Supreme Court Plays the Race Card

On July 30, 1995, Duane Buck broke into the Houston home of his former girlfriend Debra Gardner.  He argued with her, he beat her, retrieved his belongings and left the premises.  Later that day, Buck returned to the home armed with a shotgun.  A man at the home, Kenneth Butler, was shot to death by Buck in a hallway.  Buck then pursued Gardner outside, and brutally shot her to death in full view of her children.  Arrested at the scene, Buck told authorities that "the bitch deserved what she got".  Unfortunately the same can not be said for this vicious murderer.

Convicted in 1997 for his crimes, Duane Buck was sentenced to death and has been on Texas's death row at taxpayer expense for the last 14 years.  At long last, Buck was scheduled to die for his crimes yesterday in a Huntsville, TX prison.  Instead, he sits there still today, after the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to act on Buck's appeal of his sentence and stayed the execution.  Buck and his lawyer, Karen Black, contend that Buck's sentencing hearing was unfair and racially prejudicial after a psychologist testified that black men are more likely to commit additional violent crimes after release than other offenders.  Black said after the stay was granted, "We're just relieved that the court recognized the injustice here and that no one should be put to death based on the color of their skin". 

Now good readers, the Crew is a simple man.  It appears to me that Mr. Buck was sentenced to death because he fired multiple shotgun blasts into 2 innocent people in full view of several children, and then showed absolutely no remorse at his actions.  The other crime here is that Buck wasn't executed in a more timely manner, say like the day after his sentence was pronounced.  There was no question or doubt about Buck's guilt, the murders had multiple witnesses.  Buck should have been executed immediately.  Publicly.  By hanging.  Or firing squad.  Maybe that would give the death penalty some more deterrent effect. 

Predictably, the murderer praised God after receiving the news of his stay of execution.   "Praise the Lord, God is worthy to be praised. God's mercy triumphs over judgment, I feel good" he told prison officials.  Isn't that special.  Mr. Buck, God is indeed worthy of praise, you are worthy of something a little different.  You said Debra Gardner "got what she deserved".  Here's hoping SCOTUS gets out of the way, and you get what you deserve.