Personally, I think it is high time we started calling gang violence domestic terrorism, for that is exactly what it is. Innocent people are targeted for random violence and death, to make what is essentially a political point that “we own the streets here.” Gangs are a direct assault on America’s social order. Barack Obama doesn’t seem to mind that at all. But what do you expect from a guy that hangs out with Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright?

If you watch Obama’s speech from yesterday from Indiana,
after the vote,he was directly talking to African Americans
on “this is our time”!

Thankfully,thank g!d this is the Democrat’s nominee!

There is nothing more “least” than a guy shackled at the feet and hands with three guards on him. There is no “self-defense” in that situation.

Ed gives a secular conservative spin to opposing the DP, with which I whole heartedly agree. But to the commenter earlier who asked how a Christian can oppose the death penalty, I’d refer you to the Pope, the Patriarchs, the early Church fathers, I don’t know, Jesus, etc.

There are a number of conservative and thoughtful angles of attack on the DP. If we don’t trust the government with our mail, why are we so anxious to trust them with our fellow citizen’s lives?

How can any Christian conservative be in favor of the death penalty? After all, Jesus was sentenced to death capriciously, with insufficient evidence.

And if not for that, Christianity itself would not exist.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy people complaining about the killing of Christ. If you understood that the foundation of Christianity rests on the fact that he was sent here to die so as to redeem man’s sins. If He dies of old age, the whole thing falls apart.

YOU ANTI-DEATH PENALTY PEOPLE WITH YOUR “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO” B-S ARE LAUGHABLE! GO DOWN TO THE INNER CITY AND TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. SEE HOW LONG YOU LIVE.

I oppose the death penaltyincarceration because (a) it gets applied unfairly, (b) a number of people on Death Rowgeneral population were found to be innocent, (c) because I believe that the state has other acceptable means to keep murdererscriminals out of lawful society…

The man falsely accused but convicted of rape has spent 10-15 years in prison until DNA came along and exonerated him. The state can award him hundreds of thousand or million of dollars but they can never make him whole nor replace those lost years. That’s why I oppose incarceration.
What’cha say Ed, Enrique and others.

Some people are calling this a “Willie Horton” ad, and I guess that’s fair–Floyd Brown is behind both ads. Allah thinks it’s “lame” and presumably unfair, but I’m with Ace. If facts are unfair, too bad….

As for Ed and Allah, they have been wrong before and they will be again, no big deal.

And so (elitist) European/liberal. But I still love you E.

*blush*

That’s contradictory.

Enrique on April 22, 2008 at 1:16 PM

And so (elitist) European/liberal. But I still love you E.

“I get onto my own nerves” – The Race Card, that is hilarious :)

Ed Morrisey is against capital punishment and he’s against Ann Coulter and he wants to extend protections to Carter.
In what way is he Conservative?

So much for big tent.

Grow a pair.

As for YOU “Think_b4_speaking” read your Bible

you wrote

Funny, but our criminal justice system, including the death penalty, is based on biblical principles, so I don’t think we have anything to worry about there….

Think_b4_speaking on April 22, 2008 at 1:24 PM

NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT????? Really what planet are you on? the thing is you’re just flat out wrong Our Criminal justice system IS NOT base on biblical principles. at least not enough to support your idea that you have nothing to worry about….

And I think you over-reach in drawing the Horton connection. This ad simply states that in an area where most Americans view a proper repsonse for such violence is the DP, Obama disagrees. Maybe not the top issue on any ballot, but certainly another piece of the puzzle that is Barry O.

How can any Christian conservative be in favor of the death penalty? After all, Jesus was sentenced to death capriciously, with insufficient evidence.

The conservative view is that the criminal forfeited his life when he commited the crime.

Think_b4_speaking on April 22, 2008 at 1:21 PM

That’s not conservative, that’s simplistic and foolish. What happens when someone is wrongly convicted? As Ed pointed out, many people on death row have recently been exonerated thanks to new DNA evidence. Ed also noted that the death penalty is applied unfairly. It seems safer to err on the side of caution, and abolish the death penalty. As a conservative, I also err on the side of limiting government power.

Why is it that some “conservatives” belief in individual rights doesn’t extend to individuals accused/convicted of a crime?

And if they hadn’t misspelled “death.”

Those of you who are more concerned with the lives of murderers than the lives of innocent people — shame on you!

Blake on April 22, 2008 at 1:56 PM

Which innocent people are you talking about?

I can go either way on it. I favor it myself, but I am more than willing to drop it to enlarge the Republican tent to include those who are only comfortable if the party opposes it.

As Antonin Scalia pointed out, the Bible is quite clear that “the government does not wield the sword in vain.” (Romans 13). In heinous cases where there is no doubt whatsoever of guilt, then it is a just punishment and provides a sense finality to the loved ones of the victims in that justice has been served.