tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post112536424612223139..comments2024-03-25T13:42:25.771-05:00Comments on Advance Indiana™: Daniels Commutes Bairds' Death SentenceGary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-1125509476064995902005-08-31T12:31:00.000-05:002005-08-31T12:31:00.000-05:00Of course Daniels did the right thing by commuting...Of course Daniels did the right thing by commuting Baird’s sentence to LWOP.<BR/><BR/>Although, I was disappointed, given your fondness for historical journeys that you failed to mention more relevant story information. Such as: the Republican Party platform continues to support capital punishment, while the Democratic Party platform evolved with the 2000 convention when it removed the section of the document that endorsed capital punishment. Key democrats argued at the time that it was the morally right position to take as ever mounting studies revealed serious questions, racial bias, and deep disparities in the way the death penalty is applied. Basically, the same reasoning former pro-capital punishment Governor George Ryan (R) used in 2000 when he issued a moratorium on all executions in Illinois and established a commission to evaluate Illinois’ entire capital punishment system. <BR/><BR/> <BR/>And…just in case you missed yesterday's Indy Star article (8/30: Daniels spares mentally ill killer) here’s a bit of that story this lesbian found rather telling…<BR/><BR/>Conservative leaders say Daniels is unlikely to suffer political fallout.<BR/><BR/>I don't think this will be seen as the governor backing away from the death penalty," said Curt Smith, president of the Indiana Family Institute, a conservative group that supports a "pro-family" agenda. "Clearly, there were extenuating circumstances."<BR/><BR/>Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana, agreed, saying the concerns raised by Baird's mental condition justified special consideration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com