Linda Carty was on our "This morning" programme being interviewed by Gloria Hunniford who travelled to Texas Gatesville, oh dear god she so pulled the heart strings as a British Citizen  Her daughter came on with her new lawyer the two interviewers were so overcome they would have let her off there and now.

Hello Everyone,

I was just admitted to this forum and so glad I can express my opinion with the same like minded people.
I live in San Jose, CA and have written several letters to the editor of the San Jose Mercury News which all were not published.
Yesterday I saw their list of what they support that included the measure that will be on California’s  November ballot.  I wasn’t surprised to see that they the support the bill to eliminate the Death Penalty.

My letter to the editor was:

One important point is what the opponents of the death penalty DON’T SAY, the extreme cost of the appeal process that goes on for decades.  Compare California’s cost per inmate to Texas’s.  This malfeasance of justice needs to be fixed. This State saves millions of dollars per year with plea bargains  on capital cases that will not go to trial because of the death penalty threat. An effective tool to receive confessions of the guilty. Never before in history with the science of DNA that it is more certain that an innocent person does not receive the death penalty and the guilty do. Don't throw out the car because it needs a tune up. Yes, there needs to be an appeal process, but end the costly, unreasonable, never ending appeal process that serves as a miscarriage of justice.
Back in the 80’s I was a correctional officer at San Quentin where all of the death sentences are performed in California. I had the opportunity to actually work on the row for a few weeks.

I’ll contribute some of my observations in my following post.
Thanks for having me.

In most states, the members of an execution team are correctional officers that have been brought together for the purpose of preparing an inmate for his or her lawful execution.  In some states, a prison staff member performs the executioner duty ... injecting pre-filled syringes into an intravenous line, throws the switch on an electric chair, etc. In other states, those duties are performed by trained personnel.

Most of the members of this discussion board are supporters of the death penalty.  We have a few opponents as well, and that allows for a good discussion of the topic at hand.

Please know that I do support the death penalty and I'm not going soft on you all, but the question that begs to be asked is this:  Would you be willing to be the one that carries out the process of causing a condemned prisoner's death in an execution?  In other words, would you be willing to be the proverbial executioner?

In most states, the corrections department does not draw volunteers from the general public to perform this duty.  They are always either correctional officers, or people with training to carry out the duty, and in a few states; the warden is statutorily required to serve as the executioner. 

In answering my own question, I would have to honestly say that I could not perform the duties of an executioner.  I just couldn't see myself taking someone else's life; even though I would be carrying out a lawful court order and upholding the laws of the state in doing so. 

Again, I do support the death penalty, but as a born again Christian, I would have a very hard time with being the guy who does the deed.