Kill 'em all in Texas

I'm shocked to learn that, of the thirty-eight states that allow for capital punishment, two of them do not have a life without parole option. I'm not surprised, however, to learn that Texas is one of them. Today, the Texas Senate voted down a bill that would allow for a life without parole option.

Critics of the bill, including some prosecutors and victims' rights advocates, have argued that a life-without-parole option would weaken capital punishment by giving jurors a middle ground to avoid agreeing on the death penalty.

Yes, heaven forbid we give jurors an option that doesn't involve capital punishment but still prevents people from returning to the streets. I'd hate to see the "culture of life" be taken to crazy extremes like that.

Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine said he voted against the bill because the third option would confuse jurors forced to make life and death decisions.

"We need to streamline so jurors fully understand the decision they're making," Staples said. "The current system has been tried and tested and meets the need for the state."

Except, of course, Texas already has life or death choices; lethal injection, or life with the possibility of parole in 40 years. This third option would simply prevent parole from taking place, say for a teenager who commits a particularly egregious crime but now cannot be executed.