Reply To: Capital Punishment

We currently have a high-profile case where a murderer who committed his crime before his nineteenth birthday is being considered for the death penalty.

As everyone is undoubtedly aware, the murderer is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and his crimes are:

-the bombing of the Boston Marathon, in which three innocents were killed, dozens maimed, and over 200 injured.

-the attacks and shootouts with Massachusetts police officers, in which one officer was killed and another grievously wounded.

-the construction of several additional explosive devices, presumably to be used for future attacks (in New York?)

He expressed no remorse for his horrific attack, no sympathy for the dead and injured, and actually bragged to his carjacking victim about being the perpetrator.

However, we are a country of laws. This requires that monsters like Timothy McVeigh and his ilk receive the same rights as anyone else.

In the case of Martin Grossman, I argued against capital punishment because of a) his age and b) his borderline-retarded mental state.

Grossman: one victim.

Tsarnaev: multiple victims.

Grossman: not premedited, committed in panic.

Tsarnaev: premeditated mass murder of innocents was his plan.

Grossman: borderline retarded.

Tsarnaev: average or above average intelligence.

Grossman: knew what he did was wrong.

Tsarnaev: probably believed that was he did was heroic (although he obviously knew it was wrong per U.S. law)..

Grossman: guilty beyond doubt (confession and other evidence)

Tsarnaev: guilty beyond doubt (confession and other evidence)

What are your thoughts about executing Tsarnaev?

-What cases, if any, make you rethink your position re: capital punishment?

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