kagemusha]

13. I find it hard to get worked up about the death penalty

Not when the US, and many other countries, kill such vast numbers of people, innocent and guilty, in warfare. Few lives will be saved or lost on the death penalty issue. In contrast, the number of lives saved or lost in matters of war and peace is immense. That's why a lot of Iraqis see the fate of Saddam - which has not been in doubt since the start of his trial, if not the day of his capture - as irrelevant, compared to the men, women and kids being blown up or Black & Deckered in some dark room on a daily basis in Iraq.

[DURHAM D]

14. I did not celebrate - I felt the investigation

by the FBI was a cover-up and eventually we would need to ask Tim more questions. I think he was executed so quickly to shut him up and protect some wrong-doing by the federal government - including an unexplained death of an innocent man who was beaten to death by agents while in their (FBI) custody.

[Sapphire Blue]

15. I am not a member of the bloodthirsty lynch mob. I am a DP opponent. I do not celebrate executions.

The DP is not justice; it is nothing but vengeance.

May God / Goddess / Allah / Jehovah / YHWH / the Creator / Waheguru / the One have mercy on us, awaken our souls and restore humanity.

[Gwerlain]

16. Why do we kill people...

who kill people
to show people
that killing people
is wrong?

[Redstone]

17. Bet your ass I did.

Redstone

[LeftCoast]

18. I am opposed to the death penalty

Doesn't matter who it's applied to.

[brokensymmetry]

20. No - celebrating execution would injure me more

than it would anyone else.

[dave_p]

21. No

I can't imagine celebrating anyone's execution. I can imagine circumstances in which I might welcome the death of someone who's otherwise going to spread murder and misery, but a prisoner facing execution's unlikely to be in that position.

I don't even see execution as necessarily a harsher punishment then the alternative of life imprisonment; rather, it degrades all involved without necessarily offering "justice" for the severest crimes that it claims to punish - crimes for whose severity justice may indeed be impossible.

It isn't necessary for prevention, is of questionable deterrent value, doesn't necessarily punish well, soils all concerned, and appeals to the very bloodlust it claims to check. It fails on every count, and anyone not personally affected by the crime should be ashamed of themselves for reveling in it.

[Texasgal]

22. So if you are pro-DP

and you agree with it, then that means you "celebrate: It? :confused:

[951-Riverside]

23. No of course not and I'm for the death penalty but

I think the Saddam execution is WRONG, BARBARIC and UNFAUR.

[Hissyspit]

24. No. He knew more about the militia conspiracy he was part of. Can't ask him about that now.

Also, I'm anti-capital punishment.

[MrSlayer]

25. I was thinking he deserved far worse than merely being put to sleep.

I'll leave it at that.

[Bluerthanblue]

26. i spoke out quite loudly and passionately against his murder-

it struck me as really sad that so many people were angry at him for not showing remorse-
If he had shown remorse, i feel pretty certain that the same people would have accused him of only saying what he did to try and gain sympathy, or avoid death.

His quoting "Invictus" was pretty ironic- and i believe spoke more about how broken we as a society are, than how 'justice was done'- he wanted us to kill him- and we did, so who indeed was in 'control'?

I don't really think people have changed that much- i do think we are a LOT more arrogant and cruel about the stance we take though, and that is sad.

but this is a sad world

[NoPasaran]

27. No celebration

But I sure didn't shed any tears for that POS either.

[stevedeshazer]

28. The "death penalty" is MURDER.

When the GOVERNMENT condones murder by executing someone, we are ALL murderers, because we ARE the government.

[pitohui]

29. didn't waste much time weeping for tim mcveigh

my one objection was i felt more time and effort should have been spent discovering his co-conspirators .. so they could fry too!