Florida Taxpayers $51 Million Dollar per Year For Death Penalty Killing Machine
By Mary Hamer
22 January, 2013
Countercurrents.org
Letter Submitted to: Florida Governor Scott, President Obama, the United Nations, the US Dept. of Justice, Senator Nelson, Senator Rubio, the Florida Taxpayers & to all of Humanity:
*PURPOSE: The purpose of this essay is to investigate: “Why do Florida Taxpayers spend $51 Million dollars per year paying for Florida's Death Machine of: Judges, Attorneys, Clerks & Appeals, Habeas corpus & Florida Supreme Court cases -- to support Florida's Capital Killing Machine?” – When this money could be used for Children, Education, Medical programs, the Elderly & other Social programs? Is the Historical old Southern Lynch Mob mentality so powerful in Florida that is drives the Kill ethic? Are Judges, Billionaires & their Political Action Committees fueling this $51 Million dollar killing machine? Are Florida Taxpayers Psychopaths who Love to Kill people? & Where's the Logic to Florida's Anti-Abortion Let's Honor the Life of Fetuses & Let's Kill the Criminals philosophy?
*KEY SECTIONS: The Key Sections to this paper are: I. The Florida Death Penalty Killing Machine is Expensive. II. Florida's Lynch Mob Mentality. III. Judges, Billionaires & Political Action Committees. IV. Florida's Old Hard/Tough on Crime ethic. V. Florida Psychopaths? VI. Florida Honors Fetuses, But Murders People. VII. Conclusion & Final Comments.*Dedication to Paul Howell, Scheduled to be Executed in Florida on 2/26/13.
I. FACT: The FLORIDA DEATH PENALTY is EXPENSIVE for TAXPAYERS: (1)
“What is the price for Vengeance on society's worst killers?” “Florida would save $51 Million each year by punishing all first-degree murderers with life in prison without parole” – rather than punishing these offenders with the Death Penalty.” (2) “The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases.” (3)
II. FLORIDA LOVES to KILL PEOPLE: Florida's Lynch Mob Mentality.
“Evidence shows that innocent people have been sentenced to death and that serious legal errors infect the administration of capital punishment.“In response to growing concerns about (Wrongful convictions for the Death Penalty), many states have suspended executions or experienced a decline in the use of capital punishment, but most SOUTHERN STATES have continued to condemn and execute large numbers of people who disproportionately are poor and racial minorities. “ (4) Southern states including Texas, Florida, Georgia & Alabama execute relatively large numbers of people including the poor & racial minorities. There are many reasons for this Southern Kill ethic: The Historical Southern Lynch-mob ethic, The God, Biblical & Christian-ordained & sanctioned homicide, Poor quality elected State judges compared to more competent appointed Federal judges who write more scholarly intelligent decisions, Judges under threats of losing votes & elections due to 3rd party billionaires & their powerful political action committees & Elected judges who override a jury's verdict.” (5)
III. FLORIDA'S JUDGES, BILLIONAIRES & POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
*Are Florida's judges free to adjudicate cases based on the Rule of Law? Or are Florida's judges threatened by the Billionaire Koch Brothers & their Political action committee Americans for Prosperity? “The mission of the Kochs, hiding … behind their super PAC (Americans for Prosperity), is to get … justices dumped at the polls so that (Florida's) Governor Rick Scott can appoint replacements.” (A) “In a bid to remake Florida's judiciary, Republicans are asking voters to oust … state Supreme Court justices and give the Legislature greater power over Supreme Court appointments and judicial rules of procedure.” (B) “The Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity is releasing ads targeting the Florida Supreme Court.” (C) Hence Florida's judges are being threatened by a Republican agenda. (6)
IV. FLORIDA'S Old HARD on CRIME Ethic. The NEW Thinking is SMART on CRIME.
Florida's Hard or Tough on Crime ethic is an old, outdated concept that only serves to divide the community, harm the victim & harden the criminal. (7)
*RESTORATIVE JUSTICE perspective: “Traditional discussions about crime often frame the debate as only having two opposing positions: Is justice hard on crime or is it soft on crime?” While the Hard on crime & Soft on crime philosophies are either strong on ACCOUNTABILITY of the Offender towards the Victim & society, but weak on SUPPORT for the Offender or vice versa – The Restorative Justice point of view does not believe in this rigid Win-Lose form of categorical thinking. Rather, Restorative justice believes that the justice system can foster a Win-Win approach for both the Offender, the Victim & Society in terms of the Accountability & Support criteria with a “Smart on Crime” approach. *The ”Hard-on-Crime (attitude towards offenders has) (a) destructive effect: It hardens offenders from truly growing and changing, and makes them feel (angry & bitter) like ‘victims' of circumstances. (It would be better) to motivate (offenders) to become responsible for their actions as well as for the well-being of the (victim) & community.” (8)
V. PSYCHOPATHS & The REPUBLICAN PARTY's PLATFORM on CRIME:
A. Psychopath Definition: The definition of Psychopath includes the following traits: “Grandiose sense of self-worth, Lack of remorse or guilt, Emotionally shallow, Callous/lack of empathy & Failure to accept responsibility for one's actions.” Psychopathy is a: “Personality disorder that has been ... characterized by shallow emotions (Reduced fear, a lack of empathy), cold-heartedness, egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, criminality, antisocial behavior, a lack of remorse.” (9)
B. The Republican Party's Platform on Crime includes: “Criminals behind bars cannot harm the public; The Republican Party Supports the Death penalty; It states: Harsher penalties for certain crimes.” (10)
C. Observation: There are many similarities between the traits of a Psychopath, the Republican Party's Platform Hard on Crime agenda & Florida's Death Penalty.
VI. FLORIDA REPUBLICAN PARTY OPPOSES ABORTION & YET KILLS CRIMINALS.
FLORIDA'S COGNITIVE DISSONANCE & LOGICAL INCONSISTENCIES.
“Most of the GOP's national and state candidates oppose abortion.” & yet “Most of the GOP's membership favors capital punishment. (11) For example, Florida Governor Scott “Opposes federal abortion funding” & Yet “Supports Capital punishment for certain crimes.” (12) Where's the logic in the Death Penalty reasoning?: Honor the Life of fetuses, but Kill the people?
VII. CONCLUSIONS:
*Why do Florida Taxpayers pay $51 Million dollars per year to support the Florida Death Penalty Killing Machine? What motivates Florida Taxpayers to fund $51 Million dollars for Florida's Execution Machine – during a difficult economic recession? Are Florida Taxpayers Lynch Mobs living out historical racist agendas? Are Florida Taxpayers so Obsessed with the Hard/Tough on Crime ethic – that they are willing to Murder a human being? Are Florida Taxpayers Psychopaths? i.e. Anti-Social, Cold-hearted, Egocentric people who have a Grandiose sense of Self- importance, who are Emotionally shallow people, who Lack remorse for the Execution of a human being?
*FINAL COMMENTS: Why I Mary Hamer am Against the Death Penalty:
Where Hillary Clinton said: "It takes a Village to Raise a Child" (13) – I believe that “It takes a Village to Make a Criminal”. (14) Yes, the individual person is responsible for his/her actions & Violence is wrong. But, I believe that society is responsible for many of the underlying causes of violence including: Poverty, racism, child abuse, drug abuse & untreated mental disorders. We human beings are all Connected. Hence I am against the Death Penalty.
*The AMERICAL CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU) states: “A decent and humane society does not deliberately (in a pre-meditated fashion & with ceremony) kill human beings. An execution is a dramatic, public spectacle of official, violent homicide that teaches the permissibility of killing people to solve social problems -- the worst possible example to set for society. In this century, governments have too often attempted to justify their lethal fury by the benefits such killing would bring to the rest of society. The bloodshed is real and deeply destructive of the common decency of the community; the benefits are illusory.” (15)
*The AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION also states: “When the government metes out vengeance disguised as justice, it becomes complicit with killers in devaluing human life and human dignity.” (16)
The UNITED NATIONS Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article #3 & #5 state: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” & “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. (17) The Dealth Penalty not only denies a person life as a form of cruel, inhumane & degrading punishment – But it is rises to the level of barbaric, savage & sadistic criminal behavior of the society that in a pre-meditated, willful & malicious way executes this violent act.
*DEDICATION: I Mary Hamer MD dedicate this essay to Mr. PAUL HOWELL who is scheduled to be Executed by Florida Governor Rick Scott & the Florida Taxpayers on February 26th, 2013 at 6 PM EST. While Mr. Howell will be lying on the Death gurney in Raiford, Florida having a lethal cocktail of a Barbiturate, a Paralytic & Potassium solution (18) injected into his veins -- Most Floridians are going to be leisurely eating their dinners & watching the evening news in their comfortable homes with their children & pets. Bon apetite & Cheers to Florida. For the record, I Mary Hamer Apologize to the Universe & humanity for Florida's cruel, pre-meditated & barbaric act committed against Paul Howell & all the other Death Row inmates awaiting execution or already murdered. I Mary Hamer also officially withdraw my name from the human race -- because I will not participate in or condone this legalized crime perpetrated by the Florida Governor, the Judges, the State Attorneys & the Florida people.
Thank you kindly. Respectfully & Humbly,
Mary Hamer, MD.
Florida, A Death Penalty State.
I Love You Paul Howell. I am with you in Spirit.
REFERENCES:
1. Letter To Florida Governor Rick Scott: 10 Reasons To Abolish the Death Penalty ...www.countercurrents.org/hamer131212.htm.
2. www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=108 . The High Price of Killing Killers. By S.V. Palm Beach Post. January 4, 2000.
3. Death Penalty : The High Cost of the Death Penalty
www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42 .
4. Equal Justice Initiative. eji.org. Death Penalty.
5. Why Do American Southern States Love To Kill People? By Mary ...www.countercurrents.org/hamer030113.htm.
6. Florida's Judges: The Rule of Law vs. the Hard on Crime Ethic? By Mary Hamer. 1/18/13. PR Log. www.prlog.org . Referencing: A. Billionaire Koch brothers try to buy state's court - Carl Hiaasen ... ( http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=hiassen%20 ...) www.miamiherald.com . 9/29/12.
B. GOP Aims to Remake Florida Supreme Court - New York Times ( http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=lizette%20 ...) Lizette Alvarez.www.nytimes.com/.../republican-party-aims-to-remake-florida-supre... 10/2/12,
C. Koch Brothers Set Sights on Florida Supreme Court Justices ...Ashley Lopez.fcir.org/.../koch-brothers-set-sights-on-florida-supreme-court-justices...10/1/12.
7. Florida's Judges: The Rule of Law vs. the Hard on Crime Ethic? By Mary Hamer. 1/18/13. PR Log. www.prlog.org .
8. Hard or Soft on Crime? Restorative Justice
www.bcrjp.org/about...restorative-justice/hard-or-soft-on-crime .
9. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy. Referencing: Skeem, J. L.; Polaschek, D. L. L., Patrick, C. J., Lilienfeld, S. O. (15 December 2011). "Psychopathic Personality: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Evidence and Public Policy". Psychological Science in the Public Interest 12 (3): 95–162. doi:10.1177/1529100611426706.
10. Republican Party on Crime. ( http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Republican_Party_Crime.htm ) Source: 2012 Republican Party Platform, 200- to 2012.
11. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_of_Florida.
12. www.ontheissues.org/Rick_Scott.htm .
13. www.happinessonline.org/LoveAndHelpChildren/p12.htm .
14. Mary Hamer.
15. The Case Against the Death Penalty. users.rcn.com/mwood/deathpen.html.
16. deathpenalty.procon.org › ... › Is the death penalty immoral? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in an Apr. 9, 2007 website section titled "The Death Penalty: Questions and Answers.
17. United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml .
18. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection.
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