From the Vault II: George Ryan, Commie Republican Traitor
From 1/15/03:
This morning, I was pondering why I hadn't heard more about Illinois' departing governor, George Ryan, and his commuting of all death sentences on his state's death row. Surely, this was a hot button topic, as the death penalty always is. Surely, this was another case of a bleeding-heart liberal wimp being soft on convicted murderers. That there had been some great flouting of the rule of law by a liberal who just doesn't get it. I had been waiting for John Ashcroft to step in and say this surely could not be allowed.
I was wondering about this situation, until I found out that Ryan was a Republican. Yep, a true conservative Republican commuted the death sentences of 150+ death row inmates. Now I understand why I hadn't heard much about this story. Admittedly, I don't have cable, so I don't know what the talking heads are saying. But between the major networks, and my local nightly news, there's always enough vitriol to go around. And this vitriol is--here's a news flash to you conservatives--all conservative. Conservatives dominate the media (another news flash--the media is not liberal). And they won't attack their own (unless they're forced to, as in the case of Trent Lott).
Just think if Ryan had been a Democrat. Even if I don't have cable, I would have heard cries of outrage from the likes of Tom DeLay, Dick Armey, Bill Frist (does Trent Lott dare speak to a camera these days?), George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ari Fleischer and more on the channels I do get. Ashcroft would be outraged also, and an investigation surely would've been called. Maybe even outraged "citizens" would've been flown into Illinois to protest and riot; perhaps it would be the same crew of "citizens" who went to Florida in 2000 to protest the recounting of votes. There would be massive media coverage of such a protest. Hell, even Ann Coulter or William Bennett would've published books about how this was such a travesty perpetrated by the liberal elite.
I'm on the fence with the death penalty. On one hand, I feel that no, the government has no right to take lives, even of murderers. On the other, I think murderers deserve to be put to death. I applaud Ryan for making a courageous decision. I deplore the media for allowing itself to be consumed by conservatives and for becoming another branch of the Bush administration.
This morning, I was pondering why I hadn't heard more about Illinois' departing governor, George Ryan, and his commuting of all death sentences on his state's death row. Surely, this was a hot button topic, as the death penalty always is. Surely, this was another case of a bleeding-heart liberal wimp being soft on convicted murderers. That there had been some great flouting of the rule of law by a liberal who just doesn't get it. I had been waiting for John Ashcroft to step in and say this surely could not be allowed.
I was wondering about this situation, until I found out that Ryan was a Republican. Yep, a true conservative Republican commuted the death sentences of 150+ death row inmates. Now I understand why I hadn't heard much about this story. Admittedly, I don't have cable, so I don't know what the talking heads are saying. But between the major networks, and my local nightly news, there's always enough vitriol to go around. And this vitriol is--here's a news flash to you conservatives--all conservative. Conservatives dominate the media (another news flash--the media is not liberal). And they won't attack their own (unless they're forced to, as in the case of Trent Lott).
Just think if Ryan had been a Democrat. Even if I don't have cable, I would have heard cries of outrage from the likes of Tom DeLay, Dick Armey, Bill Frist (does Trent Lott dare speak to a camera these days?), George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ari Fleischer and more on the channels I do get. Ashcroft would be outraged also, and an investigation surely would've been called. Maybe even outraged "citizens" would've been flown into Illinois to protest and riot; perhaps it would be the same crew of "citizens" who went to Florida in 2000 to protest the recounting of votes. There would be massive media coverage of such a protest. Hell, even Ann Coulter or William Bennett would've published books about how this was such a travesty perpetrated by the liberal elite.
I'm on the fence with the death penalty. On one hand, I feel that no, the government has no right to take lives, even of murderers. On the other, I think murderers deserve to be put to death. I applaud Ryan for making a courageous decision. I deplore the media for allowing itself to be consumed by conservatives and for becoming another branch of the Bush administration.
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