Red Cushion

Injustice of the Death Penalty

Before you instantly judge this post by its title, take the time to read the post! Most people who know me are aware of my strong position of support for capital punishment, most notably, the Death Penalty. My support for the present day penalty has increasingly wavered, but not for the reasons that some of you may think. Hope you have time, I've been away for two weeks and the soapbox is calling my name...

August 6, 2004. This day may not seem that significant for most people reading this post. But if you were living in Central Florida, most notably the Deltona, FL area, you will always remember this day as the day 6 innocent lives were brutally taken over a petty list of items (Most famously an XBox video game system). Four men, and Two Women, a Montley Crue of individuals, commonly bound by their employment at a local Burger King, had their lives taken early that morning, the weapons of choice was primarily baseball bats, and at least one knife. For the sake of all, I will spare the majority of the gory details, but the youngest victim, Jonathan Gleason, 17, A close friend of my youngest sister (one of his older sister was my wife's Maid of Honor) was so badly beaten that his face was devoid of any discernible features, and dental records were needed to make a positive identification of the body. The stories of the lives of these six friends could be used in a movie centralizing a theme of chasing the "American Dream". Their dream, ended short, and the nightmares for their families began.

Troy Victorino, the Ringleader of the group of four who this week were convicted by a Jury of peers of this horrible crime was a convicted felon already, with a concreted history of brutal violence towards any who crossed him. The other three were simply young impressionable fools whom in when faced with the opportunity to define their lives with greatness, and nobleness, instead coward and followed the dictates of one who my wife describes simply as "pure evil."

If any reading this would like to read up on the story and its background, The Daytona Beach News Journal's website has an excellent section devoted sole to this event. To view this section, simply click here.

Now, after weighing the facts of the story I ask you, "Does death by lethal injection provide sufficient justice to what happened?" I think and feel that we spend more time providing and expanding the privileges and rights of criminals who in reality have surrendered those rights by virtue of their own action and choice. I hear so much about how we can't find funding for this program, or for education, etc. Well for starters, I recommend that we reduce the "luxuries" of prisons, (i.e. Cable Television) and use the savings to increase educational spending. May see beneficial effect to both parties involved just by that simple change. The punishment, regardless of method of execution, will never be adequate in respect to brutal manner that they committed their crime. I'm not advocating that Victorino and the other defendants be beaten to death, but this is a time where I wish this had taken place in Utah, where there are TWO choices for the death penalty; Firing Squad or Hanging.

After all that has been said, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and the convicted. It will be a hard loss for them as well either way. It is my hope that we will push for greater absolutes when it comes to crime and punishment. Ensure that no man (or woman) makes a decision with out the precedent having already been set for what the consequence will be.