Media Disaster: C-Span & The Death Penalty Information Center
originally sent 3/5/2024, edits sent 3/23/2024, 7/22/2024
as of 7/22/2024 no feedback from C-Span or DPIC
To: 9 (now 14) at C-Span and 7 at The Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC)
bcc: 7 pro-death penalty experts, as listed, below.
Subject: What a mess - C-Span & The Death Penalty Information Center
RE: Robin Maher, executive director, the Death Penalty Information Center, on the Death Penalty in the U.S., PART OF WASHINGTON JOURNAL, 02/03/2024, Hosted by C-Span's Mimi Geerges
From: Dudley Sharp, a repeat guest on C-Span, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
NOTE: Look back at my previous C-Span appearances. I use the terms fraud and deception often, with regard to anti-death penalty claims. If I didn't present you the evidence, then, which I would, normally, do, I do so, now. If you find anything lacking, contact me and I will fill that gap.
Preface
For purposes of clarity, I believe that Ms. Maher, along with all prior DPIC executive directors and many, most or all of the current and former board members, is a death penalty expert, which, in the context of the referenced, means that Maher either knows everything I do, below, and/or, she is, somehow, ignorant of most or all of the specific topics she spoke to.
It may be difficult, for Maher and DPIC, to reconcile those two.
1) The first, glaring problem appears, here:
Mimi Geerges "DO YOU (Maher, DPIC) TAKE A POSITION IN FAVOR OR AGAINST?"
Robin Maher: "WE DO NOT. WE ARE NOT AN ABOLITIONIST ORGANIZATION. WE ARE NOT PRO-DEATH PENALTY OR ANTI-DEATH PENALTY. WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DEATH PENALTY IS AND HOW IT IS USED. WE ARE CRITICAL WITH PROBLEMS OF ITS APPLICATION WHEN WE FIND THEM."
Sharp: You will note that Maher did not say, " WE ARE, ALSO, APPRECIATIVE WITH THE SUCCESSES OF ITS APPLICATION WHEN WE FIND THEM."
There is a very good, anti-death penalty reason for that: There can be no successes with the death penalty nor executions, if anti-death penalty, which DPIC, clearly, identifies with, in all their 16 appearances on C-Span.
It was astounding that C-Span had to ask.
I was not surprised by Maher's response, which is complete, utter nonsense. as repeated for decades.
Evidence:
a) 14 out of 14 of the directors on the DPIC board are anti-death penalty.
b) Most and, possibly, every anti-death penalty organization lists DPIC as a reference or source.
c) Speak to any pro-death penalty expert. They will tell you DPIC is anti-death penalty/abolitionists. DPIC is used as a source, primarily, within ignorance or deception, for other anti-death penalty groups. I list 7 pro-death penalty experts, below, inclusive (1). Speak to all, contacts included.
d) In DPIC's "Capital Punishment in Context", their college curriculum section, they have the case of Gary Graham, which, in the closing section, they state " The case of Gary Graham highlights issues that are prevalent in many other capital cases. Instances of inadequate representation, racial disparities, and wrongful conviction have arisen often in death penalty cases" (2)
In fact, the case did nothing of the sort, as detailed (2a), but the DPIC deceptions did (2).
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Has C-Span Violated Their Mission?
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e) For DPIC's High School Curriculum, on their Teachers Editions, DPIC states "Funding for the project was provided by grants from the Soros Foundation and the Columbia Foundation." (https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/curriculum/teachers-edition)
1) Soros is, very, likely, the top financier of anti-death penalty efforts, worldwide (no fn needed).
2) "Madeleine Haas Russell, co-founder and president of the Columbia Foundation, said that the executions held in U.S. prisons are also brutal and must be stopped." "Russell and her brother, the late William Haas, founded the Columbia Foundation in 1940. It gives funds to a number of organizations, including those fighting the death penalty. Susan Clark, its executive director, said Russell "has been a long-term donor and supporter of the movement to abolish the death penalty, both personally and through the Columbia Foundation — whether it's speaking out to legislators or working with nonprofit advocacy organizations [such as] Amnesty International, Project to Abolish the Death Penalty or Death Penalty Focus of California.", the later presenting the award. (Jewish S.F. death-penalty foe wins award BY J. CORRESPONDENT | DECEMBER 19, 1997,
f) Virtually, all of DPIC podcasts are anti-death penalty, with no balance
g) Pro-death penalty scholar Robert Blecker rebutted or brought balance to Richard Dieter's anti-death penalty talking points, here:
Dieter, Executive Director, DPIC, was on C-Span 9 times, for which any of the 7 pro-death penalty experts, would have brought balance or rebuttal to, nearly all of his anti-death penalty comments, as Blecker did, had C-Span given them that opportunity, just as they would have with any of the 16 C-Span appearances by DPIC.
h) could go on and on and on . . . (1,3).
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C-Span Rewards Student's Factual Inaccuracies
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DPIC looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, claims to be an ostrich . . . it's a duck.
It is as plain as day (1,3). That should be enough, but . . . if not . . .
2) Go to DPIC's "Facts About the Death Penalty" page, here
a) I, not to mention the other 6 pro-death penalty experts (1), either rebut and/or show balance to DPIC's anti-death penalty, non-balanced comments, as presented and intended, by DPIC, as has been the case, for decades.
b) Method: I list the category, from that DPIC page, and then the footnote, for rebuttal or balance.
Race (4), Deterrence (5), Women (6), Costs (7), Polling (8)
I saved Innocence (9), for the last, because it is the worst, most pernicious and obvious anti-death penalty fraud, in the death penalty debate, 100% fueled by DPIC.
By anyone, who fact checks, vets, uses critical thinking and cares about the truth, since 1998, there is no doubt, nor is there any doubt that DPIC is anti-death penalty.
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Media Disaster: The Death Penalty
HOW MEDIA MURDERS THE TRUTH
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Some more:
Method: I, rarely, quote Maher, only, because it would take way too much space. I present rebuttal and/or balance, as called for, by Maher's exclusion of those.
10) Nitrogen Gas: Maher's repeated examples of putting torture, lethal gas, nitrogen gas and cyanide gas, together, were all deceptions, as confirmed:
Nitrogen gas is not lethal, makes up 78% of the air we breathe, every day, Nitrogen hypoxia begins when the percentage of oxygen begins to drop, as the percentage of nitrogen increases. There is no suffocation effect, you just pass out and die, the origins of which are very well known: it is the result of nitrogen hypoxia, as detailed by 60 years of meticulous reports on nitrogen hypoxia deaths within industrial accidents, suicides, as well as non-lethal experiments, until unconsciousness , 16-20 seconds (10,11), with the execution procedures basic and simple : a tank of nitrogen gas, a tube connecting the tank to the mask, using former lethal injection beds, with only added security for the head, to secure the mask, with the expectation, as realized with Alabama's execution of murderer Smith, of holding his breath and fighting his restraints, for about 2 minutes, exhaling and taking 1-2 breaths of nitrogen, prior to passing out, no breathing observed after 8 minutes, with death soon, thereafter, as confirmed by those 60 years of recorded deaths and experiments (10,11) (except, obviously, for the holding of breath and fighting restraints, within executions).
The Maher/DPIC treatment of nitrogen gas is, quite similar to DPIC's disinformation campaigns regarding lethal injections, as detailed here (11).
11) Pharmaceutical companies: Maher left out that it took about 30 years for pharmaceutical companies to voice concerns over their drugs being used in lethal injections, such concerns not voiced until anti-death penalty groups started to publicize those companies and the use of their drugs in executions (12). It was PR, only, not ethics. Obvious. (12, 13). Some medical groups and other rational people expressed that the pharmaceutical companies were sacrificing innocent patient safety, by withholding those drugs, while not stopping executions, which is, precisely what occurred, as detailed (13).
12) Deterrence: Nobel Prize Laureate (Economics) Gary Becker:
“the evidence of a variety of types — not simply the quantitative evidence — has been enough to convince me that capital punishment does deter and is worth using for the worst sorts of offenses.” (NY Times, 11/18/07)
"(Becker) is the most important social scientist in the past 50 years (NY Times, 5/5/14)
Since 1996, there has been, at least, 24 US based studies, finding for death penalty/execution deterrence, by different academics, independently, using different protocols, all with similar results, finding 1-28 murders deterred per execution (33-900/year) (5), with those studies more credible than their detractors, none of whom could negate deterrence, nor try to, as fully detailed (5).
Never have the deterrent effects of serious criminal sanctions, the potential of serious negative outcomes nor any serious negative incentives been negated, nor can they be, as known for millennia (5).
The death penalty/executions protect innocent lives, in four ways, better than does life without parole (LWOP): a) enhanced due process b) enhanced incapacitation and c) enhanced probability, none of which are challenged and d) enhanced deterrence, which is challenged, but cannot be negated and prevails, as detailed (5).
13) Polling: Maher states the multitude of reasons that have caused a decline in death penalty polling support. And, she is correct . . . big BUT . . .
As we all know, death penalty polling results, as all polls, are the product of a) the questions asked, b) the limited answers provided, c) the knowledge of the respondents which is supplied d) nearly 100% by the media, which seem to get most of their material from DPIC, and other anti-death penalty groups, while avoiding pro-death penalty research and experts. Any doubts? Place "Media Disaster" in the search box, here (1). It is irrefutable.
Maher and DPIC avoided the 86% death penalty support, from 2013 and 2021, as many others.
14) I had to quote this:
Robin Maher: "YES, WE ARE AT NUMBER 190 (exonerated from death row)."THAT NUMBER IS A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE RIGHT SKEWED BEFORE WE DISCOVERED EVIDENCE OF THEIR INNOCENCE. OUR CRITERIA IS INCREDIBLY STRICT. WE ONLY INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED A COMPLETE PARDON, WHO HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY CLEARED OF ANY WRONGDOING IN CONNECTION WITH THE HOMICIDE THEY WERE CONVICTED OF COMMITTING AND SENTENCED TO DEATH ROW FOR THAT. IT IS PROBABLY A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER THAN THAT."
Sharp: As detailed, the 190 is closer to 45, a 76% fraud/error rate by DPIC (9).
President Nixon was a guilty person, pardoned. DPIC's criteria was to redefine both 'innocent" and "exonerated", as if to redefine lie as truth, and stuff a bunch of cases into those fraudulent definitions. (9), This is not in dispute, as detailed (9) and here:
DPIC tells us that to be called "exonerated", that "a person who has been convicted and sentenced to death must either a) receive a full pardon on grounds of innocence, or b) have his or her conviction overturned and then either c) be acquitted or have all charges d) dropped or e) dismissed." ( herein https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/welcome-to-dpics-new-website ).
b, c, d and e have no requirement to prove factual innocence, as determined by a government authority, given that power (9). Obviously, well known (9). Even (a) fails to designate "factual" innocence. Why? Such allows an innocence claim, based within legality, which may or may not, also, include a finding of factual innocence.
Based within fact checking and vetting, history tells us that we must thoroughly examine those pardons based upon those "grounds of (factual) innocence". Obvious, if truth matters, within journalism, or at all.
All too obvious? Yes, of course (9). DPIC's normal deception and/or misinformation.
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The Death Penalty: A Repudiation of Journalism, by Journalists?
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The Last Major Point
Everything, later in the C-Span program, has, already been addressed prior, except this:
15) For Maher, all of the suffering and torture, only, applied to the guilty murderers. Notice? Never, did Maher address the suffering and torture of those innocents raped, tortured and murdered nor those who love them. This is an anti-death penalty staple, which Maher followed and as confirmed:
30 Examples: How Death Penalty Abolitionists Value Murderers
More Than Their Innocent Victims:
AKA - Full Rebuttal of Sir Richard Branson & His Death Penalty Comments
SUMMARY
If added to those anti-death penalty stories were the rebuttal and balance, as shown, herein, death penalty support would go up, substantially, which is why media will not consider it, as my nearly 30 years experience with the media (CV) confirms and as C-Span is, likely, beginning to understand why C-Span has not seen this rebuttal and balance material, in the media. There is no doubt.
In Closing
If DPIC attempts to refute any of this, let's keep an open channel of discussion between C-Span, the 7 at DPIC folks and the 7 pro-death penalty experts, herein.
C-Span and DPIC, I am at your service, for any follow up questions, fact checking and vetting and would be happy to be a guest on C-Span, again, and/or debate Ms. Maher, anytime, on C-Span.
Is there, any, doubt that DPIC has been a lying and/or deceptive anti-death penalty group, for decades, through today? Concentrate on the "innocent"/"exonerated" issue. On C-Span, you will find that DPIC calls that issue the most important. And there is no doubt what DPIC has done with it.
Put on your fact checking, vetting and critical thinking hat and start here (1-13), then keep going, further and further.
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600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
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FN
Research, with sources, fact checking, vetting & critical thinking, as required of anyone within a public policy debate and which rebut all anti-death penalty claims.
1) Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts listed)
2) DPIC, The Gary Graham Case
2A) HOLLYWOOD, MURDER AND TEXAS: DEATH ROW INMATE GARY GRAHAM and THE ANTI-DEATH PENALTY MOVEMENT:
A CASE STUDY OF LIES, HALF-TRUTHS AND INTIMIDATION
3) The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
4) RACE
a) White murderers are twice as likely to be executed as are black murderers .
b) From 1977-2012, white death row murderers have been executed at a rate 41% higher than are black death row murderers, 19.3% vs 13.7%, respectively.
c) "There is no race of the offender / victim effect at either the decision to advance a case to penalty hearing or the decision to sentence a defendant to death given a penalty hearing."
d) For the White–Black comparisons, the Black level is 12.7 times greater than the White level for homicide, 15.6 times greater for robbery, 6.7 times greater for rape, and 4.5 times greater for aggravated assault.
As robbery/murder and rape/murder are, by far, the most common death penalty eligible murders, the multiples may be even greater
Much more, here, with sources, for the above and more:
RACE & THE DEATH PENALTY: A REBUTTAL TO THE RACISM CLAIMS
5) Deterrence
The Death Penalty: Saving More Innocent Lives
and
Deterrence, Death Penalties & Executions
6) Women & Death Row
"The 53:1 ratio indicates that women may be on death row in greater numbers than we would expect or similar to what we would predict."
WOMEN & THE DEATH PENALTY: ARE WOMEN OVER REPRESENTED ON DEATH ROW?
7) Costs
Review California, Nevada, Nebraska, Texas and Maryland, first, the move on to the others.
Saving Costs with The Death Penalty
8) Polling
a) August 16, 2021 86% Death Penalty Support, Depending Upon Crime Committed
New Evidence of Broad Support for Death Penalty | RealClearPolicy Joseph M. Bessette & J. Andrew Sinclair, RealClearPolicy August 16, 2021
These polls, above and below, reflect well known polls, for the last 15 years, showing much higher death penalty support than by the oft quoted, much less accurate Gallup, as even, Gallup shows (see Gallup's McVeigh poll (below) vs their standard poll)
b) Death Penalty Polling updated 3/2023
86% Death Penalty Support, Depending Upon Crime Committed
95-99% Support From Victim Survivors in Death Penalty Cases
c) 86% Death Penalty Support: Highest Ever - April 2013
World Support Remains High
95% of Murder Victim's Family Members Support Death Penalty
thorough review of death penalty polling, within the footnotes
9) As detailed, US Supreme Court Justice Scalia accepted the study that showed a 0.5% factual innocence rate in cases once on death row, herein, which is 45 (9000 times 0.5), as detailed, with my assessment, from several reviews, using DPIC's 190 "exonerated", the credible numbers being between 32-55, an average of 44, as detailed, here:
The Death Row "Exonerated"/"Innocent" Frauds
71-83% Error Rate in Death Row "Innocent" Claims,Well Known Since 1998
10) Nitrogen
Nitrogen Gas; Flawless, proven, peaceful, unrestricted method of execution
and
Nitrogen Induced Hypoxia as a Form of Capital Punishment, Michael P. Copeland, J.D. Thorn Parr, M.S. Christine Papas, J.D., Ph.D. East Central University , 6/08/2018,
Nitrogen Hypoxia as Capital Punishment - East Central University Draft Report - DocumentCloud or
and
Media Disaster: Nitrogen Hypoxia & Scientific American
and
Media Disaster: Nitrogen Hypoxia: Is Dr. Zivot an ignoramus, a liar, confused, or . . . ?'
11) Rebuttal: Botched Executions
and
Lethal Injection & Nitrogen Hypoxia: Controversies Resolved
12) See the section, The Ethics Time Gap, herein
The Death Penalty & Medical Ethics Revisited
13) Ibid See "Do MORE Harm: The Anti-Death Penalty Solution"
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600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victims' families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
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Victim Services
Victims' Voices
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Research, with sources, fact checking, vetting & critical thinking, as required of anyone within a public policy debate and which rebut all anti-death penalty claims.
Most will realize that the media has been using only anti-death penalty claims and then, failed to fact check, vet, not use critical thinking, with that research, while avoiding all pro-death penalty research and experts, for decades. How do I know most will realize this? Because they wouldn't have seen any of this, prior:
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts listed)
