This discussion is happening on the Garza thread. To keep that thread from going OT I'm suggesting we relocate it here.
The easy question regarding Garza, or Karla Faye Tucker, is: If they hadn't been placed on Death Row, what would they have become? Anyone with enough consciousness to understand their imminent doom (not something all inmates will have) is bound to change as a result. They may become more hostile, like the financial-adviser/biker recently executed in Texas, or they may seem to become more decent. Bear in mind, they're all in a very restricted, controlled environment. Misbehavior is quickly dealt with. They're not out on the streets or within the general prison population, where their internal self-control mechanisms are more free to operate. DR inmates are closely watched and regulated.
Take the actor Vincent D'Onofrio for example. In various roles he's played a serial killer ("The Cell"), an alien insect ("Men in Black") and a quirky but effective police detective (Law & Order: Criminal Intent"). Is he any of those, or only an actor? Is Garza or was Tucker what they portray, or only actors? The facts remain that they were convicted and sentenced to die. That our legal system allowed them sufficient time between sentencing and execution to reflect on their lives and create new personas is no reason to overlook their heinous acts or mitigate their sentences.
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