Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982 • Hacker News Board

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#41

Post by [deleted] » Fri, May 30, 2014, 3:58 PM UTC

giarc wrote: post #28

seren wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Skimming the list, it seems only few of them are really repentant and understood the consequences of what they did. But, for the few of them, especially those referring to their family and children, it is hard to see what benefits their death will bring. Maybe some closure for the victim's family, but in some case, it sounds like the guy being executed as not much more in common with the criminal.

"I don’t think the world will be a better or safer place without me." If they aren't executed, they will spend the rest of their life in jail. So by executing them our gains are two fold. 1. save tax dollars over keeping them in jail long term 2. give victims families peace Something to think about.

[deleted]

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#42

Post by dmm » Fri, May 30, 2014, 3:59 PM UTC

giarc wrote: post #28

seren wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Skimming the list, it seems only few of them are really repentant and understood the consequences of what they did. But, for the few of them, especially those referring to their family and children, it is hard to see what benefits their death will bring. Maybe some closure for the victim's family, but in some case, it sounds like the guy being executed as not much more in common with the criminal.

"I don’t think the world will be a better or safer place without me." If they aren't executed, they will spend the rest of their life in jail. So by executing them our gains are two fold. 1. save tax dollars over keeping them in jail long term 2. give victims families peace Something to think about.

There is a reasonable debate surrounding whether an execution is more expensive than simply incarcerating for life, mostly because of the numerous appeals involved with a death sentence. I have no opinion regarding capital punishment.

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#43

Post by toblender » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:00 PM UTC

I may go to hell for this...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K6LOJ8x1dP85CGAMjDwn...

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#44

Post by onassar » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:05 PM UTC

Average age is around 39

  var ages = [],
      sum = 0;
  $('tr').each(function(a,b) {
      var age = $(b).find('td:nth-child(7)').text();
      if (age !== '') {
          ages.push(age);
          sum += parseInt(age);
      }
  });
  console.log(sum / ages.length);

Returns 39.10679611650485

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#45

Post by TallGuyShort » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:08 PM UTC

imdsm wrote: post #9

nsxwolf wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting comment on that word cloud: "Wonder what their victims word cloud would look like? "Mercy" "Please" "I'm begging" "I want my Mommy!" "Help""

You have an additional speech mark at the end of that sentence. > "Help""

He nested quotes. The entire line was wrapper in quotation marks, as well as the individual quotes inside the line.

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#46

Post by javert » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:09 PM UTC

mdanger007 wrote: post #18

There are no atheists in foxholes... or on death row apparently.

There are atheists in foxholes, though.

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#47

Post by lrm242 » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:10 PM UTC

llamataboot wrote: post #25

swatthatfly wrote: post #13

Can anybody explain why the Race column is stil there? What is the relevancy of this statistic? Why not sex, or religion?

Because a disproportionate number of people sentenced to death are non-white.

From the data:

  White    231 (44.9%)
  Black    190 (36.9%)
  Hispanic  92 (17.9%)
  Other      2 (0.4%)

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#48

Post by venkasub » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:14 PM UTC

Some charts from the data : http://theuforce.blogspot.in/2014/05/visualizing-executed-of...

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#49

Post by kohanz » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:15 PM UTC

dfc wrote: post #32

swatthatfly wrote: post #13

Can anybody explain why the Race column is stil there? What is the relevancy of this statistic? Why not sex, or religion?

Relevancy: Many people believe that minorities are disproportionately sentenced to death.

Then why would the Texas Department of Justice want to draw attention to that?

Re: Death Row – Last words of every Texas inmate executed since 1982

#50

Post by baldfat » Fri, May 30, 2014, 4:15 PM UTC

dobbsbob wrote: post #40

Texas you don't get the death penalty for murder, you get it for committing a second felony and murder. Rob Will is on Polunsky DR and likely innocent considering he was handcuffed at the time, zero physical evidence, and his partner confessed to the murder. DA is a stepping stone to governor and senate there is much incentive for DAs to seek the death penalty due to all the media attention these trials receive, prop…

Wasn't aware of his case:

From the judge denying a new trail: “The questions raised during post-judgment factual development about Will’s actual innocence create disturbing uncertainties,” he wrote. “Federal law does not recognize actual innocence as a mechanism to overturn an otherwise valid conviction.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/us/texas-death-row-appeal-...