I posted an article from Fort Worth on the front page of this web site entitled "Scholarships from Death Row." I want to know what you all think of this, because it strikes me as a little weird.

A group of death row inmates, or friends of death row inmates and anti-death penalty people, have started handing out scholarships to people. they apparently have awarded one to a young man who's father was killed in the infamous "windshield" case in Fort Worth. He certainly deserves much assistance, but it was curious to me that he got the scholarship after being urged to apply, and after he made comments in trial that he forgave his father's killer.

I guess I'm wondering if someone who wasn't as forgiving of a crime would stand a chance of getting some money from the friends of death row inmates...

Why couldn't they make the contribution without the publicity? Because the purpose of the contribution (as the concluding quote in the article implies) is to take one more step in the abolition of the death penalty.

Reminds me a little bit of the story in the Bible between the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee made a pretty public expression of his great qualities. The Tax Collector quietly confessed his sins.

Everything can be changed with the right press, eh?

For another example of how abolitionists continue to use publicity as a means to an end, check out today's Austin American Statesman. Despite the execution of the defendant, following complete litigation of his claims, lawyers have taken their case to an international tribunal. Not to get relief. But to get publicity.

Death penalty abolitionists are very coordinated in their publicity. They now are using their own "studies" to attack the death penalty and then following up with press releases that get printed by some newspapers as Gospel. For the latest, check out the Statesman article in today's paper.

Not a single specific problem is identified. There is just a general, repetitive drumbeat of "can't be a fair trial" because of "incompetent" lawyers.

That's because all the good lawyers, I guess, are trying the really juicy cases like the one in Galveston (see the Crazy Defense thread).