I understand why you might have such an opinion based on such articles as this one. The truth is that Woods was very much an active participant in the murders, and he bragged about it later. This was proven in court and the case was reviewed multiple times by federal and state courts.

Whether you oppose the death penalty or not, Woods was not innocent.

@WilliamFleming

Actually by most reporting he wasn't. The actual killer even stated that he knew nothing about the killers plans. According to the actual killer it was an instantaneous action on his part. How can we trust a white court in Alabama given the states history and the institutional injustice system that has reigned there for a millenia.

@t1nick These cases are not decided by news reporters but by sworn testimony and other evidence presented in court before a jury.

You have an exaggerated perspective fueled by just such articles as this. I think if you lived here in Alabama for a time you would see that conditions here are no worse than other places. In many ways they are better, and there are scientifically conducted polls that support that.

You are correct that we have a history (certainly not a millennia) of racism, but so does the entire country. How can we trust White people in NM after their long history of mistreating the Navahos. And now there’s this:

[abqjournal.com]

I think if you read all the pertinent facts about the case in question, you would realize that Woods was far from innocent.

@WilliamFleming

True I was hyperbolic when I said millenia. Sorry about the exaggeration. But I worked in the oil patch in Loiusianna and Mississippi in the 80's. I saw white privilege and racism first hand.

It's true what the whites and US Calvary did to the Navajo. I live on the Navajo Reservation so I am quite aware. Kit Carson, the mechanic behind the Long Walk was born in the South (Kentucky). He was a scoundrel , a liar, and a repugnant individual. Many calvary recruits were exiles from the Southern states following the Civil War.

The history of the South is checkered at best. It is true that the North has more than its share of racism. I studied that while in graduate school at the University of Illinois. And the Southwest has its share of racial injustice against the hispanics.

It comes down to the same thing. White privilege. A left over from the Colonial Era and remnants of European Imperialism. However, I do not believe that it is as institutionalized as what I saw when I worked in the Gulf Coast.

@t1nick Perhaps you are right. However, things do change. Most of us have seen the error of segregation and discrimination and have moved forward to a more liberal mindset. We were forced to by social changes. That’s not to say there aren’t a few dyed in the wool curmudgeons, but from my perspective things are far better than they used to be.

I don’t think you can reasonably blame NM racism on settlers from the South. We need to move away from sectionalism IMO. Instead of fighting over who is the most racist, I favor moving forward into the future with respect for all, because that is the most reasonable course.

Even when you do see what you perceive to be remnants of that European imperialism, you are not going to fix it with harsh, judgmental, untrue news articles that demonize and scapegoat.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

@WilliamFleming

I did some research and found an interesting article that suggests that migration of southern soldiers was mitigated on a per state basis (logical). I'm sending a screenshot of the research article. They use Kentucky for their study. I thought you might appreciate. It contradicts my assertions and less migrated than I suspected. Hope you enjoy.

@t1nick I found it on line and read the pdf. Thanks for that information.

I am a little bit confused about the findings. Those final two pages show that Union and Confederate soldiers who left Kentucky tended to migrate to the same places. Apparently though, each group tended to wind up with different lifestyles, particularly those who stayed somewhere in Kentucky.

It’s something to think about—thanks again.

I understand why you might have such an opinion based on such articles as this one. The truth is that Woods was very much an active participant in the murders, and he bragged about it later. This was proven in court and the case was reviewed multiple times by federal and state courts.

Whether you oppose the death penalty or not, Woods was not innocent.

@WilliamFleming Thanks for the feedback.

I understand why you might have such an opinion based on such articles as this one. The truth is that Woods was very much an active participant in the murders, and he bragged about it later. This was proven in court and the case was reviewed multiple times by federal and state courts.

Whether you oppose the death penalty or not, Woods was not innocent.

The level of racism in this country is shocking and sad.

Never was, either!

Sadly so, at least in this matter. It’s a horrific thing for any country to kill its own citizens, and bad enough if they are positively guilty, but to put to death an innocent man is barbaric and unpardonable.

@Marionville We have been executing innocent people since the American revolution.

@Sticks48 Time to stop.

Follow the $$$ in re to private prisons, ICE, etc.

And, you know these claims about him to be fully accurate? Were the officers telling the truth?

"Officers were sent to the home to serve a misdemeanor warrant, but prosecutors said Woods, who was 27 at the time, set up an ambush that allowed Spencer to shoot at them multiple times. Three officers — Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm III and Charles Bennett — were killed, while a fourth officer at the scene was shot but survived.

Spencer admitted to shooting the officers, but said it was in self-defense because the officers were assaulting Woods, an assertion that the judge did not permit at trial.

Two of the officers who were killed were later accused by another drug dealer at Woods' home of being involved in a corrupt scheme that protected dealers in exchange for money. The Birmingham police declined to comment on the allegation."

[nbcnews.com]

There was reasonable doubt--and the integrity of the officers is in question.

@Joanne It’s not a clear-cut case, and you must agree that the article referenced in the post does not offer a true picture.

I would tend to put more credence in the words of the surviving officer than in a drug dealer who was at the house, or in Spencer who was trying to save his friend from execution.

It’s not our call. I’m glad we have others to make these hard decisions. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Gov. Ivey.

@WilliamFleming How can you even take the risk of one innocent man being executed? The fact that the case isn’t clear cut, to use your own words, makes it even more of an imperative that the death penalty is removed as a possibility. You can’t bring someone back to life after being wrongfully put to death. It’s a barbaric practice, and I’m glad we got rid of capital punishment here decades ago.

@WilliamFleming : That is the point--the case is NOT clear-cut. And, as long as there is a death penalty, people who don't deserve it will be put to death.

The death penalty is not about justice--it is about vengeance.
We don't gouge out eyes of people who cause another to lose an eye. We don't knock out the teeth of someone who knocks out another's.

We don't need a death penalty in order to achieve justice. And, when mistakes are made, it cannot be reversed--dead is dead.

@Joanne @Marionville : If the issue comes up for a vote I will vote against the death penalty.

My reason for responding was to point out the one-sidedness of the article. Deceptive articles like that accomplish nothing good.

@WilliamFleming The article may well be one sided, but that is not really pertinent to the issue of capital punishment. Even if the article had been balanced there would still have been no justification for executing this man.

@Marionville I read a very detailed report of the entire affair and I have decided that there was as much justification for the execution as for any other. My opinion of course.

You might object to all executions and that is a reasonable position, but Woods was not innocent.

@WilliamFleming I do...I believe no country should execute its citizens, and it has never acted in any way as a deterrent.

@motrubl4u The death penalty should never be IMPOSED. Notwithstanding, every inmate should have the right to demand death in lieu of serving the balance of his/her sentence. The death should be by nitrogen asphyxiation: painless, effective, simple to administer.