Martin O’Malley…Liberal – 2.21.2007

    My state of Maryland is busy this time of year. When the legislature isn’t deeming private businesses to be public place and passing a smoking ban, they are trying to ban the death penalty. Today Governor Martin O’Malley testified in front of state lawmakers that he supports a death penalty ban. He claimed that statistics back up his argument that the death penalty is ineffective on preventing crime, and we all know that he is an expert on preventing crime (see Baltimore crime rate). O’Malley said, “Consider our shared belief in the dignity of every individual. Consider the fact that there are more effective means of preventing murder and saving lives, and repeal the death penalty in our state this year.” I am sorry, maybe Martin has respect for murderers, rapists and drug dealers, but I don’t. Those people kill and kill again. And then once they are locked up, they keep killing! IT IS WHAT THEY DO!! Take the David McGuinn case. David McGuinn was a correctional officer employed at the Maryland House of Correction (MHOC) and by all accounts was a good man who refused to let the inmates run the asylum.     

    McGuinn was butchered by inmates at the MHOC. His suspected killers, which will be going on trial soon, were already imprisoned for murder and serving multiple life sentences. How do you deter someone like that with “life without possibility of parole”? You can’t, that simple. They have nothing to lose and they will do anything they want because they know that the state will not execute them. That is the sad reality of the situation. Nothing anyone says can convince me otherwise. 

    O’Malley continued his plea for the banning of the death penalty, citing statistics and saying that, “…the murder rate in states that had the death penalty was 46 percent higher in 2005 than in states without it. He also said that while the murder rate has been on the decline since 1990, it has fallen by 56 percent in states without the death penalty, compared to a 38 percent drop in states that have capital punishment.” Let’s have a breakdown of those states. What are their gun laws and/or their demographics? Legislators might simply decide that the death penalty is not needed because of a lack of murders and rapes. When the civilian populace is armed, the crime is lower (though don’t tell liberals that). Bottom line is violent criminals do not change their ways (easily) and are not deterred by “life without possibility of parole.”

Mike Grant — Samnite Gladiator