I am against the death penalty (let the flaming begin), but other than Tim McVeigh, I am hard pressed to find a better candidate for the ultimate penalty that this asshole:
jury convicted John Allen Muhammad of capital murder Monday, concluding he used a rifle, a beat-up car and a teenager who idolized him to kill randomly and terrorize the Washington area during last year’s sniper spree.
Jurors will now decide whether the Army veteran should be sentenced to death or life in prison. The penalty phase was to begin in the afternoon.
Part of me even wishes the execution will hurt, and I am embarassed to admit that.
Kimmitt
The death penalty (if we have it) is not inappropriate here, IMHO — but the man, for all his heinousness, is not a terrorist. He is a serial killer and an extortionist.
Dean
Kimmitt:
While you’re safe and sound in Hawaii, do not tell people in the greater Washington DC area whether Muhammed was or was not a terrorist. Anyone who had to fill gas during that period, or had kids in school after that one boy was shot, or rode the bus, can tell you whether or not this a**hole was a terrorist.
Kevin
Typical attitude of death penalty opponents. “Capital punishment is wrong except when I’m in favor of it.”
mark
The death penalty is NOT appropriate here? And, by the way, we DO have the death penalty…
And I would take strong issue when someone says that Mohammad is not a terrorist. As someone who lives in the DC area, he sure as hell terrorized a lot of people. Terrorists want to do as much as they can to “terrorize” people and scare them into not going aboujt their daily lives. When this was happening, schools would not hold recess outside. People were scared to drive up and get gas at a pump.
People were terrorized, no question about it.
John Cole
Kevin- I am not sure if you are talking about me, but I would have no problem with Mohammad spending the rest of his life behind bars. I am against the death penalty, and my statement was that even though I am agains tthe death penalty, this guy seems to be the most worthy of it of anyone I can think of. Not sure how that is a ‘typical’ response.
Kimmitt
Again, terrorism requires terror for a purpose — some kind of political gain. This man just got off on terrorizing people, which is what a serial killer does. We have appropriate laws for these people, which are different laws from the ones handling, say, Timothy McVeigh.
Donnie
“Terror for a purpose”?
There was, I seem to recall, a note asking for $10 million to end the shooting spree.
mark
Yes, Kimmit. We have appropriate laws for dealing with Mohammad. It is called capital murder. And the punishment is death.
Donnie
From the CNN coverage:
“The terrorism conviction is under a Virginia state law passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The terrorism charge required the prosecution to show that he was responsible for a murder aimed at intimidating the public or influencing the government.”
Slartibartfast
I find myself in unexpected agreement with Kimmitt on this. If “terrorist” is warped sufficiently out of shape, it begins to lose whatever meaning it might have had to begin with.
Muhammad is a murderer. Sure, by murdering, he induced terror. So did lots of other serial murderers. Doesn’t make them terrorists, though.
I, too, am against the death penalty, for the simple reason that it costs a lot more money to kill someone than it does to jail them until they die. If it weren’t for that, I’d be for it.
Moe Lane
Actually, mark, Kimmitt’s not arguing against the death penalty for Muhammad – he just doesn’t want him called a terrorist. Like Slart, as it stands I can see his point, even if it’s correct under current Virginia law to refer to Muhammad as one.
bg
All the research I know of states that lethal injection, while appearing painless, is actually quite painful. All your organs shut down one by one and you’re conscious, yet immobilized, for the duration.
So your wish is granted John.
mark
Moe,
I quote from Kimmit’s first post:
“The death penalty (if we have it) is not inappropriate here”
Sounds like he is arguing against the death penalty for Mohammad to me…
Slartibartfast
Reading comprehension, mark. “not inappropriate” essentially means “appropriate”.
mark
dang,
OK, I missed the “in” in front of the “appropriate.” My bad.
So I guess the new question is this: firing squad, hanging, electrocution, or lethal injection?
heh
Arash
I agree with Mark. He should be labeled a terrorists because he did terrorize. I live in the D.C. area too and people were scared; from the kids at schools and people at gasstations. I hope the that Malvo kids gets convicted too.
Donnie
Reading comprehension, heh heh…
BART: “Dad, are you licking toads?”
HOMER: “I’m not NOT licking toads…”
Reading comprehension, or obfuscatory writing?
Just sayin’.
Kimmitt
I plead guilty to the charge of rhetorical excess.
Slartibartfast
I didn’t think it was excess at all. On the contrary; I found it to be rather…conservative.