The New Yorker's David Grann explains why the new statement by Cameron Todd Willingham's ex-wife Stacy Kuykendall, who claimed over the weekend that the death row inmate confessed to killing their children in her last jailhouse meeting with him before his execution, is not worth taking seriously. Along those lines, here's my Sunday newspaper column about the Willingham case. Excerpt:
[Texas Gov. Rick] Perry is plainly afraid that his own investigators will discover that the state likely put a blameless man to death. But what is he afraid of? Political fallout? What is mere politics when the credibility of a system that might have killed an innocent man - and might yet kill other innocents - is at issue? Our skittish governor has taken to calling Willingham a "monster." Even if he was, we put men to death for their deeds, not their dispositions. He needed killin' is no rationale for execution.A real leader - a brave and honorable one - would want to know the truth, so that if evidence requires it, he and others responsible for Willingham's death could make restitution and repent for shedding the blood of a blameless man railroaded to his execution. If hard-hearted Perry is so certain of Willingham's guilt, why object to an investigation?
More importantly, if Willingham was wrongly put to death, all decent capital punishment supporters should want strict measures taken to ensure that this catastrophe never happens again. If we are going to have the death penalty, we have the solemn duty to use it responsibly. Right? Surely we Texans aren't the kind of people so enamored of retribution that the actual guilt or innocence of those executed in our names is of no real concern.
This is not only a problem for Rick Perry. We live in a democracy. It's on all of us. If Texas really did kill an innocent man, that's a terrible tragedy. But if Texas and its governor lack the courage to face the truth and deal squarely with it, the tragic act will be magnified by deep and lasting disgrace, and we will all stand condemned by our collective moral cowardice.
It's much harder to live with painful truths than with comforting lies.
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Here I thought, as the Catholic neoconservative George Weigel wrote last year, that states like Texas exemplified the culture of life. Thanks for pointing out the hypocrisy and bloodthirstiness of the Texas justice system.
IW: They didn't say they couldn't investigate. Gov. Perry appointed some new blood to the comission, that's what this is all about.
That's like saying President Nixon only got rid of Cox, Ruckelshaus and Richardson on that famed Saturday night because he wanted new blood in the Justice Department.
For those who haven't been following the case, Perry sacked two members of his own forensic science commission just before they were to hear a scientific analysis calling into question the arson investigation that formed the basis for executing Willingham. We will likely now not hear from the commission until after the gubernatorial election. This is utter cowardice on the governor's part -- and you watch, he'll get away with it too.
iw,
Exactly what aspects of the case have been concocted specifically to embarrass Gov. Perry?
Wouldn't it have been lower of Gov. Perry to let a potentially innocent man be executed than for mostly out of state people with no significant interest in whatever Perry is running for in Texas (governor, senator?) to at least raise questions about something that looks quite shady?
Conversation last night at dinner regarding the Willingham case and the polarized attitudes regarding the death penalty in general and this case specifics:
My friend said to me, "Look, Rawlins. The overwhelming majority of those put to death were guilty as hell. You wanta let everyone free just because some so-called innocent guy gets killed here and there? I'd rather take my chances and let the chips fall where they may."
To which I said, "So this is about the law of averages instead of being about life and death justice?"
"If that's the way you want to say it, yes."
That's like saying President Nixon only got rid of Cox, Ruckelshaus and Richardson on that famed Saturday night because he wanted new blood in the Justice Department.
There's no way I could improve on that reply.
I'll cast my first vote ever in a Texas Republican Gubernatorial primary this year, for Hutchison.
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