[Benedict A. Davis]

Texas has decided to stop their years old tradition of mollycoddling their prisoners on death row and the prisoners only have themselves to blame.

Texas kills fancy last meal requests on death row

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The Texas prison system on Thursday abolished the time-honored tradition of offering an opulent last meal to condemned inmates before their executions, saying they would get standard prison fare instead.
"Enough is enough," state Senator John Whitmire wrote on Thursday to prison officials, prompting the move. "It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege. It's a privilege which the perpetrator did not provide to their victim."
The letter was in apparent response to the dinner requested, but not eaten, by white supremacist Lawrence Brewer before he was put to death on Wednesday night for a notorious 1998 killing in which James Byrd Jr., a black man, was dragged behind a truck for several miles.
Brewer requested an elaborate meal that included a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, a meat-lover's pizza, a big bowl of okra with ketchup, a pound of barbecue, a half a loaf of bread, peanut butter fudge, a pint of ice cream and two chicken-fried steaks.
When it arrived around 4 p.m. at Brewer's cell, he declined it all, telling prison officials he was not hungry.
Whitmire, who chairs the Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, threatened legislation if the prison system did not end the practice, which rarely results in the inmate getting exactly what is requested anyway.
Brad Livingston, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, replied that Whitmire's concerns were valid and the practice would halt immediately.
The prisoners will be served "the same meal served to other offenders," Livingston's statement said.
Most states that have the death penalty allow last-meal requests, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. Some allow the inmate to choose from a menu, others have cost restrictions or say they must be ordered locally.
Anti-death penalty activists were not bothered by the Texas move, saying the tradition always made the prison system look more merciful than it is.
"I am totally opposed to capital punishment, but I certainly don't understand the logic of a last meal, and the way it's turned into such a show," said Jim Harrington, who heads the Texas Civil Rights Project, .
Texas executes four times more inmates than the rest of the nation, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, and last meals ordered by inmates have run the gamut.
James Edward Smith, who was executed in Texas in 1990, requested "a lump of dirt." Odell Barnes, executed in 2000, requested "justice, equality and world peace."

[WWJDnow]

In the good old days, a death-row inmate's last meal was 20,000 volts AC. Anyway, what difference does it make what someone eats before he goes to Hell?

[Bobby-Joe]

Typical of those liberals in Texas they bother with trials and appeals for their capital crimes.

[Pastor Isaac Peters]

God's Law identifies many capital offenses, but I see no mention of a last meal for the condemned. Let's look at some examples:

Deut. 22:23-24: If a damsel [that is] a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, [being] in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

Nope, no mention of a last meal there.

Luke 19:27: But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me.

None there either.

[Benedict A. Davis]

I could find no definite menu in the Bible but I did find and interesting article that in part says

Unfortunately, there's no definitive answer. However, likely menu items can be gleaned from historical and even artistic record. Scripture, of course, gives us the first clue: Bread (unleavened) and wine were present at the Last Supper. Jesus is said to have passed both around the table, telling his Apostles that the bread was his body and the wine was his blood. This is the scriptural origin of communion.
Jesus also instructs the Apostles to make preparations for the Passover, including sacrificing and preparing the Passover Lamb. But was lamb indeed on the menu? It's up for debate. As explained in this Slate article, some biblical scholars believe that the "lamb" is actually a symbol for Jesus, who the next day would become the sacrificial "Lamb of God." (It should also be noted that lamb and any other meat was food for the rich, which Jesus and his disciples were not.)

S we know bread, the wine [which would not be allowed by to be served in prison by law] substitute NEHI grape soda perhaps and a large helping of Jesus Christ should be what the convict needs on his 1st day of judgement.

[Billy Bob Jenkins]

I think they should be starved for their last seventy two hours of life. That way they won't defecate all over the electric chair.

Back in the good old days when they used to bury you up to your shoulders and stone you to death, they just pooped in a hole in the ground. More evidence of God's absolute wisdom and authority.

[Titus Templeton]

There is a good reason why executions should be in open stadiums.
The people, especially the kids need to see how godless people get smashed, killed or stoned to death.

[Free Market Fred]

At my company's privatized prisons (and factories in China, which are basically the same thing) we feed the prisoners/workers three bowls of day of highly nutritious food.



I don't know why we should vary the menu for jailbirds who are gonna be executed. In fact, I think we can safely stop feeding them a week before we hang 'em high. If they wanna eat, let 'em catch a rat or something.

Actually, Brother Titus's suggestion about doing the execution at a stadium ties in well with this notion of starving the condemned prisoners. Since we'll sell admission tickets, we might as well allow some audience participation. People in the front row can throw garbage scraps at the doomed prisoner, and laugh as he ravenously eats whatever edible trash he can gather up with this shackled hands. Of course, we'll be televising this live, but only on a "pay-per-view" basis. It would make a great daily TV program: "Death Row".

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Originally Posted by Free Market Fred

At my company's privatized prisons (and factories in China, which are basically the same thing) we feed the prisoners/workers three bowls of day of highly nutritious food.

I'm sure it's better than the uncooked, raw, disgusting fish guts they eat normally.

God bless you brother, for your tireless work to spread Christian morality and profit.

[James Hutchins]

I think if we did away with this last meal nonsense, we'd have a lot less convicts in prison. When Jesus was nailed tot he cross, He never got a last meal. Then they put him in the cave to die, they did not give Him a last meal. His last meal was what ever he scrounged prior to being nailed on the cross. I think inmates last meal should be whatever they can scrounge before going to prison.

If it was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for criminals.

[Dan U. Holier]

Originally Posted by Billy Bob Jenkins

...Back in the good old days when they used to bury you up to your shoulders and stone you to death, they just pooped in a hole in the ground. More evidence of God's absolute wisdom and authority.

The way is see it stoning is the most scriptural correct way (Numbers 15:36, Exodus 19:13, 1 Kings 21:13, Joshua 7:25, Leviticus 20:27); as said it’s as well clean, efficient, cheap and simple; even kids can do it. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing!

Originally Posted by Titus Templeton

There is a good reason why executions should be in open stadiums. The people, especially the kids need to see how godless people get smashed, killed or stoned to death.

Great idea! Public stoning should serve both as a lesson and fun for the whole family; school-age children should witness it obligatory, maybe even participate at it; that would surely strengthen their faith.

God bless!

[Little Donkey]

When it arrived around 4 p.m. at Brewer's cell, he declined it all, telling prison officials he was not hungry.

Oh on hunger strike now? This criminal protester (protestors are almost always whining liberals BTW) should be force fed his last meal. ALL OF IT. It's a LUXURY and he will appreciate it and be thankful, or he will be force fed tap water until he does.