Christa Pikes is awake and ‘talking’

[wouldntyouwanthelp]

She’s out of the coma and talking to her lawyers. Aibu to think the state of Tennessee can’t possibly try to do the lethal injection again ? Surely not? People on Reddit are suggesting she might need an amputation of one of her arms because of how caustic pentobarbital is.

Christa Pike 'conscious and speaking at hospital' after failed execution in US
https://news.sky.com/share/13595950

There have been cases where families have advocated for forgiveness of the perpetrator and made statements requesting there is lenient or no punishment, such as where the perpetrator is a family member, community member or the family adhere to certain religious or cultural beliefs. We would not honour their wishes in these cases, so don't see the argument the other way round.

Your post made me think of the Martha McKay case.

He murdered her mother and cousin and was sent to prison, and she forgave him and advocated for his early release. She then employed him after his release, but then fired him for stealing. He then bludgeoned her to death.

Actually there’s been comparatively little research on the subject, but the most well known study would indicate the issue is with the lengthy process. It is one thing to say the process is harmful, but that is different to saying that execution itself has a negative impact on mental health. This is of course research you can be used to argue against the death penalty, but you could conversely also use it as an argument for accelerating the process.

“I'm sure May Martinez does believe it will help her. I'm also sure it won't. Sometimes, caring for someone's well-being and supporting them through trauma means you have to go against their wishes for their own benefit.”

This is what is patronizing, and laughable. You have no idea what impact executing Christa Pike would have on May Martinez, a woman you don’t even know. You merely want to believe this to be the case. Ultimately, you’re against the death penalty and would not be for executing Christa Pike even if you knew for a fact that not doing so would be harmful to May Martinez. Just own it.

Like I said before, I lean against the death penalty because on balance the cons outweigh the pros, even if one of those pros is the mental wellbeing of the victims families. It’s okay to just acknowledge that.

Yes. Being the family member of a victim of crime doesn't bring with it an inate wisdom and good judgement that qualifies a person to influence the law.

I have read most of the posts on this thread and made a few posts (I am anti-death sentence), and I want to ask the pro death/pro vengeance/ pro revenge posters a question.

Do you also hold the position, and post about it, that Islam/Sharia is not compatible with Western society?

I know nowt about Islam. I am ex Christian atheist. know the Bible, and I have seen a lot of Biblical phrases used here. "An eye for an eye" for example. That was originally in the slave laws of Exodus 21 and was later expanded to include all in Leviticus 24. But apparently Jesus done away with all that in his new covenant?

If I look up the equivalent in the Islamic faith though, I find the word "qiṣāṣ". And I think that is basically what many posters here are advocating for. I hope a Muslim poster will correct me on this or say what the Islamic law is. As I said, I do not know Islam.

Just an observation of potential hypocrisy really. Trump for example is a pro death sentence Christian but is also very vocal against Sharia.

Definitely this, even when publicity pushes them into the public profile and they seem useful to government.

Agree.

I posted many pages above that a good friend of mine was murdered in an horrific way, and I am against the death sentence. That post got a few likes and even a support tick, but no conversation.

I have a suspicion that if the pro mother posters here came across a thread by the mother, they might not say good things. Yeah, this is into victim blaming territory, but they were at a camp for troubled teens. And how to say this? The people saying Christa was violent in prison are ignoring that prisons are a potentially violent environment, are also ignoring where the murder happened.

You know, the people who advocate that anyone who does a crime should be thrown into a "life or death dungeon" for stealing a phone, are maybe the same people that say any crimes committed in that dungeon need the ultimate sentence.

Instead of reform.

I can’t believe that despite all the uncertainty, Texas executed a man overnight using the same drug.
The US is a third world country.

Sorry, wrong thread!

The issue isn't the drug, the issue is her veins and blood disorder that clots.
The court was warned that the drugs could result in unnecessary suffering to her, but decided they knew best.

Surely though the difference is under sharia law you can get stoned to death for an affair/not wearing a hijab… etc, it’s all very much disproportionate and woman centred.

With the death penalty in the US it’s for horrific crimes.

This. One of their politicians is encouraging citizens to pray for her death. These are vengeful evangelicals.

The drug is an issue because the ones used at the moment are usually either a cocktail that hasn't gone through quality control, illegally obtained (same problem) or old (same problem).

Reputable pharmaceutical companies won't supply execution drugs as it makes them look bad.

I am surprised that MAGA types want to encourage the idea that it is moral to pray for someone's death. They might be surprised how many people would be praying for that one little blood clot in the right place in a different candidate...

you need to read more about this. The drugs are a major issue.

It’s because their anti-abortion and pro-death penalty stance is about control and not the sanctity of life.

Everything about this case is barbaric. She was obviously a deeply disturbed and dangerous individual owing to an awful childhood, and I cannot imagine the pain Slemmer’s family have been through.

However it is extremely chilling seeing footage of a teenage girl being sentenced to death by electrocution.

I'm surprised that given her 'miraculous' failure to die, at least some of them aren't questioning whether it was 'God's will' she survived.
Imagine the cognitive dissonance employed to carry both the belief that God will listen to their prayers and finish her off, yet somehow overlooked the opportunity to take her when they executed her. Do they think He was busy and didn't realise? Or that He made an error of judgement and they can pray Him round?

I'm not religious, but if he existed, I think it's pretty obvious he doesn't want Pike to die. The childhood she survived, including all the suicide attempts, and now this?

If there is a higher power, it seems to want Pike to live. I don't get how anyone could argue otherwise.

"So now as I'm leaving, I'm weary as hell
The confusion I'm feeling, ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head, and they fall to the floor
That if God is on our side, he'll stop the next war..."

I understand your views. Not sure we can say 'most' people, without evidence. Otherwise, we're just projecting our own preference. I don't know anyone who would choose life in prison (i.e. until dying). No autonomy, no prospect of personal / career progression, no access to holidays / travel / consumer experiences. No new friends / quality people to enrich your life. No pets, no home to personalise, constant disrupted sleep, no privacy, no family to build.. I wouldn't do it.

I got told off for saying that. Apparently I don't understand nuance.

Nope, it's about control. Otherwise they'd give a wotsit for children once they are born,

Yet for some people, particularly the damaged, the vulnerable, those who struggle most to cope, who have been hurt by life; institutionalisation with the absence of responsibility and need for decision making, the routine, the guaranteed meeting of one's basic needs, is a valid preference.
Its also not quite right to say that life imprisonment removes all those things of value you list. Micro societies exist within prison populations where relationships can mirror those of family, where goals can be set and met, ambitions achieved, just not at the scale and in the same ways they can out in the world.
Also, to resist the loss of these things requires a person had them in the first place. Pike is a good example of a person who did not.

@5128gap insightful and wise post.

You wouldn’t.

but if your 18 years of life were rape, pain, suffering, abuse, starvation, beatings..waking up daily in fear of what those who are supposed to live you will do, let alone strangers….you have no money, no education, an abusive boyfriend dragging you into satanism. You are in a society with no mental health care, or health care if you can’t pay for it, and very little in the way of social security.

very little chance of breaking the cycle. Probably facing a life of numbing addiction.

you find yourself in prison. Warm, food. Not having to sell yourself to exist. While physical violence may exist, it’s probably not to the extent you know. Some people may even be kind to you. You have healthcare, libraries, exercise. Even solitary confinement might be comparatively peaceful.

i read a piece the other day about a British journalist who worked for More! back in the day. Interviewed CP. CP sent her a handmade card after thanking her for being nice.

found it: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6x2z2j8yjvgo