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Opinion Round-Up

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The Arkansas Times has the editorial, "Stop the death machine."More than one prominent public servant has concluded that opposition to the death penalty must be expressed as long as there's a chance to do so. Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller's last official act was to spare the lives of 15 prisoners on Arkansas's Death Row. ?What earthly mortal has the omnipotence to say who among us shall live and who shall die?? he asked in 1970. ?I cannot and will not turn my back on lifelong Christian teachings and beliefs merely to let history run out its course on a fallible and failing theory of punitive justice.? Though dramatic, Rockefeller's grant of clemency was not entirely a surprise. He was known to oppose the death penalty. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, on the other hand, had tolerated capital punishment throughout his judicial career, until a few months before retirement in 1994...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on April 24, 2008 (boomark / email).