Eddie Dean and Emily Yoffe
Rehabbing the Drug War
By Emily Yoffe
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at 5:45 PM ETDear Eddie,
Your point about who gets on death row applies also to drug crimes. It's rich, well-connected people who can get out of the criminal-justice system and into the treatment system. Don't you find many people agree the drug war has been a disaster? Here and there a judge or law-enforcement official will speak out against it. Yet politicians won't touch it. Just the opposite, as the Gore proposal shows.
Yes, I read the story about Christina Riggs, who was executed for killing her two children. You're right, it's odd to feel sympathy for her, but she is more sympathetic than Susan Smith, who killed her children and then hoped some innocent black man would be blamed. I have never been fervently anti-death penalty. I think of Ted Bundy and have no regrets he was executed. But the governor of Illinois, among others, has convinced me the system is simply too corrupt, inadequate, and unfair. Of course, eliminating the death penalty does not address these problems--it just eliminates lethal mistakes. There are still people serving long jail terms in this country for being falsely accused of satanic abuse of children, for example.
As for Christina Riggs--what do you do about someone who begs to be executed in a state that allows it? Her attorney called her execution "state-assisted suicide," but is that wrong in this case? If it's impossible to understand her crime, it's easy to understand her desire to stop living. I remember the woman you mention who ended up being John Hinckley's girlfriend. When I read about it, I wondered--What kind of therapy or medication could make you want to go on living after you killed your child? Yes, I agree with you that instead of being "cured" she should have gone to jail. Coincidentally, the Washington Post on Monday had a piece about Japanese people who kill themselves and their children. In Japan, the murders aren't even counted as murder--they're just considered "family suicide."
Eddie, I've got to end with some good news. A friend called and told me Virginia Beach is going to be fine. The late psychic Edgar Cayce set up his operation there precisely because nothing bad was going to happen to Virginia Beach. You can stand down, emergency-management officials.
Emily
Rehabbing the Drug War
By Emily Yoffe
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at 5:45 PM ETEddie Dean is a contributing writer for Talk magazine and Washington City Paper. Emily Yoffe is a frequent contributor to Slate. Reader Response from The Fray--to be read after the final entry:
Not only should Bobo the Clown be drafted to moderate the Presidential debates [Thursday's entry], but he should chair every Congressional Committee, be given Joe Lockhart's job, and he should anchor the news on all networks.
--Will Allen
(To reply, click
here.)
I know it's all the rage now to demonstrate your liberal bona fides by trashing the Confederate flag in South Carolina or Confederate History Month in Virginia, but Eddie's little diatribe against Governor Gilmore and Richmond, Virginia takes the cake [Tuesday]. I see that he has joined some of those he criticizes in hijacking history, ascribing his beliefs to be in the great tradition of Robert E. Lee.
The natural progression of not honoring Confederate History Month is to begin to impede or discourage tourists who want to visit Civil War sites or Confederate museums and cemeteries, as these people must be misguided at best or racist yahoos at worst. I'm sure that Virginians of all ethnicities who work in tourism-related businesses appreciate all the controversy and would rather not have Civil War tourists staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, or buying souvenirs. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Virginia elect the one and only black governor ever to serve in the 50 states?
If you could find 50 people in Virginia who knew about the Confederate History Month proclamation before this contretemps, I would be shocked.
--Will
(To reply, click
here.)
(5/4)
Slate should call this "Whenever You Can Make It To The Table" instead of the "Breakfast Table".
--NT
[See timing of Monday's posts. Matters seemed to improve during the week.]
(To reply, click
here.)
So there could be genetically-engineered giant animals [Monday's entry]--but what about when politicians start splicing their genes? Imagine the havoc a 50-foot George Bush would do to the environment--dangerous. Or the monotone bellow of a 100-foot-tall Gore. O the horror.
--Chris
(To reply, click
here.)
I have engineered four-legged chickens because my family likes fried chicken legs. We are as of this date unsure of the palatability of these fowl because now we can't catch them.
--eieio
(To reply, click
here.)
Today Pharm Animals--Tomorrow Your Mom!
--Seeking Justice
(To reply, click
here.)
[This was the title of the post. There was quite a lot more, but this seemed to hit the spot.]
Actually, if the knife that George Harrison was stabbed with had been about a half-inch to the left, he would have died instantly [Monday]. Only those with no knowledge or understanding of violence (which in this post-draft era means basically all of the chattering classes) think that knives are inherently less lethal than guns.
--Tench Coxe
(To reply, click
here.)
Re: the possible break-up of Microsoft:
Oh Emily,
Some of us relate:
Poor Bill's the guy everyone loves to hate.
But fear not for your beloved Slate
Just follow His lead,
simply innovate.
--Ann
(To reply, click
here.)
(5/2)
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Reader Response from The Fray--to be read after the final entry:
Not only should Bobo the Clown be drafted to moderate the Presidential debates [Thursday's entry], but he should chair every Congressional Committee, be given Joe Lockhart's job, and he should anchor the news on all networks.
--Will Allen
(To reply, click here.)
I know it's all the rage now to demonstrate your liberal bona fides by trashing the Confederate flag in South Carolina or Confederate History Month in Virginia, but Eddie's little diatribe against Governor Gilmore and Richmond, Virginia takes the cake [Tuesday]. I see that he has joined some of those he criticizes in hijacking history, ascribing his beliefs to be in the great tradition of Robert E. Lee.
The natural progression of not honoring Confederate History Month is to begin to impede or discourage tourists who want to visit Civil War sites or Confederate museums and cemeteries, as these people must be misguided at best or racist yahoos at worst. I'm sure that Virginians of all ethnicities who work in tourism-related businesses appreciate all the controversy and would rather not have Civil War tourists staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, or buying souvenirs. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Virginia elect the one and only black governor ever to serve in the 50 states?
If you could find 50 people in Virginia who knew about the Confederate History Month proclamation before this contretemps, I would be shocked.
--Will
(To reply, click here.)
(5/4)
Slate should call this "Whenever You Can Make It To The Table" instead of the "Breakfast Table".
--NT
[See timing of Monday's posts. Matters seemed to improve during the week.]
(To reply, click here.)
So there could be genetically-engineered giant animals [Monday's entry]--but what about when politicians start splicing their genes? Imagine the havoc a 50-foot George Bush would do to the environment--dangerous. Or the monotone bellow of a 100-foot-tall Gore. O the horror.
--Chris
(To reply, click here.)
I have engineered four-legged chickens because my family likes fried chicken legs. We are as of this date unsure of the palatability of these fowl because now we can't catch them.
--eieio
(To reply, click here.)
Today Pharm Animals--Tomorrow Your Mom!
--Seeking Justice
(To reply, click here.)
[This was the title of the post. There was quite a lot more, but this seemed to hit the spot.]
Actually, if the knife that George Harrison was stabbed with had been about a half-inch to the left, he would have died instantly [Monday]. Only those with no knowledge or understanding of violence (which in this post-draft era means basically all of the chattering classes) think that knives are inherently less lethal than guns.
--Tench Coxe
(To reply, click here.)
Re: the possible break-up of Microsoft:
Oh Emily,
Some of us relate:
Poor Bill's the guy everyone loves to hate.
But fear not for your beloved Slate
Just follow His lead,
simply innovate.
--Ann
(To reply, click here.)
(5/2)