Now, many people use blogs for political purposes. I try not to be one of those people. I'd say that with my solitary blog post not being about politics, I've got a pretty good track record. This being said, sometimes political issues wind up being a source of comedy. In these cases, I just can't help myself.
Take this story that I literally just read. Basically, the state of Texas has ended their policy of fulfilling a death-row inmate's last meal request before his execution. This debate stems from a list of expensive meal requests, particularly from one James Byrd. This man, awaiting his execution, ordered "two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat lover's pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts. Prison officials said Brewer didn't eat any of it.”
Of all the evils in the world, this one tops them all. Byrd is obviously unconcerned with the feelings of others. I mean, it’s one thing to strap a man to a pickup truck and drag him along the road in a fit of racial hatred. But once you ungraciously raid your host’s refrigerator, that’s just plain rude.
That being said, it wouldn’t be fair to punish everyone because of the actions of a single individual. This is America after all. I’m sure there are a lot of polite murderers out there on death row who would ask for nothing more than a small salad and be happy to get it. But who’s giving them a voice? No one. It just makes me sick to think that if I ever find myself on death row, I’m not going to get a filet mignon. Are there no more perks to capital punishment? Does the government care about its citizens at all, or is it just looking out for number one? So far, I’ve dealt with the government stamping on my rights, but this is the last straw. I’m seriously considering moving to Canada, where they respect this old tradition.
What also concerns me is the politicians’ lack of foresight. Let’s look at the long history of the last meal. The article states that, “historical references to a condemned person's last meal go as far back as ancient Greece, China and Rome… Some of it is apparently rooted in superstition about meals warding off possible haunting by condemned people once they are put to death.” Do politicians even see what’s at stake here? Sure they’ll save money on meal purchases, but at the cost of the citizens’ safety.
If I’m ever haunted by the ghost of an axe murderer, I know who to blame.
Here’s the article if you want to read it:
http://news.yahoo.com/texas-prisons-end-special-last-meals-executions-195102056.html
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