On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, Mike Radelet wrote:
> Hi Hal,
> No, I do not believe death row inmates should, or should be
> encouraged to, do what their lawyers do not want them to do (there are
> exceptions, but these are rare). The issue comes up in debates over
> consensual executions -- it's my life and I'll do what I want to. I
> think that actions of a given inmate can affect not only himself, but
> also other death row inmates. Giving up appeals makes it easier for the
> state to kill. Being a liar, making false protestations of innocence, etc.
> give all death row inmates a bad name (e.g., it makes it more difficult
> for a legitimate claim of innocence to be heard).
> On the same general topic, what if an inmate puts poetry on his
> web site? I realize that I may be unique here, but in death penalty
> debates, I can counter EVERY pro death penalty argument except one -- the
> poetry argument. I fear the day that, while debating Ernest van den Haag,
> he pulls out his cigar and some poetry downloaded from a condemned inmate's
> web site, and starts to read it to the audience. I suspect most would
> rush to find cabs, wanting to go to the prison and kill the inmate
> themselves. It is a tough pro-death penalty argument to counter. And the
> same goes for most death row art.
> Just kidding.
>