Nichols' lawyers have argued that McVeigh had set up Nichols to take the blame for other, unidentified coconspirators heavily involved in the plot.
Well, I guess we'll never know, because we went and killed McVeigh.
Now, let me make one thing clear: I am not against the death penalty, as such. I happen to think that it's too merciful, over too soon, and relatively painless -- especially for heinous crimes on the level of McVeigh's. I don't believe that the death of the criminal can give any real comfort to the survivors of the victim. However, if that's what the survivors think they want, I'm willing to go along with the bleeding-hearts who want to impose a merciful death instead of lifelong suffering.
HOWEVER...in the McVeigh case, there were plenty of unanswered questions, particularly about possible co-conspirators. I think it was a huge mistake to rush the death of the one person who could have given us some answers. To the extent that Nichols might know anything, I think it's a mistake to rush to kill him, as well. After all, dead men tell no tales.
See, if the death penalty has a...well, fatal...flaw, it's that death is so permanent. In computer terms, it's not undoable. If you find out later that you got the wrong guy, or that there were questions you wanted to ask, it's too late.
Keep the guy around, until you're absolutely sure you don't need him anymore. There's always time to kill him later.
My opinion is more of an aesthetic reaction, really. I just hate to see things wasted....
M.
The Ivory Madonna's story is told in Dance for the Ivory Madonna by Don Sakers.
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