HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas executed a Mexican citizen Thursday for the rape-slaying of a teenager after he and the White House pleaded in vain for a Supreme Court stay, saying he was denied help from his home country that could have helped him avoid the death penalty.
In his last minutes, Humberto Leal repeatedly said he was sorry and accepted responsibility.
"I have hurt a lot of people. ... I take full blame for everything. I am sorry for what I did," he said in the death chamber.
"One more thing," he said as the drugs began taking effect. Then he shouted twice, "Viva Mexico!"
Full article at link:
http://news.yahoo.com/texas-executes-mexican-court-stay-rejected-233305430.html
Not quite sure how I feel about this. I am actually against the death penalty. But since it is legal in Texas, I see no reason why a child-raping murderous scumbag from across the border should not be first in line to be sent to his dirt-nap. Especially since he repeatedly confessed.
Having said that too though, while this seems to be a clear case of justice being served on a degenerate excuse for a human being, not all cases are so clear-cut. Which is one big reason why I am against the death penalty for one thing. But for another, I would hate to think of myself as an American, being stuck in some shit-hole of a country, up on charges for a crime I might not have committed, and not being allowed to have help from the American embassy or consulate. Sets a very bad precedent for the U.S. to deny a foreign-national help from their home country.
Of course, back on the other hand, if Mexico was so great, why was he even here in America in this first place? Secondly, he wasn't here on a tourist visa. He had established himself here permanently as an illegal resident. I have little sympathy for illegals in that regard. They knew they were breaking the law just coming into the country to begin with. And in case you didn't know, Mexico is far more strict about illegal immigration than we are. Just being in Mexico illegally is a felony that can get you ten years in a prison much worse than the notorious torture camp Sherriff Arapaio is running over in Maricopa County, Arizona. .
Now granted, Mexico did abolish the death penalty in Mexico in 2005, but I really don't see what help the Mexican government could have been to this guy if he had access to the consulate, except for perhaps getting him off the hook for the execution. Even there though, and as I said I am against the death penalty, I really don't think it is Mexico's place to intervene in that way.
Let's look at it this way. If I am a citizen of New York State, where the death penalty has been found to be un-Constitutional, but I go rape and murder a young girl in Texas, should I be exempt from Texas' death penalty sentence upon finding that I am guilty, just because I was born in New York? I don't think so. I may not agree with the law of the land down there in Texas, but it is the law down there nonetheless, and it is not Mexico's place to be re-writing Texas law.
And while we are at it, let's see how Mexico deal with illegal immigration...
Mexico's Immigration Law: Let's Try It Here at Home
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