Originally Posted by smiley

So what about the select few who are later exonerated, what does that tell you?

Sometimes there is little that separates those serving life for murder and those who receive the Death Penalty. Also Law of Parties can see you sitting on Death Row.

You know there is ALWAYS going to be "the exception". NO doubt about that. Why do you challenge everything people say with the exact opposite view? Honestly, I'm all up for discussion about things but 9 times out of 10 yes, they got the death penalty because they committed a very heinous crime. Maybe even 7 out of 10. If I said that two of my pen pals were actually innocent someone would come along and say that that all say that. For the record I don't feel sorry for that Wornus woman because I've known people that had more horrible childhoods than hers and they are law abiding citizens. A bad childhood doesn't have to turn you into a murderer.

Why do i often say the opposite? Because for me, i want people to think (what you call challenge) not only what they see or know but the truth that lies in the opposite of all things and that is often lost.

As for Aileen Wuornos i have nothing but empathy for her, in life and death, not only was she a tortured soul but had many mental health issues, no doubt exacerbated by her "nurturing." Although i understand why others including yourself see something very different when you look at her.

Originally Posted by smiley

Why do i often say the opposite? Because for me, i want people to think (what you call challenge) not only what they see or know but the truth that lies in the opposite of all things and that is often lost.

As for Aileen Wuornos i have nothing but empathy for her, in life and death, not only was she a tortured soul but had many mental health issues, no doubt exacerbated by her "nurturing." Although i understand why others including yourself see something very different when you look at her.

Fair enough

Originally Posted by Silas Sydenham

I was kind of hoping that someone would call me on this issue, so that I could confess.

I googled my penpal's cellie, against my own better judgement, because my friend begged me to.

What I found out horrified me: The cellie had raped and murdered his cellie in another prison. I did not pass on this information to my penpal, but I told him to DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO BE MOVED TO ANOTHER CELL.

What I did was not okay by any light, and I cannot offer any excuse.

I am sure everyone fails to live up to their own principles occasionally.

They say confession is good for the soul...

Looking up a cellie is completely different, in my mind, to looking up a penpal. I am not ever going to be in the same room as any of my penpals, so it is simply not necessary for me to know any details of what they did to be in prison. But Hubby has to share a space smaller than my bathroom with another guy, so yes he sometimes asks me to check out cellie's crime and I do. I don't put details in the letters, but I give hubby the info he feels he needs to be aware of in order to stay safe.

Originally Posted by sunray's wench

They say confession is good for the soul...

Looking up a cellie is completely different, in my mind, to looking up a penpal. I am not ever going to be in the same room as any of my penpals, so it is simply not necessary for me to know any details of what they did to be in prison. But Hubby has to share a space smaller than my bathroom with another guy, so yes he sometimes asks me to check out cellie's crime and I do. I don't put details in the letters, but I give hubby the info he feels he needs to be aware of in order to stay safe.

I see this as a double standard, but everyone has their reasons whether it be the woman looking up a man she is thinking of dating or a pen pal you are thinking about establishing a relationship with.

Originally Posted by mountanddo

I see this as a double standard, but everyone has their reasons whether it be the woman looking up a man she is thinking of dating or a pen pal you are thinking about establishing a relationship with.

I'm curious to know why you think that. I'm not looking anything up for my own purposes, it is done at hubby's request, and I don't google, I just let him know what the current convictions are, in our own way of doing it. The information still doesn't matter to me one way or the other, and if hubby didn't ask then I wouldn't do it. He wants to know, sometimes. He feels it makes him a little safer, knowing who is sleeping a few inches above him. I'm not convinced it does make him any safer, but I'm not the one in a 7 x 4 cell.

I feel like i started the whole aileen wournos debate. Lol guess i did. I agree with what someone said that a bad childhood doesnt turn you into a criminal. However in this case ill play devils advocate, she was obviously a disturbed woman, whats to say with medication she wouldnt have committed those horrible acts? We really will never know. I think its fair to agree to disagree.

However i will say this, some have gotten the death penalty for less then what Aileen did. From what i see and read texas is a harsh state when it comes to crimes.

I hope in death Aileen has found a peace she did not in living.

As for the acts committed and whether she would of done them had she been treated differently (nurtured) and medicated. I think it is fair to say she may of been at risk but under care for mental health issues, those signs, including psychosis would of been picked up and she could of been instituted for the safety of not only herself but others.

We all know having a "bad" childhood does not always define who you become but it is a FACT you have a higher rate of developing mental health issues when your ethical and moral upbringing is lacking from early childhood and you endure further trauma.

Texas, is a state unto it's own!

i have read the most part of your comments and i can suppose almost everybody feel a little sorry or guilty for finding pp case info.....why..???...why do you feel in that way..??....first at all we all are writting or decided to write to inmates and they are not angels ( just like us )...we do know prisions are not for any crazy reason....it is for bad people or good people who did bad choices..that is all......finding offender case info not only helps you to write appropiate to an inmate but also it is useful for your own safety.....you know......myself, i looked for my pp case info before and even after to write k. and i do not feel sorry, ashamed, guilty or anything like that....it is just human nature to feel curious about that.....are we humans..??.......i guess so.....of course...it is something different to let them ( pp ) know about that....it is not necessary....i think...so..everybody happy.

- - - Updated - - -

i have read the most part of your comments and i can suppose almost everybody feel a little sorry or guilty for finding pp case info.....why..???...why do you feel in that way..??....first at all we all are writting or decided to write to inmates and they are not angels ( just like us )...we do know prisions are not for any crazy reason....it is for bad people or good people who did bad choices..that is all......finding offender case info not only helps you to write appropiate to an inmate but also it is useful for your own safety.....you know......myself, i looked for my pp case info before and even after to write k. and i do not feel sorry, ashamed, guilty or anything like that....it is just human nature to feel curious about that.....are we humans..??.......i guess so.....of course...it is something different to let them ( pp ) know about that....it is not necessary....i think...so..everybody happy.

- - - Updated - - -

i have read the most part of your comments and i can suppose almost everybody feel a little sorry or guilty for finding pp case info.....why..???...why do you feel in that way..??....first at all we all are writting or decided to write to inmates and they are not angels ( just like us )...we do know prisions are not for any crazy reason....it is for bad people or good people who did bad choices..that is all......finding offender case info not only helps you to write appropiate to an inmate but also it is useful for your own safety.....you know......myself, i looked for my pp case info before and even after to write k. and i do not feel sorry, ashamed, guilty or anything like that....it is just human nature to feel curious about that.....are we humans..??.......i guess so.....of course...it is something different to let them ( pp ) know about that....it is not necessary....i think...so..everybody happy.

- - - Updated - - -

i have read the most part of your comments and i can suppose almost everybody feel a little sorry or guilty for finding pp case info.....why..???...why do you feel in that way..??....first at all we all are writting or decided to write to inmates and they are not angels ( just like us )...we do know prisions are not for any crazy reason....it is for bad people or good people who did bad choices..that is all......finding offender case info not only helps you to write appropiate to an inmate but also it is useful for your own safety.....you know......myself, i looked for my pp case info before and even after to write k. and i do not feel sorry, ashamed, guilty or anything like that....it is just human nature to feel curious about that.....are we humans..??.......i guess so.....of course...it is something different to let them ( pp ) know about that....it is not necessary....i think...so..everybody happy.

excuses for the updated...i had not seen the comment...lol