Thursday, September 8, 2011
IN COLD BLOOD
Last night, I watched about 24 minutes of the Republican candidates for president forum on MSNBC, and that was all I could take. I missed the portion of the debate shown in the video. The applause at the mention of 234 executions which took place during the terms of Rick Perry as governor of Texas is chilling, even before Perry's explanation that he doesn't struggle with the executions, at which point the audience erupts in wild applause.
I remember my horror at reading Truman Capote's book In Cold Blood, about the murder of the Clutter family in Kansas by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Each time I hear about a state execution I think of the title of Capote's book. What is a state execution if not killing in cold blood?
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
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Our murderously inclined fellow citizens have always been fond of their bloodthirsty, floor spitting, bullying tendencies...makes one wonder just how far they will go to let their self-righteousness, fear and hatred run out of control.
ReplyDeleteThey´ve always been there, it´s just in since the reign of terror of the ignoramous George Bush that they take a outward pride in being thugs, bigots and thieves.
Fools names and fools faces, always appear in public places! This Perry fellow is a real live human mess.
It has been evident for a long time that Fundamentalist Christians (Evangelical, Roman Catholic or Anglican) are really practioners of a religion that antedates Christianity or Judaism - it is the religion that believes in the necessity of blood sacrifice. They are pagans with a very thin veneer of Christian language and imagery over their true god, the one Jesus called "The Prince of this World." It is indeed shocking to see them take center stage in our society with very little push back from the churches, elected officials or the media. One wonders just how much blood letting their god will demand and they will provide.
ReplyDeleteBurl
Well said, Leo and Burl.
ReplyDeleteI can hardly take pride in my State of Louisiana, which ranks 9th in per capita numbers of executions.
It seems to me that abortion is the only form of killing the right doesn't like.
ReplyDeleteHappily, I was teaching class during the debate, and I just can't bring myself to watch any of it. Too ugly a freak show for my taste.
Counterlight, don't forget endless life support for those who are terminal. Before you're born and when you're on your death bed is when they care. In between, to hell with you.
ReplyDeleteI hate to point it out but from Wikipedia. "Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States are the only developed countries that have retained the death penalty"
ReplyDeleteBrian R., I know. It's to our shame.
ReplyDeleteWhat Burl Said: I could not say it any better!
ReplyDelete