Damn! They had Rita Cosby *that* close to the death chamber

WOW what an opportunity missed. She's so stupid that she would have stepped right up for a "last minute interview"

In a perfect world Nancy Grace would have had a lottery seat there as well.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/top_stories/execution_cnn_didnt_have_a_witness_early_morning_coverage_notes_29384.asp

> MSNBC's Rita Cosby and FNC's Adam Housley witnessed the execution, but CNN did not have a representative.

> Nancy Grace provided a countdown clock to execution on HLN...

> FNC provided live coverage beginning at 3am with Bob Sellers, Claudia Cowan and Jim Hammer.

> 3:03am: "While Fox News Legal Analyst Jim Hammer was live at the execution, a bald man behind him was holding up a piece of paper saying 'FOX LIES.' There was a man behind him, could have been a producer or something, that was trying to take the piece of paper away from him."

> CNN/U.S. simulcasted CNN International for a few minutes, then returned to Larry King on tape. MSNBC stuck with a replay of Hardball.

> At 3:37am FNC was the first to report that Williams was dead, FishbowlNY says.

> During the 4am hour, MSNBC's Rita Cosby described the execution: "His breathing became very very labored, his stomach was contracting, in extreme form...but then it took at least several more minutes, it took ten more minutes for him to actually die..."

> It was interesting watching FNC coverage of the death of Tookie," an e-mailer says. "They did their damned best to cut away each time the pool camera cut to Rita Cosby, and when she talked Fox went back to Bob Sellers."

the state should make it a pay per view event, maybe seeing a human being die, may tuck at the string's of conscience, historical factoid, death penalty was moved behind closed walls because executions were starting to horrify people

or hells bells middle of dinner time, and have it on all channels so you cannot avoid it

It's a blood lust with some of these people.

but again that is a historical factoid... support was wavering when the authorities moved it behind closed doors at the begining of the last century.

However, if we are to view a death sentence being carried out, would it not also be fair to view the still smelly corpses of murder victims? Gunshot wounds to the head or slit throats or heads bashed in with a brick or other solid object, or bodys torn apart or the charred corpses of victims of an arsons work. A conscience can be tugged many ways.

stop senseless killing.

Killing Tookie will not stop one murder from happening.

If that is the goal and all attempts have failed why do we punish anyone for anything?

No threat or appeal to reason or sympathy is going to stop them.

If there is no deterrent effect by applying punishment, then why DO we punish?

If punishment is not a deterrent against "senseless killing", we still have goals of (1) protection by removing a murderer from contact with society, (2) the possibility of reformation; or (3) retribution, an emotional payback to society.

falls into a category all unto itself.

I am not sure the goal of the death penalty is to prevent senseless killing as so much as it is revenge.

as a medic I got to go to many a murder and shoooting scene.... and trust me got to treat and declare soem people who died horrible deaths,

Now I am just quoting a historical factoid, carryng the sentences out was moved behind walls becuase the country was turning against it. This way, out of sight out of mind easier to suport.

My problem with it, is... we may have executed innocent people, and even one is one too many. Also it tends to brutalize teh country and the way it is applied.... it tends to be given to poor minorities overwhelmently.

includes reasons I am not sold on the death penalty, but I don't know if it is the harshest penalty one can get for committing a heinous crime. And seeing an execution carried out would not sway me one way or the other. However, I'd certainly support such events being televised. I saw public floggings in Saudi Arabia and the intent was to let potential law breakers see what happens when you are bad. Televising executions may reduce crime in this country, but I doubt there would be a public outcry against the practice. I've seen my share of mutilated bodies and charred remains, however none the victim of crime.

that it has NO deterrrent value. I am willnig to bet the floggins had no deterrent value either. They are applied by a brutal society purely for vengenace.

And quite frankly some don't deserve to walk free, life without parole...

But seriously the statistics behind the death penalty prove it has no deterrent value, and why advanced couintries and many developing countries don't have it in the books anymore...

We do... and on those grounds I no longer consider this an advanced country, but we also don't value life in general, and until we start, we will not have a good national conversation on national health care let alone the death penalty.

Or should punishment be considered a deterrent at all? If the practice fails as a deterrent and detention is not considered punishment then why do we have any jails at all?

The very second Olbermann's show is over I change the channel. How did someone
with a voice like hers get a tv show???