the hard goodbye
September 2, 2009 7:09 PM Subscribe
In 2004, Texas executed an innocent man. Cameron Todd Willingham was one of 204 killed by the State of Texas since 1982.
This post was deleted for the following reason: please post this in the open thread -- jessamyn
Actually, the Tribune link is the same. I thought the post page checked for that?
posted by smackfu at 7:16 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by smackfu at 7:16 PM on September 2, 2009
Is Cameron Todd Wilingham the new James Brown? (you're the third Double on this story, I believe)
posted by wendell at 7:17 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by wendell at 7:17 PM on September 2, 2009
This post will be executed... TEXAS STYLE!
posted by educatedslacker at 7:18 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by educatedslacker at 7:18 PM on September 2, 2009
Now, now: according to Justice Scalia (our nation's preeminent jurist), a suspect's actual guilt or innocence is immaterial to whether or not they should be executed.
posted by Avenger at 7:24 PM on September 2, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Avenger at 7:24 PM on September 2, 2009 [3 favorites]
Can't we just give it back to Mexico?
posted by bardic at 7:25 PM on September 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by bardic at 7:25 PM on September 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Can't we just give it back to Mexico?
Can they take Florida, too? If we pay them?
posted by dilettante at 7:29 PM on September 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Can they take Florida, too? If we pay them?
posted by dilettante at 7:29 PM on September 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Plexi, this story has been making the round of the local papers for a while, and I've been somewhat following along. While the recent statements from the fire investigators are damning, and while I'd like to see some heads roll (figuratively, of course) over this if it turns out that he was actually railroaded, I do not believe that he's actually been declared innocent quite yet.
I'd love it if Texas were to declare a moratorium on the death penalty. It's onerous, hateful, unevenly applied, and probably not at all effective in reducing crime, except for maybe 203 or 204 cases of potential recidivism. Recently, our legislature failed to pass "life without parole" sentencing laws precisely because they knew that such a law would be the beginning of the end of the death penalty in Texas. The bastards who voted it down need to be thrown out of office.
Despite how I feel about all this, your first sentence there is misleading and not yet certain to be true. I'm hoping that it wasn't intended specifically for the popular sport of Texas-bashing. I know I should flag and move on, but maybe, just maybe, if this thread hasn't been deleted by the time I've finished typing about this, we can actually talk here, instead of just pointing and shouting "THEM!"
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:37 PM on September 2, 2009
I'd love it if Texas were to declare a moratorium on the death penalty. It's onerous, hateful, unevenly applied, and probably not at all effective in reducing crime, except for maybe 203 or 204 cases of potential recidivism. Recently, our legislature failed to pass "life without parole" sentencing laws precisely because they knew that such a law would be the beginning of the end of the death penalty in Texas. The bastards who voted it down need to be thrown out of office.
Despite how I feel about all this, your first sentence there is misleading and not yet certain to be true. I'm hoping that it wasn't intended specifically for the popular sport of Texas-bashing. I know I should flag and move on, but maybe, just maybe, if this thread hasn't been deleted by the time I've finished typing about this, we can actually talk here, instead of just pointing and shouting "THEM!"
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:37 PM on September 2, 2009
Is Cameron Todd Wilingham the new James Brown? (you're the third Double on this story, I believe)
Ah, then there's that.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:40 PM on September 2, 2009
Ah, then there's that.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:40 PM on September 2, 2009
This is actually (at least) A tripple. The NYer article was actually really good.
posted by delmoi at 7:42 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by delmoi at 7:42 PM on September 2, 2009
Recently, our legislature failed to pass "life without parole" sentencing laws precisely because they knew that such a law would be the beginning of the end of the death penalty in Texas. The bastards who voted it down need to be thrown out of office.
That's amazing.
posted by delmoi at 7:43 PM on September 2, 2009
That's amazing.
posted by delmoi at 7:43 PM on September 2, 2009
Why on earth does he have a car leaving a field on his gravestone?
posted by tellurian at 7:44 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by tellurian at 7:44 PM on September 2, 2009
Naw, this probably isn't about Texas-bashing...
*glances at tags*
huh. never mind, as you were
posted by sleevener at 7:49 PM on September 2, 2009
*glances at tags*
huh. never mind, as you were
posted by sleevener at 7:49 PM on September 2, 2009
Also interesting that this wasn't a case solved by new DNA evidence.
posted by delmoi at 7:55 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by delmoi at 7:55 PM on September 2, 2009
The author was interviewed this afternoon on All Things Considered.
posted by bz at 7:55 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by bz at 7:55 PM on September 2, 2009
Augh! I posted when I meant to preview. David Grann, from the New Yorker, was the interviewee.
posted by bz at 7:58 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by bz at 7:58 PM on September 2, 2009
For those of you who want to give Texas and Florida back to Mexico (although Fl was a Spanish colony but never part of Mexico), they are apparently working on it. As an added bonus they would get Arizona and Sheriff Arpaio, who would be just the guy to stand up to the drug cartels.
posted by TedW at 8:00 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by TedW at 8:00 PM on September 2, 2009
FWIW, I intend to retire in Mexico. If the US hands it over, I won't have so far to drive, I guess, so what the hell. Though this is not my favorite part of Mexico at all.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2009
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2009
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posted by Mister_A at 7:12 PM on September 2, 2009 [3 favorites]