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.