Bush approves execution of Army private

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush has approved the Army's request to execute a soldier convicted of rape and murder, the White House announced Monday evening.

Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since 1988. His execution would be the first for the U.S. military since 1961, but the White House said it expects further appeals before the sentence is carried out.

"While approving a sentence of death for a member of our armed services is a serious and difficult decision for a commander-in-chief, the president believes the facts of this case leave no doubt that the sentence is just and warranted," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/28/military.execution/index.html

---

Bush must be missing his TX governor's days!

This prisoner though sounds like a real deviate. Not someone I would mourn passing.

-----

_Raping and killing Army Pvt. Laura Lee Vickery-Clay of Fayetteville on Dec. 15, 1986. She was shot four times with a .22-caliber pistol that Gray confessed to stealing. She suffered blunt force trauma over much of her body.

_Raping and killing Kimberly Ann Ruggles, a civilian cab driver in Fayetteville. She was bound, gagged, stabbed repeatedly, and had bruises and lacerations on her face. Her body was found on the base.

_Raping, robbing and attempting to kill Army Pvt. Mary Ann Lang Nameth in her barracks at Fort Bragg on Jan. 3, 1987. She testified against Gray during the court-martial and identified him as her assailant. Gray raped her and stabbed her several times in the neck and side. Nameth suffered a laceration of the trachea and a collapsed or punctured lung.

The six-member court-martial panel returned its unanimous verdict after about two hours of deliberations. The panel also reduced Gray from Spec. 4 to private, forfeited all his pay and ordered him to be dishonorably discharged from the Army.

Gray has appealed his case through the Army Court of Criminal Appeals (then known as the U.S. Army Court of Military Review) and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Services. In 2001, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ggP77qC4esV3XpNNgJq25XW25f0QD9275DA00

[Breeze54]

1. Is that all he ever thinks about?!

He is soooooo fucked up in the head!!

[Mabus]

24. Just a little something to keep him happy

when he takes his usual month off in August to clear brush, wreck his bicycle and ignore PDBs.

[Breeze54]

45. The Bush administration is: 93.94 percent over!!

The Bush administration is: 93.94 percent over!!

Thank gawd he'll be "on vacation" for the whole month and if we
take away the month of August, we can raise that percentage up! :D

[roguevalley]

44. its his viagra. between him and Jeb, they have executed over 300

people between them. They have serious karma in their corner.

[daggahead]

55. Petition to Impeach ...

I received an email from the Kucinich camp. Here's a link to sign a petition to get impeachment on the table:

http://kucinich.us/

[Parche]

2. What

Did the guy do?

:shrug: :hi:

[Breeze54]

3. Rape & Murder... it says it in the OP. n/t

[RamboLiberal]

5. See my OP - I updated it with his crimes

The guy sounds like a real deviate.

[Frisbee]

15. Who, Bush or the private? n/t

[RamboLiberal]

16. LOL - Both

[ohio2007]

21. ..but everyone deserves a 2nd chance at "life"..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x217916

[fascisthunter]

4. He Loves Having the Power to Take Away Life

he is a sociopathic murderer.... those who consider themselves spiritual tend to call people like him as being evil. As long as he gets to define it legally as punishment or retribution....

[my2sense]

6. He is one twisted piece of work......n/t

[ohio2007]

12. Charles Mansons View on Women

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=_9kT47PlLS0&NR=1

but many will argue neither one deserves the death penality.

Of course, there are thousands of them not getting the death penality.

just keep building prisons seems to be the answer for those doing life.




Hey
"Life is Good"
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iy2dWhVHN3E&feature=related

[Hugabear]

29. I am absolutely against the death penalty

Here's an easy fix for the prison overcrowding problem. Stop packing in so many people for minor fucking drug offenses.

[saigon68]

32. Also lots of LOVE on this thread

Who will be the first to cast a stone?

[salguine]

34. But that would cut into the cash flow for our for-profit prison system.

[pipoman]

52. Ft. Leavenworth prison isn't like

a state or federal prison, it is strictly a military prison. It is not overcrowded.

As a side note, there are 2 prisons in Leavenworth, KS. There is Fort Leavenworth, the military prison which is referenced in this case. There is Leavenworth Federal Prison, a large prison which houses civilians who are convicted of federal crimes.

[Minimus]

7. and all of the deaths caused by his war just aren't enough either.

[robcon]

8. Easy decision. Death penalty.

Next case.

[doc03]

9. Looks like they should have executed him back in 1988 to me n/t

[Owl]

14. Yep, I agree.

[tammywammy]

10. And I won't be mouring his passing

[eowyn_of_rohan]

11. What does Li'l Caligula think is an appropriate punishment for himself?

and his VP?

[liberalmuse]

13. "You guys find me someone good...."

he mumbled as he took another large bite out of his freshly made peanut butter sandwich. "Someone the people aren't going to raise a stink about." GWB washed down the rest of his sandwich with a Texas sized swig of milk and started fondling the joystick on his PlayStation. It felt good to have another kill. It had been too long. All those civilians and soldiers in Iraq didn't really count, because that was too far away. He had found he couldn't get any pleasure out of war kills, anyway. Maybe he would fly over Leavenworth as they were administering the injection...

[Nye Bevan]

17. A psychopathic murdering deviant, who clearly should pay for his crimes,

And Pvt Grey needs to pay for *his* crimes, too.

[GeniusLib]

18. Good Riddance

You know what they say about a stopped clock

[Hugabear]

30. No, what do they say?

I take it you support the death penalty.

[NeoTheo]

47. What can you say

Those who support the death penalty, under whatever circumstances, are as craven as the people they choose to murder. A society is judged by how it treats the least of it's members.

[cobalt1999]

19. Maybe we should wait a few more years, let the guy get sick, then...

Some people here will advocate his release back into society (like Susan Atkins).

[LynnTheDem]

20. Two barbaric acts don't make a right.

Some day, America will follow the rest of the civilized world.

[cobalt1999]

22. Except there is only one barbaric actor in this case.

The death penalty is not a barbaric act. Justice is an appropriate punishment for the crime. He's getting justice in this case. However, it won't be the barbaric death those women suffered.

[EFerrari]

33. Murder is not justice, it's murder. n/t

[cobalt1999]

37. The DP is not murder.

...and it is justice in this case.

[EFerrari]

38. Taking a life does not restore a life. Yes, it's murder.

And the so called "death penalty" is just rationalized murder dating from antiquity that benighted people defend with no basis in reason or morality.

[cobalt1999]

58. Again, no punishment restores a life.

So there should be no punishments?

One good reason, the murderer will never be loose in society again.

How many times have people here advocated releasing prisoners because they are old or sick? How many times have murderers escaped? How many times have they been paroled and committed other crimes?

Fix those problems, and the DP won't be needed. Until then, it's the only sure solution.

[Hugabear]

43. It absolutely IS murder

It's the deliberate taking of a human life. It doesn't bring the victim back. And it sure as hell hasn't helped to reduce the violent crime rate. So why do it? If your answer is simply revenge or vindication, then that's not a valid answer.

[cobalt1999]

56. No court punishment brings the victim back.

So that's a stupid argument to use. By your logic, neither has Life in Prison reduced the violent crime rate.

So, Life Imprisonment is simply revenge or vindication and thus not a valid answer. At least using your arguments.

[Hugabear]

60. It's not a stupid fucking argument

Killing people does NOT bring the victim back.

I never said that prison brings the victims back either. However, it DOES keep dangerous criminals away from society without killing them. If you want to talk about the need for prison reform, that's one thing. But please don't pull these straw-man non sequitur arguments.

[cobalt1999]

62. No you are using poor arguments.

In BOTH punishments, the victim does not come back, therefore, it's not a valid argument for/against either punishment. To pull it out ONLY when discussing the DP means you are either being purposely dishonest or stupid.

Anyway, we agree no matter what punishment is given out, the victim is not coming back.

Your second point is about keeping dangerous criminals away from society. However, the DP wins that argument because a dead murderer will never escape, will never be paroled, will never kill in prison.

You obviously have an emotional reaction to the DP, but your logical points don't do a good job of defending your position.

[Hugabear]

63. We're talking about KILLING another person here

So you're going to have to give me a damned good reason why the state should be involved in murder.

If the goal is to make sure they're never a threat to society, then why not life without parole? The two reasons that you give (escape, killing other inmates) are issues that can be dealt with, but IMHO they do not justify simply killing someone based on the possibility that they could do so.

Many other countries have abolished the death penalty, why can't we do the same? Unless you're proud of the fact that we, along with China, are among the last holdouts in the industrialized world.

[cobalt1999]

68. Yes, we are talking about killing the person.

However, it is NOT murder. Murder is a legal definition. Just like killing someone in an auto accident is not "murder".

Opponents of the DP use the word murder improperly OR as an emotional argument, most never understanding the legal definition of the word. Emotional arguments carry no sway with me.

As for ensuring they are never a threat to society, like I said above, in our current judicial system "life without parole" is NOT really "Life without parole".

Murders DO get compassionate releases, murderers DO get life WITH parole, and murderers DO escape. IMHO, when those exit loopholes are closed, then the argument for the DP diminishes. Even here, people argued for the release of the Mason family Atkins woman because she has cancer.

As for the rest of the world, it's also not a valid argument. It's irrelevant. Like my mom used to say "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?". We can only understand and control our own situation.

[mitchum]

64. It absolutely is NOT murder...

technically it results in homicide, but it is not murder. Murder is a very precise legal term.
I am aware that the highly emotional anti-death penalty advocates like to play fast and loose with the word "murder" (just like the anti-choice advocates), but that's really no excuse.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. In your opinion.

I don't find an eye for an eye to be justice. I find it twisted.

[Puglover]

51. Hello Mrs. G!

:hi: I saw you here and thought I'd just pop in and say hey. I think about you sweetie. :hug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

59. Hi Puglover.

:hug:

Thank you for not giving up on me.

[Puglover]

65. Not a chance madam.

:hug:

[Swagman]

23. who Bush ? " sounds like a real deviate. Not someone I would mourn passing."

[Mabus]

25. Looks like Bush is helping Novak get that new brain he needs

The Abby Normal brain that is.

[evilkumquat]

26. Hitler Allegedly Had His Executions Filmed...

...so he could watch in the privacy of his bunker as those who conspired against him were slowly throttled to death with piano wire.

Do you suppose Bush has someone sneak video out from the witness area?

And do you further suppose he keeps a box of Kleenex and some hand lotion next to his remote?

[Vidar]

27. I hope the fucker remembers every execution he ordered when we finally hang him for treason.

[bluesmail]

28. Bad memories. When he laughed at the begging woman

on death row. SOCIOPATH

[saigon68]

31. A Man with no soul

[bluesmail]

39. yes, amen, right on. This is not sarcasm. It's realism.

[bluestateguy]

35. This isn't some innocent kid that ran away becuase he didn't want to serve in Iraq

In many state civilian courts he'd already have been executed by now.

[stevedeshazer]

36. Bet he had wood. He loves death and rape and torture.

[Canuckistanian]

40. Is there an execution he DIDN'T approve of?

He's in his glory when he's signing death warrants.

[MuseRider]

41. Just a parting gift.

Ya know, just a little trifle to let him know how much we have appreciated his hard work by giving him what every red blooded murderer craves. He can leave with the boner of death one more time. God Bless America.

[xchrom]

46. quelle surprise. nt

[MetaTrope]

48. Hm, the chickenhawk admin has been delaying Iraq rapist/murderer Steven Green's trial

until the Traitor-in-Chief is well out of office...but if Bush is tasting blood now, he may demand more.

Be nice to get a spotlight back on the military's atrocities.

[crim son]

49. I don't know the facts of the case and for the sake of argument

will assume the man is guilty as hell. Only in Hell, however, should a chimp like Bush made the decision about whether somebody lives or dies. Totally surreal.

[Kolesar]

50. With ya' ... eom

[pipoman]

53. I find it amazing that there hasn't

been a military execution since 1961. There are many crimes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice which allows for the death penalty.

[bean fidhleir]

54. A Black man being convicted in a southern state doesn't set off any alarm bells for anyone?

How often have Black men later been found innocent? A couple hundred times at last count, I believe.

He might be guilty as hell, but I don't think I'd like to kill him based on conviction in a southern court.

[slackmaster]

57. "Both military and civilian courts found Gray responsible for the crimes..."

"Gray pleaded guilty to two murders and five rapes in a civilian court and was sentenced to three consecutive and five concurrent life terms."

He's already had two bites at the apple.

I oppose this execution as I do the DP in general, but this is not a race issue.

[Hugabear]

61. Kill the fucking bastard

Didn't you see what he was accused of? Fry the bastard! Who cares if a few innocent people get murdered by the state, as long as we kill these horrible people! :sarcasm:

What's sad is that while my reply was sarcastic, a few others in this thread are not.

[suston96]

66. No comparison at all, but.......

...this reminds me of another army execution......

http://warchronicle.com/MilitaryJustice/historiantales/ExecutionPvtSlovik.htm

I repeat, no comparison as to the offenses, but.......

Made into a great TV movie in 1974 with Martin Sheen as Private Slovik.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Execution_of_Private_Slovik

[slackmaster]

69. That is a good movie

I had previously seen Martin Sheen in The California Kid and was already a fan.

[leftyladyfrommo]

67. Approving executions seems to be Bush's one strong point.

He sure has done it enough.