Criminal Apologists
I clicked on Google News to see the CNN headline "Family, friends celebrate Troy Davis' life at a funeral" pop up to the very front of my search results. Generally, such coverage is restricted to things like Michael Jackson's death(which STILL hasn't gone away, thanks to the Conrad Murray trial), Amanda Knox's latest courtroom fiasco, and North Korea's latest attack(why haven't we heard anything from them for a while?).
The article does not waste any time in trumpeting the proclamation of Davis as a martyr--despite the fact that he went through multiple appeals, made his case before multiethnic juries, and has never been found close to innocent. His victim's name is mentioned four times in the article--though one would presume that an officer killed for doing his duty is also, in some sense, a martyr.
While it is not in good taste to speak ill of the dead, Davis is not a martyr. He paid the price that you pay for mortal sin, and his reformation in prison and the state of his soul are now between him and his creator. The full nature of the "recantations" of the seven witnesses who named Davis the murderer have never been revealed. And there are eyewitnesses who have testified beyond reasonable doubt that Davis was the murderer.
It is alarming to see the media fall over and over again for charismatic criminals who know how to generate the soundbites that make for good coverage. Whether it's "high spirited" Amanda Knox("Foxy Knoxy") or "I am Troy Davis" Davis, a way with words does not excuse the criminal from the consequences of a crime.
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Re: Criminal Apologists
If you haven't given it a read, Ann Coulter's book, Demonic, discusses this sort of media, and cultural, hysteria surrounding criminal trials through the Central Park Jogger case.
It's a very detailed and lengthy chapter, so I struggle to summarize it, but she essentially describes how, after an unfavorable ruling, those on the left will try to instill doubt in the court system as justification for revamping it to their favor:
She goes on.
It's forceful language, so take of it what you will, but her general point is that a politically correct and advantageous narrative must be fulfilled, otherwise "liberals automatically denounce criminal trials as unfair."
Feb '11
Re: Criminal Apologists
The only mis-justice about the death penalty is the unconscionable delay between sentencing and execution. The last thing i'd do if one of my loved ones was murdered is initate the criminal "justice" system by contacting the police. If you want a job done right, do it yourself...
Dec '10
Re: Criminal Apologists
And even if Troy Davis' attorney was correct, Troy Davis was still guilty of murder. Specifically, felony-murder. There is no doubt whatsoever that Davis was one of the guys who beat up a vagrant which resulted in the death of the off-duty officer.
The Supreme Court, basing its ruling on...nothing, decided that felony-murder is not sufficient for capital punishment, you have to be the "trigger man," as it were.
And you really have to concede a lot to even have doubts that he was the trigger man. But eve if you concede everything, he's a remorseless murderer.
Dec '10
Re: Criminal Apologists
Troy Davis met his maker via the hands of the state in the same week as Lawrence Russell Brewer. Who's he, you ask? Mr. Brewer was one of the white supremacist scumbags that murdered and mutilated James Byrd in 1998. Didn't you see the massive coverage of the multitudes protesting his impending execution? No. Of course you didn't. You see Lawrence Russell Brewer was a white man who murdered a black man. Nothing to see here. Good riddance. All sides in silent assent.
What gets the left's juices flowing is when a black criminal murders a white. Well then there are all sorts of mitigating circumstances, emanations and penumbras to throw a wrench into the death machine. And if the victim is a white cop? All the more reason to spare the poor oppressed minority railroaded victim.
But aren't we all used to the hypocrisy of the left by now?
Jul '10
Re: Criminal Apologists
No wonder I don't follow the paleomedia.
Re: Criminal Apologists
Agreed. My first impulse would be exactly the same. But I think we would both be restrained by the secondary conservative impulse against vigilantism, in order to let the state do its job of rendering justice, however slow and imperfect it might be, and attempt to change the law to reduce the gap. Which is why I get really, really irritated when the state forfeits its basic obligation to uphold a right to life through punishment and deterrence of murderers and silences attempts to change the law with judicial proclamations.
Re: Criminal Apologists
And Funeral Guy, I saw that article as well--nestled in a tiny corner of the news page which was overflowing with Troy Davis's appeal antics. My first response was elation. A white guy brutally murdered a black guy in the American South, and he is executed. A black guy brutally murdered a white guy in the American South, and he is executed. There is coherence to the application of the law in both cases. Good for America.
Jan '11
Re: Criminal Apologists
Not only did Davis murder, he killed a cop......to the Left this makes him heroic...these executions should be carried out quickly(within a year).......In Pa. you have Mumia that gets far more coverage than Davis ever will....I live a block from the Danny Faulkner plaque and so am always reminded.......