Listen to a reading of this article: Joe Nathan James Jr was executed by lethal injection on Thursday, against the wishes of his victim's family. He was the eighth person to be put to death in the United States so far this year, and the second from Alabama.
You could publish this article without a hint of what country it transpired in and not one endangered person on the planet would guess the wrong country.
Yes, such is the world we live in where Christian ideas are utilized to facilitate evil. "We're good, God fearing people and we don't allow desecration of all that is decent to be trivialized by indecent attire - a short skirt and toe-revealing shoes. This is serious."
George W Bush, that mass killer of renown, mocked a woman on death row who under the influence of heavy drugs and bad companions, committed murder. But she had reformed in prison and was commended as a model prisoner and reformed person by the warden, ministers of the church and people who knew her.
"I don't want to die" Bush, said in an exaggerated imitation of a woman's voice". He had her killed, anyway.
But was he on drugs when he asked God about hitting Iraq and killing a million people, and God answered," Go for it Georgie, my son" ?
To claim that putting a man in a cage for 60 years either in solitude or with only other sociopaths is somehow more moral than ending his life is not some cut and dry established fact, it is simply your conditioned response.
As far as the woman's dress at this somber occasion, your outrage at the decision is no better than their outrage at her decision to dress that way.
Sorry, Caitlan, your morality and worldview are not required to be adopted by anyone else and their decision not to do so is not, de facto, wrong morally, ethically, or legally (especially in a democracy).
Joe Nathan James Jr. was a sick sick animal. He was put down for good reason. Caging him for decades serves no purpose other than to assuage your fantasies about the goodness of men and the potential for some to be rehabilitated.
We here in the US just went through (and continue to in some backwards places) an anti-police/authority revolution in many cities which yielded the predictable results (see Minneapolis, for example). Some people require additional policing and authority (some don't, like the locked-down residents of AUS over the covid scare). Some people are simply sick and putting them down, in some people's opinion, is not the most unethical response.
You and the anti-American, anti-Xtian (how'd they get thrown in here this time??? Strawman, btw) have plenty to be upset about, and we living here are not entirely happy all the time too, like perhaps you there are. But the terminating of <20 people/year in a nation of 350,000,000 with nearly 10,000 homicides a year is simply a statistical nothingburger.
Articles/opinions like yours on this issue are the flaws I've come to expect from an otherwise well-meaning and more often well-grounded author.
Prosecutors claimed that James did not accept the rejection, as he began to stalk Hall over a period of months. He was also accused of showing up at her home, where she lived with her young daughters, who were aged three and six at the time. Legal documents allege that he also made death threats against Hall and her ex-husband.
Ultimately, on August 15, 1994, James followed Hall while she was doing her groceries with a friend. Hall proceeded to visit the friend's home, where James reportedly barged in and shot her thrice with a handgun.
And here we go. The criminal on death row was given a fair trial and found guilty of murder. What was cruel was the waiting for almost 30 years to execute him.
It is a case of perspective. Is it more cruel to lock a person up for the rest of their lives?
And the skirt? Offended by the skirt? Maybe a bit of respect is in order. The legs, the open toed shoes are a projection of her ego. This isn't about her, but about the execution. This is a funeral for a living person. We don't show up at a funeral in short skirts, shorts and sneakers. It is not about Christianity. It is about respect for the victim and the person who is about to die. It is a solemn occasion.
Would you feel better if we called it a living abortion? Then it would be ok? Funny how hard people fight for their version of a right to kill.
And turning this into a human rights issue over women's attire? Then tying this to "world domination and violence" by men wearing cowboy hats?
The article displays a rabid hatred for common sense and respect. It projects a false sense of moral outrage.
The article could have been about Joe or the victims. Not some white liberal bullshit.
Sometimes we have to do what is right. And showing respect is always the right thing to do.
I realize, in the grand context of things, the following may be considered an academic point. But philosophically, I believe it’s still worth making:
States killing people, both at the individual level with government executions as a matter of criminal procedure, and, at the collective level like the myriad Iraqis or Afghans etc., are situations which all make legally perfect murderers of the respective tax base. Reconciling this straightline logic of culpability with one’s metaphysical convictions is not really possible to do in any honest way—not unless you like to kill, or are in favor of pluralities’ killing of third-parties not directly related to yourself—and that of course, does seem to describe many people. Also, secularly, I think such situations are demonstrative of the modern predominance of bad religion, thus, from a secularist point of view, it is also a conflation of church and state.
Also, time was, the option for a death penalty, often amounted to a humane alternative to long-term incarceration for the guilty or the otherwise condemned. Summary execution. Now, though, with the convoluted punishment by process, that’s so typical of American jurisprudence, a convict who’s capitally condemned is more likely to see double digit years on death row, not infrequently involving extended extraordinary situations like solitary confinement before being executed. That’s torture, basically, which is cruel therefore unconstitutional. That’s one constitutional protection to which even convicts, of any sort, are meant to remain privy. ~O.B.
So much of what we read from the respected Caitlin Johnstone justifies being sent on to other people so that they can better understand the declining world of America “the exceptional”, as it is today.
But this effort by Caitlin sums it up better than anything I have read, worthy of the extra effort required in sending it on to others so that others can be better informed.
But commenters and others know that with just one or two exceptions, no country comes within a bull's roar of the cock-eyed (frighteningly dangerous) values and objectives of the United States. However, some examples follow, carefully tempered with restraint but hopefully showing accurate historical facts.
Ancient history
The UK. A past and decadent empire, capable of electing fools and knaves as leaders, trying to continue to live from past successes with colonisation , wars and “Commonwealth structures’, now well past their use-by-date as an example for others. The US learnt all they could from past English practices and then with a large touch of the macabre, found other way to form empires, their dirtiest (and for which they will always be remembered) the deadly (literally in the multi-millions) practice of sanctions, this list being far too long to print. Never ever to be forgotten.
Trying desperately to hold even their close neighbours, Ireland, Scotland and Wales together as controllable entities, worshipping an old Queen, curtseying as required and deferring to the Lords and Ladies, all entitled through questionable acts and added to for services to a Monarchy starting from a long past medieval period. But still there, every day, at a great cost. Outdated and reeking with contrived class distinctions.
A short memoried Reich
Germany. they seem to have forgotten 1939 as their new warlike leader (after years of a decent realistic leader) is now the most outspoken on the war in Ukraine, supporting the clown Prince Zelenskyy with weapons and virtually declaring war on one of the most powerful countries in the world.
He should not forget 1939. Not a good result for Germany. A mistake in those days being repeated in a minor way, by their actions today. Clever people, now badly led.
Medieval practitioners
Saudi Arabia. So many crimes and executions done in their name with seven long years of merciless killing in Yemen (supported of course by the US, Israel and the UK. What a team). A country which purchases more weaponry from the USA than almost the rest of the world together (therefore a close ally of the US); a country that has enormous wealth for the few, but treats woman as second class citizens and controls the masses with a strict police and military regime that accepts no challenge to their power. Oil wealth soon to decline.
Machiavellian (self-acclaimed) master race.
Israel. A country that unquestionably controls the USA, lock, stock and barrel through historical and well established Private Banking organisations, graft and political corruption and well controlled bribery in all political circles. Armed with 400+ nuclear warheads, their objectives being to remove Iran from the map of the world and to totally control the Middle East, expanding its own borders (Eretz Israel) from the Euphrates River to the Nile which includes Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, parts of Syria, a little of Turkey, Kuwait and Egypt, large parts of Saudi Arabia, all as soon as possible, but with America's assistance (following Israel's directions of course).
One nuclear warhead "for every capital in the world if necessary”, the Israeli “mad dog” philosophy, expanding every year, thanks to America. Every decision from the Israeli AIPAC (US based). and the Israeli Neocons (US based) obediently obeyed by the likes of Biden and his team of warmongering Neocons. The parasites of the modern world.
The Devil’s disciples
Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand, all little servile bag carriers for anything American, fighting their wars, doing what they are told, hiding under various “agreements”, military groupings such as ANZUS, QUAD, AUKUS, and many Free Trade Agreements and with a history of subservient war activities like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan being the final battlefield for all. For the moment, that is.
Without the influence of the corrupted and devious USA, all of the above would vanish,….. overnight.
I find your "proper servants of the Lord" verbiage so appropriate. Chris Hedges warned us about Christian Fascists 15+ yrs. ago. In this time of metaphysical distress, I see a few folks I once thought to be sane dissolving themselves into this fundamentalist fairy tale, likely costing me a friendship because I can no longer rely on that person's ability to think critically about existence. Very painful to see this stuff happening, but predictable as the few threads still binding US society together continue to unravel in the face of a covert class war.
"Let us all dress like proper servants of the Lord as we abandon our humanity and march to the drumbeat of money and empire over the edge and into the loving arms of oblivion."
Fine inspiring sermon! We are the elect and we hear your holy words of love. Let us pray...
p.s. Didn't hear the last few sentences. Think they were about some evil criminal being humanely executed in the blessed mercy seat. The man is in God's hands now. It is not for us to judge. It is not for us to second guess the law. We are the chosen congregation. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...
This is a country whose priorities are warped beyond all reason. May I say those priorities are accessible only by colonoscopy. Proper fashion for executions? Why yes, it’s the dignity of the victim we’re worried about.
These are extremist. To not even listen to the pleas of the family about execution was far from justice. I am a Christian. That is not the issue. White washed Pharisee law is!
Too revealing shoes? WTF does that even mean? (As a man is strapped down for his ultimate demise, BTW.) Too bad Ol' Ripley isn't alive, it would be a good piece for the old Sunday funnies section of the local paper! Or the annals of the Psychotic Times. Peace
Are you some kind of child, that you do not grasp the ins and outs of crime and punishment?
This POS stalked, threatened, and terrorized a young mother for three months because she refused to date him..then he shot her to death in front of a friend in cold blood.
The punishment fits the crime, though it should have happened thirty years ago.
"Victims family" does not get to choose sentence..if they did, I suspect you'd have a lot more executions to whine about.
As for the reporter who decided to dress for the nightclub when attending an execution?
You could publish this article without a hint of what country it transpired in and not one endangered person on the planet would guess the wrong country.
Yes, such is the world we live in where Christian ideas are utilized to facilitate evil. "We're good, God fearing people and we don't allow desecration of all that is decent to be trivialized by indecent attire - a short skirt and toe-revealing shoes. This is serious."
George W Bush, that mass killer of renown, mocked a woman on death row who under the influence of heavy drugs and bad companions, committed murder. But she had reformed in prison and was commended as a model prisoner and reformed person by the warden, ministers of the church and people who knew her.
"I don't want to die" Bush, said in an exaggerated imitation of a woman's voice". He had her killed, anyway.
But was he on drugs when he asked God about hitting Iraq and killing a million people, and God answered," Go for it Georgie, my son" ?
Lame article. Too much emotional BS and bias.
To claim that putting a man in a cage for 60 years either in solitude or with only other sociopaths is somehow more moral than ending his life is not some cut and dry established fact, it is simply your conditioned response.
As far as the woman's dress at this somber occasion, your outrage at the decision is no better than their outrage at her decision to dress that way.
Sorry, Caitlan, your morality and worldview are not required to be adopted by anyone else and their decision not to do so is not, de facto, wrong morally, ethically, or legally (especially in a democracy).
Joe Nathan James Jr. was a sick sick animal. He was put down for good reason. Caging him for decades serves no purpose other than to assuage your fantasies about the goodness of men and the potential for some to be rehabilitated.
We here in the US just went through (and continue to in some backwards places) an anti-police/authority revolution in many cities which yielded the predictable results (see Minneapolis, for example). Some people require additional policing and authority (some don't, like the locked-down residents of AUS over the covid scare). Some people are simply sick and putting them down, in some people's opinion, is not the most unethical response.
You and the anti-American, anti-Xtian (how'd they get thrown in here this time??? Strawman, btw) have plenty to be upset about, and we living here are not entirely happy all the time too, like perhaps you there are. But the terminating of <20 people/year in a nation of 350,000,000 with nearly 10,000 homicides a year is simply a statistical nothingburger.
Articles/opinions like yours on this issue are the flaws I've come to expect from an otherwise well-meaning and more often well-grounded author.
Caitlin, at least show some class and educate your readers what Joe Nathan James Jr. was executed for..
After writing this disgrace, you should get on your hands and knees to apologize to his victim and her family.
RIP Faith Hall
Your rage is extremely unhealthy. You need help.
Prosecutors claimed that James did not accept the rejection, as he began to stalk Hall over a period of months. He was also accused of showing up at her home, where she lived with her young daughters, who were aged three and six at the time. Legal documents allege that he also made death threats against Hall and her ex-husband.
Ultimately, on August 15, 1994, James followed Hall while she was doing her groceries with a friend. Hall proceeded to visit the friend's home, where James reportedly barged in and shot her thrice with a handgun.
What a nice guy! A victim of society for sure.
And here we go. The criminal on death row was given a fair trial and found guilty of murder. What was cruel was the waiting for almost 30 years to execute him.
It is a case of perspective. Is it more cruel to lock a person up for the rest of their lives?
And the skirt? Offended by the skirt? Maybe a bit of respect is in order. The legs, the open toed shoes are a projection of her ego. This isn't about her, but about the execution. This is a funeral for a living person. We don't show up at a funeral in short skirts, shorts and sneakers. It is not about Christianity. It is about respect for the victim and the person who is about to die. It is a solemn occasion.
Would you feel better if we called it a living abortion? Then it would be ok? Funny how hard people fight for their version of a right to kill.
And turning this into a human rights issue over women's attire? Then tying this to "world domination and violence" by men wearing cowboy hats?
The article displays a rabid hatred for common sense and respect. It projects a false sense of moral outrage.
The article could have been about Joe or the victims. Not some white liberal bullshit.
Sometimes we have to do what is right. And showing respect is always the right thing to do.
It is sad that any of this happens.
I realize, in the grand context of things, the following may be considered an academic point. But philosophically, I believe it’s still worth making:
States killing people, both at the individual level with government executions as a matter of criminal procedure, and, at the collective level like the myriad Iraqis or Afghans etc., are situations which all make legally perfect murderers of the respective tax base. Reconciling this straightline logic of culpability with one’s metaphysical convictions is not really possible to do in any honest way—not unless you like to kill, or are in favor of pluralities’ killing of third-parties not directly related to yourself—and that of course, does seem to describe many people. Also, secularly, I think such situations are demonstrative of the modern predominance of bad religion, thus, from a secularist point of view, it is also a conflation of church and state.
Also, time was, the option for a death penalty, often amounted to a humane alternative to long-term incarceration for the guilty or the otherwise condemned. Summary execution. Now, though, with the convoluted punishment by process, that’s so typical of American jurisprudence, a convict who’s capitally condemned is more likely to see double digit years on death row, not infrequently involving extended extraordinary situations like solitary confinement before being executed. That’s torture, basically, which is cruel therefore unconstitutional. That’s one constitutional protection to which even convicts, of any sort, are meant to remain privy. ~O.B.
So much of what we read from the respected Caitlin Johnstone justifies being sent on to other people so that they can better understand the declining world of America “the exceptional”, as it is today.
But this effort by Caitlin sums it up better than anything I have read, worthy of the extra effort required in sending it on to others so that others can be better informed.
But commenters and others know that with just one or two exceptions, no country comes within a bull's roar of the cock-eyed (frighteningly dangerous) values and objectives of the United States. However, some examples follow, carefully tempered with restraint but hopefully showing accurate historical facts.
Ancient history
The UK. A past and decadent empire, capable of electing fools and knaves as leaders, trying to continue to live from past successes with colonisation , wars and “Commonwealth structures’, now well past their use-by-date as an example for others. The US learnt all they could from past English practices and then with a large touch of the macabre, found other way to form empires, their dirtiest (and for which they will always be remembered) the deadly (literally in the multi-millions) practice of sanctions, this list being far too long to print. Never ever to be forgotten.
Trying desperately to hold even their close neighbours, Ireland, Scotland and Wales together as controllable entities, worshipping an old Queen, curtseying as required and deferring to the Lords and Ladies, all entitled through questionable acts and added to for services to a Monarchy starting from a long past medieval period. But still there, every day, at a great cost. Outdated and reeking with contrived class distinctions.
A short memoried Reich
Germany. they seem to have forgotten 1939 as their new warlike leader (after years of a decent realistic leader) is now the most outspoken on the war in Ukraine, supporting the clown Prince Zelenskyy with weapons and virtually declaring war on one of the most powerful countries in the world.
He should not forget 1939. Not a good result for Germany. A mistake in those days being repeated in a minor way, by their actions today. Clever people, now badly led.
Medieval practitioners
Saudi Arabia. So many crimes and executions done in their name with seven long years of merciless killing in Yemen (supported of course by the US, Israel and the UK. What a team). A country which purchases more weaponry from the USA than almost the rest of the world together (therefore a close ally of the US); a country that has enormous wealth for the few, but treats woman as second class citizens and controls the masses with a strict police and military regime that accepts no challenge to their power. Oil wealth soon to decline.
Machiavellian (self-acclaimed) master race.
Israel. A country that unquestionably controls the USA, lock, stock and barrel through historical and well established Private Banking organisations, graft and political corruption and well controlled bribery in all political circles. Armed with 400+ nuclear warheads, their objectives being to remove Iran from the map of the world and to totally control the Middle East, expanding its own borders (Eretz Israel) from the Euphrates River to the Nile which includes Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, parts of Syria, a little of Turkey, Kuwait and Egypt, large parts of Saudi Arabia, all as soon as possible, but with America's assistance (following Israel's directions of course).
One nuclear warhead "for every capital in the world if necessary”, the Israeli “mad dog” philosophy, expanding every year, thanks to America. Every decision from the Israeli AIPAC (US based). and the Israeli Neocons (US based) obediently obeyed by the likes of Biden and his team of warmongering Neocons. The parasites of the modern world.
The Devil’s disciples
Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand, all little servile bag carriers for anything American, fighting their wars, doing what they are told, hiding under various “agreements”, military groupings such as ANZUS, QUAD, AUKUS, and many Free Trade Agreements and with a history of subservient war activities like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan being the final battlefield for all. For the moment, that is.
Without the influence of the corrupted and devious USA, all of the above would vanish,….. overnight.
I find your "proper servants of the Lord" verbiage so appropriate. Chris Hedges warned us about Christian Fascists 15+ yrs. ago. In this time of metaphysical distress, I see a few folks I once thought to be sane dissolving themselves into this fundamentalist fairy tale, likely costing me a friendship because I can no longer rely on that person's ability to think critically about existence. Very painful to see this stuff happening, but predictable as the few threads still binding US society together continue to unravel in the face of a covert class war.
I agree with you Caitlin but I also don’t think it’s the place to show off your legs. Do it elsewhere. It shows lack of taste. But then it’s America.
"Let us all dress like proper servants of the Lord as we abandon our humanity and march to the drumbeat of money and empire over the edge and into the loving arms of oblivion."
Fine inspiring sermon! We are the elect and we hear your holy words of love. Let us pray...
p.s. Didn't hear the last few sentences. Think they were about some evil criminal being humanely executed in the blessed mercy seat. The man is in God's hands now. It is not for us to judge. It is not for us to second guess the law. We are the chosen congregation. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...
This is a country whose priorities are warped beyond all reason. May I say those priorities are accessible only by colonoscopy. Proper fashion for executions? Why yes, it’s the dignity of the victim we’re worried about.
These are extremist. To not even listen to the pleas of the family about execution was far from justice. I am a Christian. That is not the issue. White washed Pharisee law is!
Too revealing shoes? WTF does that even mean? (As a man is strapped down for his ultimate demise, BTW.) Too bad Ol' Ripley isn't alive, it would be a good piece for the old Sunday funnies section of the local paper! Or the annals of the Psychotic Times. Peace
pull your pointy head out of your stinky butt hole first. you may be able to hear me better then.
Murderer still became non-living, correct?
Not seeing a problem.
Are you some kind of child, that you do not grasp the ins and outs of crime and punishment?
This POS stalked, threatened, and terrorized a young mother for three months because she refused to date him..then he shot her to death in front of a friend in cold blood.
The punishment fits the crime, though it should have happened thirty years ago.
"Victims family" does not get to choose sentence..if they did, I suspect you'd have a lot more executions to whine about.
As for the reporter who decided to dress for the nightclub when attending an execution?
To hell with her and her hurt feelings.