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[Red Mage]

While he may have some good points, it sounds like a last ditched attempt for mercy via internet attention.The guy makes statements that would lead some people to believe he's talking from personal experience, when he isn't:

Ray Jasper did not grow up on the wrong side of the tracks, he came from a family wherein his father, a career military man, and his mother were still happily married. Jasper was not defended by a court appointed lawyer; his defense was comprised of a well paid for and well known private practice firm. Jasper had a history of arrests and in fact was out on bail when he participated in the murder of David. He had, weeks before, assaulted an off-duty police officer who had stumbled upon Jasper attempting to break into a house.

All in all, I agree with the victim's brother:

I have to say to my fellow death penalty opponent friends: Keep up your fight. It is an honorable one. But do not use this man, Ray Jasper, as your spokesperson, as your example of why the death penalty should be abolished. The death penalty should be abolished because it is wrong to kill another human being. Not because a Medical Examiner said your knife wound did not cause immediate death. Ray Jasper is not worthy of your good and kind hearts. He has never accepted culpability or expressed remorse. He is responsible for viciously ending the life of "the nicest man he ever met." Responsible for ending the life of the nicest man my family ever met, David Mendoza Alejandro.

http://steven-alejandro.kinja.com/a...rom-a-f-1536676452/1536918396/+hamilton_nolan

 

[coldfoot]

The death penalty is barbaric and does nothing to deter crime. It does not need to exist in a developed country in 2014.

It doesn't exist, and I speak as an American

 

[nelsonroyale]

I think this letter was quite powerful, admitedly to a large extent because of the context in which it was written, but I think he made some valid points. Personally, I think it is ridiculous that somebody can be sentenced to 15 years in jail and then sentenced to death. Aside from the cruelty of such an action, it is a serious waste of tax payers money. Why keep him alive for 15 years only to kill him?

I think his orginal crime was brutal, therefore he should be punished. It is rather irrelevant if he delivered the killing blow, since he had intent to kill and person might have died from the blow anyway if left. However, I find a lot of people on here have a rather basic grasp of the issue. A man can change. He doesn't discuss remorse here which I find strange, but I also disagree that he is reducing his own role. He is arguing a technicality. He says that he didnt actually technically deliver the killing blow but he got the death penalty, whereas the other person who did got off. The point is that if you, as a young black man, don't submit fully to the state's judgement you will get crushed. I don't know much about the case aside form his letter and what I read from the families response, so I don't know whether he has approached them to express his remorse...If he hasnt then that obviously doesn't reflect well on his character, but it doesnt mitigate some of his points.

Empathy is different from sympathy. Empathy is a recognition of shared existence. That we are all on this mortal coil and weather we are killed, executed, run over by a car, or die in our sleep, we will all return to the long silence. I don't know if this guy has changed into a good person, but I do think people can change and I don't think committing one heinous action means that if you lived a thousand years you would forever be a horrible person. You committed a horrible action and for that particular action there is no equivalent, but you can still try and lead a good life. Humans are complex organisms, and if you are not a religious type, life is complex with few absolutes.

 

[Vermillion]

The idea of jail is to rehabilitate.

The idea of jail was to rehabilitate, at one time. Ever since Dukakis's gamble, it's really been about punishment.

While he may have some good points, it sounds like a last ditched attempt for mercy via internet attention.The guy makes statements that would lead some people to believe he's talking from personal experience, when he isn't:



All in all, I agree with the victim's brother:



http://steven-alejandro.kinja.com/a...rom-a-f-1536676452/1536918396/+hamilton_nolan

And the plot thickens. But I stand by the statement I made in the OP.

 

[Big-E]

One can still show him empathy and feel he still needs to be locked away or executed. Empathy doesn't mean one has to feel that every single action committed by another was understandable. Some people in here also arguing that I and others can not look past his crime and look at his message but I can. I do think what America does in response to the vast majority of crime is horrendous. I understand that prisons are a dangerous things and that people who come in with no violent history may leave being violent people because it was needed to survive. By placing himself in his own argument, he insults everyone who has had to deal with the injustices of the system as his punishment I would argue is justifiable. Empathy does not mean that one can not have a personal judgment on a person's character.

 

[Amir0x]

I see it as a good way to keep everyone else from even thinking about doing such a crime. Ive heard people say they even enjoy prison and is more a home than outside life ever was and so would be almost nothing to them.

This is the problem, though. It does not deter. We have scores of statistics that support this fact. In actuality, one of the few things that have been shown to meaningfully reduce crime in communities is a prison system that is based around a rehabilitative stance - which includes for the most hardened murderers and pedophiles. As reflexively wrong as that may seem for some, and with all due empathy to the victims of prisoners crimes, the reality is this would be the absolute best outcome for all involved, provided we're willing to dismiss a motivation as petty as sheer revenge as part of the purpose of a justice system. Most developed first world nations have long ago figured out it makes no sense to condemn murderers but then turn around and murder them. And, in fact, that's precisely what it is. It's an execution, a murder. You're taking someone who at that moment is of no threat to anyone and killing them because society still has blood lust. It's wrong, and the world continues to move in the direction where most nations will realize this eventually. Progress stops for no one.

But in the end, if nothing else, one must see the hard statistics and understand precisely how much society benefits from a prison based around true rehabilitation. If you're interested, I have a considerably detailed and sourced post you can read right here which goes into this precise position in depth. It has everything you need to know about what the numbers say work, and what they say does not work. It has everything you need to know as well about what meaningful benefits result from such a system. I hope you can take the time to read some of it and honestly appraise your position after that, to see if it still aligns with the facts and statistics we know about the prison system.

 

[RoyalFool]

Read both letters, I think after getting over how unexpectedly eloquent the murderer is, it becomes pretty clear he sees himself as the real victim and uses the race card as his explanation, rather than the fact he planned and slit an innocent mans throat.

He raises a few good points about the prison system, but all of his conclusions just so happen to be ones he would benefit from so it's hard to really know how much of it is based on a balanced and unbiased viewpoint

 

[Qwell]

... He doesn't discuss remorse here which I find strange, but I also disagree that he is reducing his own role. He is arguing a technicality. He says that he didnt actually technically deliver the killing blow but he got the death penalty, whereas the other person who did got off. The point is that if you, as a young black man, don't submit fully to the state's judgement you will get crushed. I don't know much about the case aside form his letter and what I read from the families response, so I don't know whether he has approached them to express his remorse...If he hasnt then that obviously doesn't reflect well on his character, but it doesnt mitigate some of his points...

In regards to the bolded, I don't think the point is just because he is a young black man, in his particular case I don't think it would matter what race, gender, etc. it was a pretty clear case and unfortunately the only one to truly blame is himself. He made a very poor choice, regardless of upbringing he should have understood that participating in a murder such as the one that was carried out levies a heavy judgement.

 

[jerry1594]

He's not at all repentant. To date he doesn't believe he committed murder. It's hard to have empathy for him, and while I'm indifferent to him being put to death I'd be fine with him serving life as an alternative.

Oh well whatever even better in that case.

 

[Sub_Level]

We spend that money so that other's have the same rights. If we start drawing lines with the mentality that some people don't deserve to fight for themselves in the legal system, we open up a whole new world of misconduct and malice. It's a small price to pay for the benefit of all to make sure justice stays blindfolded.

And you're a goddamn lunatic. We make sure we are civil because we are better than those who carry out evil acts in the name of violent justice. I find it goddamn disgusting that we actually have people supporting the concept of bureaucratic murder. That in a board-room setting, people who have the noble job of withholding justice, are supposed to go into the territory of deciding who gets to have a fair trial and who gets to die. That's a sociopathic and mentally insane notion that we should condemn as such.

Killing people doesn't necessarily take away their due process. When the death penalty is allowed, you inherently welcome the possibility of killing the wrong person, but false charges already happen against innocent people. You can ruin a life without necessarily taking one, you know. One felony charge will dash an individual's hopes and dreams very effectively. You also welcome corruption. If someone higher up gets a little incentive, they can legally take a life, and there's no coming back for that person. There's no question about it, in a perfect world the death penalty shouldn't exist. But it's not a perfect world out there.

I think that there is a fine line between a branch of the judicial system ordering the death of an inmate and whatever dark deed the inmate in question did to deserve such a fate. I think it's our moral duty to remove those individuals from the equation altogether. AFTER their fair trial (you seem to be suggesting one always takes place without the other).

I would support abolishing the death penalty if only because the method we carry it out is so backwards and inefficient. No lie, I would legitimately vote for it's removal unless reformation was an option on the ballot too. But in the meantime, I can have only a very basic level of empathy for the dark individuals that get clogged up in our current system. I respect your opinion but clearly we disagree on two fundamental points. (1) That some people deserve to die. And (2) That some people should legally be allowed to decide who deserves to die. And I don't think either of us will change our mind on those, at least not anytime soon.

 

[PBalfredo]

My thoughts on the death penalty have been that it should be saved for those who kill while within prison. You kill someone in our society, you get sent to prison to keep society safe from you. You shank someone to death in prison? Well then you've just proved that putting you behind bars is not enough to keep you from killing people.

He brings up the private prison system, and that is indeed a gross conflict of interest in our justice system. I hope major prison reform is in our future.

He goes off about an identify crisis for black Americans who don't know of their African roots. I'm not seeing how exactly this is a problem. Like many, I see myself as an American rather than French-German-Norwegian. I don't see how "knowing your roots" particularly helps black Americans unless the salient point is that it's better to have some culture -any culture- to latch on to other than gang culture. To which I see the merit.

The rest is him having himself a pity party. He cries that he didn't actually kill anyone and that he's just getting the death penalty for the robbery, but the article from the victim's brother calls him out on his bullshit. He slit an innocent man's throat in and held him down while his buddy stabbed him to death. Last Hit may make the difference in Dota 2, but in the real world taking part in premeditated murder makes you a fucking murderer.

 

[Gr1mLock]

Very interesting read. The contrast between him and his victims brother's letter are also interesting. He insists he didn't kill anyone..going by the available info it reeks of intellectual dishonesty. I don't dismiss his thoughts. He did however try to murder a man by slitting his throat. Granted there's many things that need to be accounted for. When youre young and stupid etc. He hasn't copped to anything. He still insists he isn't responsible for the death of the man that he a. completely orchestrated the entire scenario where they murder him and take his things and b . initiated the whole thing. So he slit his throat with the intent of him not being mortally wounded? People make bad decisions. He speaks about empathy yet he hasnt said shit about the man who's life he helped to end. The ME said i didnt kill him so therefore i didnt kill him. Thats great.

 

[zero shift]

Did he really write this himself? It's very well written. Like a professional paper.

Also I feel that the "lost identity" of blacks in the Americas is why they have been on the forefront of cultural trends for a century. To music and fashion in America to that of Brazil. Almost anything can be traced back to the black community.

 

[Amir0x]

Did he really write this himself? It's very well written. Like a professional paper.

Why would you doubt he wrote it? If one spends all the time in prison and your primary form of passing the time is reading, one becomes well versed in words.

 

[Pollux]

Because the whole point of the jury system is to ensure a trial of your peers. How are you going to get impartiality if your jury pool is based on a population that has no correlation of experiences that the defendant may have had. The criminal justice system is incredibly biased on the prosecution. Police testimony is gold, even though police have lied many times in court. And as time has shown police have gotten away with murder without recourse. Police testimony is not gold, just as much as defense testimony is not. By design, however, it is skewed and The State gets the benefit of the doubt in criminal cases.

Additionally prosecutors have tons of resources, compared to a lowly and overworked public defender. Quality legal services are not available the majority of the population in prison. Why? Because quality legal services are expensive and prison is filled with low to lower middle class populations.

I'm sorry, but you're not entitled to a jury of any particular composition. You're not even entitled to having blacks on the jury. As long as they were struck from the jury for race neutral grounds and the selection of the jury pool was race neutral, that's all ya get.

So you mean to say that peers for blacks can only be blacks? Good to know you think I should get an all white jury.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Free labor for the prison is just icing on the cake. Private prisons are paid by the government to function, for a profit. Its more profitable for the prison to have as many inmates as possible. Do you think the CEO of a prison corporation wants to see crime rates fall? The war on drugs ending? Abolishing of mandatory minimum sentences? Fuck no, that is all bad for the bottom line. Take it a step further. Do you think the representative of a district which is home to a private prison or two will suddenly go "softer" on crime and risk putting the prison(s) out of business, losing hundreds of jobs for his constituents? Fuck no.

The private system is one of the most backwards and corrupt institutions this country has. I try not to think about it too much, as it really infuriates me.

Great letter. Too bad most Americans will never see it or have the attention span to read it.

There are no private prisons with death row inmates in the State of Texas, so you are entirely off-topic or at least addressing a concern that does not apply to this topic.

Also, Texas has recently closed two private prisons, because crime, recidivism and judicial sentencing has been declining for several years, and the state-run prisons have approx 12,000 empty beds. Indeed, if your theory about private prisons being the "tail wagging the dog" in getting people convicted to fill prisons held water, this would not be the case.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

I understand the concept behind what you're saying but man... how do you show empathy towards a guy who's arguing that he's not responsible for the death of a person because technically he didn't deliver the final blow even thought he slit the guy's throat wide open? How do you show empathy towards a rapist? Or a paedophile? Or a mass murderer? I can't place myself in their situation.. I can't comprehend their situation. If you're physiologically and psychologically fine, like in the case of Jasper, and the sole reason for your revolting act of murder by the way of stabbing a person 25 times and slitting his throat open is pure greed and the theft of his audio equipment.. I will have a hard time placing myself in your shoes. I will not judge you for that is not my place but nor will you have my empathy. There's little to be empathetic towards.

In my experience, empathy is not a conscious decision - it's an emotional reaction to hearing any story. I think it's important.

The letter from the victim's brother was incredibly touching and I can see exactly where he's coming from. However, as an impartial reader, it's also possible for me to read Jasper's words and be touched by them as well. The two are not, and should not be mutually exclusive. I think empathy for criminals is very important.

Whole lot of coldly vengeful folks in this thread, makes me a bit sad for humanity tbh

 

[jimi_dini]

Yes,but its still has to be a good deterrent.

Ask yourself:

Would you kill someone, if there wasn't a death penalty? Would you kill someone, if the penalty for it was $100? I definitely wouldn't.

That's like saying "cutting off a hand for stealing is a good deterrent". Yeah, I guess someone that steals twice and gets caught will have a problem to steal again. But would that solve it and stop people from stealing? I don't think so.

 

[cynostic]

He makes good points about the prison system himself, and the whole death sentance thing shouldn't really be a thing. Bit barbaric.

No excuse for what he did though. The intent was all there, from what I've read, though it's hard to read unbiased viewpoints for this sort of thing.

Hmmm.

 

[Ingueferroque]

Just finished reading. Real insight in there, thought it was worth reading as he makes a lot of salient points. Choice quotes:

When you have black kids learning more about the Boston Tea Party than the Black Panther Party, I guarantee you won't keep their attention.

Using myself as an example, I was 15 when my first love got shot 9 times in Oakland. Do you think I m going to care about book reports when my girlfriend was shot in the face?

A young black woman was struck from the jury in my case because she said she sees the Police as 'intimidators'. She never had a good experience with the Police like most young blacks, but even though she's just being true to her experience, she's not worthy to take part as a juror in a trial.

- - -

I sort of sympathize with the dude after reading that and the conditions of his case.

He slit someone's throat and held him down to get shot.