Downtown developments
The recent execution of Mark McClain has renewed my interest in the death penalty. I am a firm believer in it, although it has been pointed out to me on numerous occasions that sometimes those executed have been innocent; it is far more likely that 99 percent of all executions are of guilty people. In the 1972 case, Furman v Georgia, some bleeding hearts petitioned the Supreme Court claiming it to be cruel and unusual punishment and at the time the Court agreed. In 1976, Gregg v Georgia, the Court reversed that opinion and reinstated the death penalty. The problem with the 1972 decision was all of those sitting on death row had their sentences commuted to life in prison and when the decision was reversed in 1976 the death penalty was not reinstated to those individuals; therefore, the citizens had to continue to pay for their "room and board," as it were, until they died in prison. This day and time it takes too long to execute anyone, thereby lessening the deterrent factor and dragging out the suffering of the victim's family.
I have always believed that the punishment should fit the crime. Not so much an eye for an eye but a death very similar to the way the criminal violated the victim and in a public venue. It brought to mind a case I studied in the mid-90s. A sadistic human being put a pencil in a victim's ear then used his boot to kick it into her brain, thereby killing her instantly. This same sadistic being should have been executed in the same manner on closed circuit television for all to see.
Appeals should be limited to no more than three and should be done within three years of sentencing; none of this dragging out for 14 years or more. With DNA testing as sophisticated as it is there should be no hesitation if physical evidence was recovered at the scene. It would have been nice if the victims could have had 14 years more in their lives but they had no appeals. Cruel and unusual should apply to the victims as well as the one who committed the crime. For child molesters, child murderers and abusers of children, the death penalty should be automatic unless the courts see fit to put these people in the general population after spreading the word of their crimes. There is even a justice system within the prisons for people who harm children. Better yet, all murderers, rapist, child molesters or other heinous individuals should be transported to an island thousands of miles from any land and dropped off to survive or die.
Two stores are closing downtown. The Army Recruiting Office has already moved and the video rental place will soon be a business of the past. I hope no more garish businesses such as another title pawn takes their places.
That is certainly not what I would call revitalizing the downtown area. I do have it on good authority that an antique store will be opening in November in the downtown area.
