The news in today’s NY Times is that Texas is leading the nation in yet another innovation involving prison care: they’re going to stop allowing prisoners to order a special last meal before they are executed. Apparently, the citizens of the state are in high dudgeon because an inmate ordered cheeseburgers, fried steak, ice cream and not only didn’t share it with them, but didn’t eat a morsel of it. Imagine, a guy like that thumbing his nose at the extraordinary generosity shown to him by the taxpayers! In addition, the state has cancelled lunch on weekends saving $2.5-million from the strapped state budget.
I say these pikers show no vision or ambition. Let’s go the whole hog so to speak. I know a way to save millions more: don’t feed ’em any meals. Let ’em fend for themselves. Let ’em raise their own animals, butcher, cook, and eat ’em. And if that doesn’t work? Marie Antoinette said: let those ol’ Parisians eat cake. I say: let ’em eat each other. Just think, the fewer prisoners there are, the lower the costs to the costs to the state of caring for them. Criminals are leeches on society anyway. If we kill these blood suckers off early it will benefit everyone, especially their future victims. As for the families of the prisoners eaten? Maybe we can send ’em a few chops and ribs as a consolation.
You say you don’t like cannibalism? Well, how much better does Texas treat its poor and prisoners? No, it doesn’t eat them…yet. But considering the misery that they suffer how much better off are they living under the conditions Texas offers? Better, sure. But is life, even for prisoners, supposed to be just a tad better than the jungle? In Texas, the answer is a definite Yes.
I especially admire the statement by the Democratic state senator who took away those last meals:
“If they don’t like the menu,” he said, “don’t come there in the first place.”
Real cute slogan, good sound bite. May this man, on his death bed, when he asks for his last meal, be told the same thing. What goes around, comes around.
RE: “You say you don’t like cannibalism? Well, how much better does Texas treat its poor and prisoners? No, it doesn’t eat them…yet.”
MY COMMENT: “Forget it,
JakeRichard. It’sChinatownTexas.”SEE: “Pastor Strangelove”, by Sarah Posner, American Prospect, 05/21/06
ENTIRE ARTICLE – http://prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=11541
ALSO SEE: Is the Red Heifer Here? – http://jesus-is-the-way.com/RedHeifer.html
Anybody here who is interested in prisoner welfare/the campaign against the death penalty might want to consider joining Lifelines, Human Writes, or a similar organisation:
http://www.lifelines-uk.org/
Death Row prisoners receive penfriends through these groups. It can be quite a harrowing thing to do, but it means a lot to get a letter addressing you by your first name when you’re in a place where you’re either your surname or a number.
“send ‘em a few chops and ribs as a consolation.” Consolation nothing: The families can barbeque these choice pieces and keep the condemned alive, that is, through transubstantiation. (Honestly, I’d be a little wary of pursuing this idea in Texas.)
Texas. Left it in the rear view mirror twenty years ago. Ihad tried to get along with the handle “Bubba” but it just didn’t work.
I don’t know if we should offer condolences or thanks that you got out alive.
A few years ago, some Texas legislator wanted to out-source Texas prisons to China. They were to hire cheap Chinese guards, but somehow Texas/US law would still apply. Happily, this idea went nowhere, perhaps because PRC leaders would never accept extraterritoriality again.