Texas is… special. It has many things to offer culturally, but when it comes to capital punishment, it is horribly, laughably backwards. This is a state that is infamous for executing mentally handicapped people. It’s worth noting that the great state of Texas has seriously considered secession several times throughout its history, and the rest of the nation remembers this.

If there’s anything the past few years have taught us, you can’t write off an entire country because of the knee-jerk reactions of a small minority of its citizens.

I’m the first to admit that some of our laws are embarrassingly draconian. But I have no doubt in my mind that the average American citizen would be revolted by this story.

I could go on, and on, and on. But my point is; America is not a monolith. Don’t write us off because of a few negative incidents. Every country has factions and incidents that they’re ashamed of. The Cable News likes to create imaginary conflicts (see: any town-hall meeting), but there are real battles going on here, and this case is a great illustration of this.

There was a big story on the CBC this spring about couples with children being detained without council for traveling across the border with what was basically natural food granola bars (they were sure it was drugs). The hysterics that ensued would be funny… if it were a skit on SNL and not actually happening to innocent people, on a pretty regular basis to boot.

Between the Patriot Act and border security issues, the frequent and flagrant violation of the 4th amendment amongst others, it’s gonna take a lot to get me back into the states. Not saying Canadian law is all that and a bag of chips but it sure doesn’t make me feel comfortable crossing the border with my kids.

I guess for some old Texas “law-makers” any coloured skin is sin.

Although Texas is more likely to murder its inmates, these horrific mistakes are hardly confined to Texas. Far too much “expert” evidence and anonymous complaints are accepted in court because they just sound reasonable enough. If you can tell a good story, you can convict someone as a criminal. It’s the downfall of American pragmatism.

Thanks for the link.

however i have to say i find your comment very backward jon p. i don’t think it’s fair to make that generalization about an entire state based on this story. there are many people in texas fighting for change, and it’s also a beautiful place to visit.