http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-editgsrollingoct01,0,1173276.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial
Danny Rolling
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted October 1 2006
ISSUE: Danny Rolling's death warrant signed -- finally.Perhaps a better political talking point would be why is Danny Rolling still alive, 16 years after one of the most horrific crimes in Florida history, and 12 years after he was sentenced to death.
There is no doubt Rolling butchered five college students in Gainesville in 1990. He long ago admitted it. He plead guilty to the murders, and five death sentences were handed down in 1994. He should have been put to death long ago.
And yet, so long after the crime was committed -- Bob Martinez was governor of Florida when this happened -- politicians may be discussing not the length of time Danny Rolling has been awaiting execution, but the timing of the signing of his death warrant.
Gov. Jeb Bush last week signed Rolling's first death warrant, with the execution set for Oct. 25. And now there is rumbling among some Democrats that the timing of this, so close to the November election, could be an effort to show the Republicans -- in particular, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist -- are tough on crime.Bush says the elections weren't a consideration in the timing.
You want to believe him. And you want to believe that politicians from both sides will not be cynical enough to turn the timing of when the warrant was signed into an election issue.If they want to raise issues about the lengthy appeals process in an open-and-shut case or the way the death penalty is administered or the chemicals that are used in lethal injections, fine.
Those are issues of concern, and should get the attention of lawmakers and courts.But no candidate or party should bother voters with any insulting wrangling over the timing of when Rolling's death warrant was signed.
You want to believe it won't stoop to that level of discourse. But then you remember, there is an election coming up soon.
BOTTOM LINE: Candidates must not turn this into a political football.
Danny Rolling
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted October 1 2006
ISSUE: Danny Rolling's death warrant signed -- finally.Perhaps a better political talking point would be why is Danny Rolling still alive, 16 years after one of the most horrific crimes in Florida history, and 12 years after he was sentenced to death.
There is no doubt Rolling butchered five college students in Gainesville in 1990. He long ago admitted it. He plead guilty to the murders, and five death sentences were handed down in 1994. He should have been put to death long ago.
And yet, so long after the crime was committed -- Bob Martinez was governor of Florida when this happened -- politicians may be discussing not the length of time Danny Rolling has been awaiting execution, but the timing of the signing of his death warrant.
Gov. Jeb Bush last week signed Rolling's first death warrant, with the execution set for Oct. 25. And now there is rumbling among some Democrats that the timing of this, so close to the November election, could be an effort to show the Republicans -- in particular, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist -- are tough on crime.Bush says the elections weren't a consideration in the timing.
You want to believe him. And you want to believe that politicians from both sides will not be cynical enough to turn the timing of when the warrant was signed into an election issue.If they want to raise issues about the lengthy appeals process in an open-and-shut case or the way the death penalty is administered or the chemicals that are used in lethal injections, fine.
Those are issues of concern, and should get the attention of lawmakers and courts.But no candidate or party should bother voters with any insulting wrangling over the timing of when Rolling's death warrant was signed.
You want to believe it won't stoop to that level of discourse. But then you remember, there is an election coming up soon.
BOTTOM LINE: Candidates must not turn this into a political football.
1 comment:
im so glad that the President is finally doing what is right and putting this animal to his death.
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