Capital Punishment

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:03 pm

well said Audrey, I have such mixed feelings about
her, she was such a pathetic victim of her upbringing (or lack of it). I think the whole story was very sad, I wish they didn't kill her.

Smudgeman · Post by **Smudgeman** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:10 pm

I agree, she was in desperate need of help! She clearly had signs of a personality disorder. I do not condone what she did, but her case is similar to the Andrea Yates story, in that the women were clearly mentally deranged. They need psychiatrict help instead of death.

Audrey · Post by **Audrey** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:32 pm

I have a tremendous amount of compassion and sympathy for Andrea Yates. Although I have not read a lot about her and her case, what I have read makes me really mad-- at her husband. She was clearly mentally ill and yet he moves her with their small children into a camper? He is all boo-hoo on TV and divorces her but smugly claims to have compassion for her-- and that he cares for her still. I don't believe he cares for her one bit--if he even ever did.

She had no business being left alone with those children for even 5 minutes... Period. Anyone close to her should have known that.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 11:48 pm

Wournous and Yates are not the same, in my opinion. I've read a book on each. I thought Yates husband was almost as guilty as Yates herself, but I have found out more about him and the family she comes from. I have more understanding of why things happened.

The difference, is, I believe, that Yates had a psychotic break after years of undiagnosed post-partum depression and she was also schizophrenic. She truly was insane.

Howeverr, Wournos is that creature we designate as a sociopath or anti-social personality. That is always found sane in our courts. They know reality and right from wrong but don't give a damn. Wournos had poor impulse control and made sure she put herself in the victim position so she could rationalize her killing. She also took drugs and drank to lower her inhibitions, like Ted Bundy.

I'm sure a lot of these killers had some terrible abuse in their past- but not all. Some just are missing a piece of humanity.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:11 am

I've been remembering a local newsman who was new and very young and for one of his assignments in his second year here they sent him to observe a death penalty victim/prisoner's execution. As soon as I knew it I was yelling at the TV, "Don't send Him! Don't send Him--he'll never be the same again!"
He was young, sweet and cute and he had a sparkle in his eye.

After, I noticed immediately he seemed depressed, and I looked intently for that sparkle in his eye and it was gone.

To me, his innocence was lost and it saddened me. And all he did was observe and report.
I don't see him on TV anymore. I don't know what happened to him.
It's very sad.

Miller · Post by **Miller** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 11:10 pm

County jails are often worse than most prisons and convicted prisoners, as opposed to those awaiting trial or sentencing have it better than those waiting to be sent to the "joint".

We watched a program on Sing Sing on the History Channel this weekend. Not a good place to be, especially back in the 20's and 30's.