Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 Fluke 8/7/84; site fluke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!fluke!moriarty From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime) Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics Subject: Bastille mentality alive and well in USA Message-ID: <3@vax2.fluke.UUCP> Date: Mon, 5-Nov-84 21:14:36 EST Article-I.D.: vax2.3 Posted: Mon Nov 5 21:14:36 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 8-Nov-84 01:27:17 EST Distribution: net Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Everett, WA Lines: 34 Well, folks, I can understand people waiting outside a prison where a man or woman is about to be executed and holding a vigil because they object to capital punishment. I can also understand people who would stand outside the same prison, also holding vigil, to show their support of capital punishment (equal time & all). But the behaviour of a mob outside of the place where a man was executed in North Carolina (I think -- I was just catching the end of the news -- please correct me if I'm wrong about the location) makes me wonder about the state of the state. People were cheering and celebrating the criminals execution, chanting, and, in general, acting like it was homecoming. One woman even held a giant paper-mache hyperdermic needle aloft (used to represent the method of execution) like some kind of team penant. Look, I understand the arguments for both sides of the capital punishment issue. But actions like this would be, I think, repugnant to anyone, no matter what their position. I could understand acceptance or even satisfaction that the deed had been done -- but celebration? Gosh, I bet these people would have LOVED the French Revolution or the gladiators! Bet they can't wait for the next war! Whoops,on second thought, probably not; they won't have spectator status. What seperates the men from the apes? The bars on the cage... Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. UUCP: {cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \ {allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA