sent 9:30 am (CST), June 26, 2024. Gonzales was executed at 6:50 pm.
Bridget Townsend, the 18 year-old, kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered by Gonzales, was born on June 26th.
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To: Governor Gregg Abbott and Texas' Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP)
Re: The Problems with Ramiro Gonzales' Commutation Petition
From: Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
The Clemency Petition for Ramiro Felix Gonzales reads:
"Make no mistake: souls which could otherwise be saved may be lost depending on your decision." (A)
By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment
13) CATHOLICISM & CAPITAL PUNISHMENT,
This was, likely, the comment which did the most harm to the commutation effort, showing that the kidnapper/rapist/murderer and his attorneys seemed clueless to their own petition (A).
It's the equivalent of saying "the BPP and the Governor will sacrifice eternal souls if you don't commute Gonzales' death sentence", aka "you're the scumbags, not me." Not the best tact.
All other souls saved or lost are, singularly, between that one soul and God and will have nothing to do with Gonzales, his attorneys, the Governor or parole board.
We are the masters of our own decisions, regardless of our teachers. See Judas.
The fact that Gonzales did not seek expiation, through the voluntary acceptance of his sentence, may, arguably, be what denies him the greatest of all mercies, or not, which is, only, between God and Gonzales.
See 9) The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation (below).
Recall that Texas 7 murderer Michael Anthony Rodriguez waived appeals, wanting to be held accountable, realizing that his punishment was just and that expiation might occur with his waiving appeals.
Biblically, Gonzales' petition is one sided (See 8-18), which means it was intended to be misleading.
To every point in the petition, which may have had a minor hint to spare Gonzales' life, there are many other stronger and direct discussions as to why execution would be enforced (8-18), which, I suspect, were, intentionally and knowingly, left out, if a knowledgeable biblical scholar was involved.
Any biblically literate member of their staffs or the BPP and the Governor, themselves, will be aware of that.
The petition seeks to blame the BPP and the Governor for taking Gonzales away from his prayer group, if they do not grant the mercy of commutation.
Gonzales, therefore, rejects that it is his actions, alone, the kidnapping, rape and murder of Briget, which has put him in this position.
Blaming it on others shows a complete lack of moral responsibility and self awareness . . . after Gonzales' 21 years of moral reflection, we see the opposite of what we are told to believe about Gonzales.
Gonzales waited until 2022, prior to another execution date, to write an apology letter to Briget's family. He had 19 prior years to write that letter and, only did so, just prior to an execution date.
Not once has Gonzales conceded that his execution may be God's will, as did Karla Faye Tucker. Very odd, given the petition and what we are told to believe about Gonzales.
Nor has he stated that he has been given great mercy, by living 21 years longer than Briget. They were both 18 at the time he kidnapped, raped and murdered her. Again, contrary to what we are told to believe.
The petition should have concentrated. much more, on the rape of Florence Teich and the kidnapping, rape and murder of Bridget Townsend and with their loved ones.
But that is just my take.
Please review:
1-7 and 19-49, upon request
8) 30 Examples:
How Death Penalty Opponents Value Murderers More Than Their Innocent Victims
9) The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation
10) Jesus and the Death Penalty
11) See para 13, "Unnatural Lawyering", first, then start at the beginning:
By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment
12) "The Death Penalty”, Chapter XXVI, 187. The death penalty, from the book Iota Unum, by Romano Amerio,
titled “Amerio on capital punishment “, May 25, 2007
NOTE: Thoughtful deconstruction of current Roman Catholic teaching on capital punishment by a faithful Catholic Vatican insider.
13) CATHOLICISM & CAPITAL PUNISHMENT,
by Avery Cardinal Dulles, First Things, April 2001,
14) Pro Life: The Death Penalty
15) “Capital Punishment and Magisterial Authority”
"Fastiggi on Capital Punishment and the Change to the Catechism,
Part I," Edward Feser, 8/26/2023,
Part 2, 8/30/2023
16) “Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says”, Dr. Lloyd R. Bailey, Abingdon Press, 1987.
"All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda."
"As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.)
17) “The Purpose of Punishment (in the Catholic tradition)”, by R. Michael Dunningan, J.D., J.C.L., CHRISTIFIDELIS, Vol.21,No.4, sept 14, 2003 www.st-joseph-foundation.org/newsletter/lead.php?document=2003/21-4
18) “God’s Justice and Ours” by Antonin Scalia, First Things, 5/2002
FN
A) BEFORE THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE TEXAS BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES
In re Ramiro Felix Gonzales, Petitioner.
PETITION FOR COMMUTATION OF DEATH SENTENCE TO A LESSER PENALTY, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, A 180-DAY REPRIEVE, AND REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW AND HEARING ON THE MATTE, June 4, 2024,
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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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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)
