No stay of execution for White Supremacist in Texas
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Vicious racist had no statement prior to execution and apparently neither did the outraged opponents of the death penalty
There were no celebrities or supernumeraries circulating petitions and voicing their objections to this execution. No rock stars or rap stars singing songs and making public statements of outrage. No. In this case the target for lethal injection was white, and his crime was killing a black man. There would be no mercy, nor clemency for Lawrence Russell Brewer. Apparently the death penalty is quite OK if the state’s victim is white.
Here’s the story:
The Troy Davis case isn’t the only big capital punishment story making headlines tonight. Texas authorities executed Lawrence Russell Brewer for his role in the brutal death of James Byrd Jr. in 1998, reports AP. Brewer and two other white men chained Byrd, a 49-year-old black man, to the back of a pickup and dragged him along an asphalt road for nearly three miles. (The driver purposely swerved back and forth along the way, notes KENS5.com.)
“No. I have no final statement,” said Brewer before receiving the lethal injection. An accomplice also is on death row, and the third man got life in prison. “One down and one to go,” said the retired sheriff from the case in East Texas. “That’s kind of cruel but that’s reality.”
The question is why all the disdain for the death penalty when the inmate is black and apparently not one shred of outrage if he is white?
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When three black men chain a 49 year old white man to the back of their pick-up and drag him to death over three miles of Texas asphalt, I’ll be sure to check how much protest their executions raise. I mean, on the off-chance the case actually sees a courtroom before they ‘commit suicide in police custody,’ a few seconds ahead of a lynch mob.
The term “in police custody” doesn’t mean the police have custody except for short term holding, usually a matter or hours, depending on the jurisdiction.
Suspects are arrested, processed, and then turned over to correction’s facilities. So, if one of them commits suicide it would be in the custody of “corrections” not the “police.” The police don’t run the jails and that’s a point that needs to be made.
Secondly, I can pretty much warrant that their executions, some 21 years later, would be challenged, and so-called eye witness accounts would be called into question. It happens in those cases where the condemned have now found Jesus, are writing books, and generally look like friendly forest elves.
Finally, when is the last time you heard about mob violence in the United States geared toward killing anyone, regardless of race?
Thanks as always for engaging the discussion. This is what it’s all about: the ability to express one’s thoughts and opinions, however unpopular, without fear of serious retribution.
I shouldn’t be laughing, but I must. Inmates as “friendly forest elves?” It’s true. Too many serial offenders look like the person next door. You could walk through a prison and find many inmates who seem like nice people until you find out that they’ve killed a dozen people. It’s often incongruous to imagine some of these people committing horrific crimes.
One of the reasons why I support life without possibility of parole, is that either a person has the opportunity to recognize and take responsibility for her/his crime; or, the person will never be repentant except that they are locked up for life.
In any event, there’s always the possibility of a person’s innocence, which is the most troubling aspect of all. An inmate can be released from jail, but not from death.
From your lips to my ears….Agreed my friend 🙂
As interesting note on the Brewer execution. The victim’s mother had asked that none of the three persons responsible for her son’s murder be executed. Another is that Dick Gregory (a black comedian and long time civil rights protester) was in Huntsville, Texas protesting Brewer’s execution. However Abhorrent the crime one who is offended by the thought of state murder is still offended.
I read about Dick Gregory and am writing a post now about the three executions that took place in the same week.
point taken, ‘in custody.’-ed
Secondly, I would warrant that three such defendants wouldn’t sit on death row longer than it takes to deny their one automatic appeal of the death penalty, and it wouldn’t add up to 21 years.
Finally, when was the last time you heard of three black men chaining a white man to the back of their pick-up truck and dragging him to death for kicks?
During the French Revolution beheadings were the major entertainment. Literally thousands gathered and cheered as the rich, the nobility, the intelligencia and the (gasp!) the Christians were put to death. Beheadings were so popular that cottage industries providing, food, drink, lodging and merriment grew up around the nearly daily bloodflow.
Seriously, beheadings during the French Revolution were akin to today’s college football tailgating parties. There were even female cheerleaders (not joking).
All this was great fun as long as there were plenty of lords and ladies, kings and queens, college professors, businessmen and priests to put to death. Alas, eventually commoners and even former leaders of the revolution (notably Maximilien Robespierre) were being executed and all the fun went out of the game. It is estimated that nearly 16,000 people were executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror.
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I. for one, am always opposed to the death penalty for any reason. I have refused to sit on juries when the death penalty is a possible outcome. The state need never commit murder, even as revenge for a heinous crime.
Bob, my friend, you never disappoint. Coincidentally I recently finished my 7th read of “A Tale of Two Cities.” Thanks for a great comment and I agree with every word written…..
There’s no need for a stay of execution if people stop getting executed. Being in solitary for the rest of one’s life with no hope of escape is a far more appropriate punishment.
Hey now hey now, Byrd’s son tried for as long as he could to be out there telling people he did not want this execution to go through, so there were some people voicing their opinions. Some of us can multitask when it comes to protesting the death penalty and some of us did last night. I would go all in with the info about the use of the death penalty and how it is administered unfairly, against poor and minorities but you know all that already so I won’t.
Well said Jess.
I’ve no doubt you can multitask Jess and no doubt that you did. What about the MSM however? I didn’t hear but perhaps a “by the way” casual mention. I didn’t hear Al Sharpton expressing his outrage, or even the amnesty folk. All I am asking is why is it that the condemned who are black seem to get more attention than those who are white? I think I know why but am hopeful someone else will come up with the answer.
I think you could compare this to the missing white girl syndrome with the news media. You know the one, girl goes missing she is white and it’s all over the place, person of color goes missing and we are forgotten unless a “name” steps in to help get the word out. Sensationalism sells unfortunately and there were many big names attached to the I am Troy Davis campaign. I am not saying it’s right, but sadly it is what it is with the public having the fascination with celebrity voices.
Yes! That’s it Jess. The disparity on both sides of that coin. Thanks. I was casting about looking for a simile and you provided one. Thanks you are so right 🙂 🙂
While the Troy Davis case sucked all the oxygen out of the capital murder cases over the past few days Brewer’s death did nothing to further the case of justice at all. He died to a mere footnote in any of the news media outlets around the country. Today there will be more murders in Texas and in the State of Georgia. Nothing has been accomplished.
Beautifully said my friend and I once again agree with you.