Twitter, phone, whatever. Who cares?

Indeed. What's the difference between releasing a statement to the press describing what happened and releasing one on twitter the moment it happens? This is an age of instant communication.

I don't necessarily agree with the death penalty. While I do in fact think there are crimes so heinous as to be deserving of it, it is a final and unalterable course of justice which if the criminal was later found to be innocent, can not be undone. You can award cash settlements to prisoners wrongfully imprisoned to help make up for it. You can give people their freedom again, but you can not bring them back to life. I do not feel sorry for rightfully convicted criminals who have been executed, but even one wrongfully convicted innocent put to death is one too many. I also don't buy the "reformed" aspect either though, if you have done the crime, you receive the punishment, doesn't matter to me whether you have had a change of attitude or philosophy while awaiting execution. So I am conflicted on the matter.

However, I also don't see anything wrong with the AG's tweets. I'm not a huge fan of twitter, and question the medium used to put them out, but there's nothing wrong with the statements released themselves, they were professional and appropriate.

And I don't think there's any question as to the now deceased killers innocence in this particular case. He requested the firing squad himself over lethal injection, and justice has finally been rendered.

Three people commenting negatively is a controversy? How many for an outrage? Four? How many for a furor? Five? ..........................................

As an earlier poster stated---no different than the phone.

I wish all politicians comments were limited to 140 characters.

Crass, probably, end of the world as we know it Twitter is going to crash and burn etc. No.. Would I have tweeted it, probably not, but it is a simple statement of what he had authorised. I see no problem with him tweeting the announcement.

Oh well! They could have yelled "Ready, Aim, Fire!!!", but they didn't.

Ohhhhh.... poor POOR murderer.. oh my!!!

See ya.. wouldn't want to be ya!

Nobody feels sorry for Gardner. We feel sorry for the State of Utah.

Who cares who said what and how they said it? The guy killed people, was sentenced to death! Finally, another soul off death row that we are all paying for to be there! They should skip the epeals process with everyone on death row and save us all a ton of money!

You feel sorry for the State of Utah? Why?

And the wanton murder of innocent victims is--what? Oh that's right it is not the perpetrator fault, its society's fault

Regardless how people feel about this murderer, I think his family has to be considered when the announcement of his execution is handled in such a cavalier way. That is, on a device that is mostly used for teen talk and just idle back-and-forth chatter. Not feeling sorry for this murderer at all, but I think about the pain he and all of this has caused his family. I know...he didn't feel sorry for his victim's or their families, but that's what separates him from us, because we feel compassion.

Because I personally believe that the death penalty is wrong and barbaric as murder, especially by firing squad. I refuse to let a violent criminal make me kill someone as long as I have a choice in the matter.

It's called "free speech".

Sorry if you liberals are offended.

Every article regarding the late Mr. Gardner has featured an anti-death penalty slant, including this one which repeated the previous inaccurate line "Gardner,as the AP reported earlier today 'died in a barrage of bullets as Utah carried out its' first firing squad execution in 14 years'." Sorry but the correct headline should have read "DOUBLE MURDERER Executed in Utah by firing squad".

Im really bothered by all this political correctness that is going around the web and such. The guy was going to be exceuted whether or not anyone made any statements on twitter or not. I swear this country is turning into a bunch of candy-as-es. Someone says something controversial and suddenly the statement is worse than the actual murderer's crime itself. My god people, grow some nads already....

oh by the way...Im really happy this a--hole was taken out. Now he cant live off of taxpayer money anymore. This guy had a 25 year free ride....you libs should be pissed about that....

What's the big deal with the tweet? Lots of people tweet about their jobs - the AG did his job and then told people (who wish to follow it) some of the information.

Some may find his comments distasteful, but even public officials are entitled to freedom of speech. His comment about God granting the murderer mercy that was denied the victims will probably gain Shurtleff some votes next time he runs for an office.

How does your God feel about murdering the murderer? Did we get our revenge? We can call it the death penalty ..... it's just another form of murder.

The DOUBLE murderer wasn't murdered he was EXECUTED in accordance with the laws of the state of Utah and the United States. The only way the LATE Mr. Gardner could have been murdered would have been for an ALIEN to have beamed in and committed the attempted escape and COLD BLOODED MURDER with DOZENS OF EYEWITNESSES and then beamed out leaving Mr. Gardner to take the blame for his (or her I guess, not sure of the sex of space aliens) crime!

Fred, I know you have heard of the experiments where people shock their peers and think it is ok because an authority figure told them it was. Germans cooked Jews in ovens and thought it was okay because Hitler said it was. Nazi doctors conducted horrible experiments on human beings because they were only Jewish people. Serbians committed genocide because their leaders said they should. I'm not trying to compare executing Gardner to the holocaust but lining up a firing squad and saying "shoot him its okay he is a bad guy" is eerily similar and scary.

It's not about feeling sorry for the guy.

I support the death penalty and think this was stupid.

It's about the forum. An execution is a serious thing, and this tard used "social media" to send a "tweet" about the execution of a prisoner.

It's just a stupid thing to do. When my government executes a prisoner, I don't expect one of the guys involved to be thumbing his Blackberry. He might as well have called "Light Rock 105" to announce it.

He had the choice between lethal injection and a firing squad,which was more of a choice than his two victims got . He chose a firing squad. They performed their duty and the late Mr. Gardner got some long overdue high velocity justice!!

Because I personally believe that the death penalty is wrong and barbaric as murder, especially by firing squad. I refuse to let a violent criminal make me kill someone as long as I have a choice in the matter.

So you want to spend a half million dollars caring and feeding for child rapers/killers? Why should tax payers be on the hook for these scum bags?

I am all for the death penalty in such cases AS LONG AS it cannot be used in cases where CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE is used for the conviction.

How does your God feel about murdering the murderer? Did we get our revenge?

It's not about revenge, it's about consequences and preventing additional crimes by these scum bags. That is unless you would rather pay a half million or more to take care of these animals the rest of their lives?

I think God, more than anyone, understands the death penalty.

So you want to spend a half million dollars caring and feeding for child rapers/killers? Why should tax payers be on the hook for these scum bags?

Yes, unfortunately (tempting as it is to just whack them) I believe we should pay for incarceration and rehabilitation. The killers and rapists and pedophiles all come from a victimization process that weighs on society. True, not all people victimized by bad people become bad people but I don't believe we solve this process with execution. Is just the way I feel in my gut. Know many people disagree. I also think drugs should be legalized, regulated and taxed to pay for treatment. That would alleviate a lot of the strain on prison systems and tax payers. IMHO

I am opposed to the death penalty as we now utilize it.

I believe in order for execution to be successful as a deterrent, it has to be gruesome, public and swift.

Dragging it out for 25 years of appeals in this day and age of DNA studies, virtually constant surveillance and other things that "CSI" is made up of is an absolute waste of legal and financial resources. Today's technology should be able to reduce the appeals process. Technicalities should not be legitimate reason for an appeal.

Once it is determined that the execution is to take place, I believe it should be by hanging, gas chamber or yes, firing squad. There can be no deterrent when the execution is done by lethal injection in an antiseptic and private setting. Lethal injection, otherwise known as "putting to sleep" is what you do for a pet you love too much to watch it suffer.

If you do not wish to make it totally open to the public, at least take the teens who are in that jurisdiction's juvenile correction facilities on a field trip. Let them watch the gruesome execution of someone who did not know when to stop; the killer who crossed the line.

Revenge is not a legitimate reason for execution. However, removal of someone for the benefit of society (please do not try to bastardize that statement) and doing it in front of people who may need a deterring experience is a good reason to continue capital punishment.

At least Gardner turned down the pretty process for his ugly end. I too hope he is shown mercy by the Lord, which I pray for all to have under all circumstances.

The death penalty is revenge, pure and simple,

What if it is? So long as there is absolutely no doubt of guilt, I see revenge as a normal healthy response to someone killing my loved one. I think we should take it one step further and let the family and close friends of the victim have the option of participating in the execution. I would consider that cathartic.

However, I believe executions should occur only after a fair trial, and I don't believe anyone gets a fair trial in the USA. When a judge decides what a jury may or may not hear, there can be no fair trial -- just a bunch of game playing and politicking. If a jury is competent to make a judgment, they are capable of listening to all that could be said, and weighing what they've heard. Anything else is manipulation and a sick joke played on Lady Justice. For that reason, I would refuse to set on a jury that could result in a long prison term or the death penalty.

he should have tweeted the following.

Na na na, na na na hey hey aaaa good bye.

I don't give a rat's ass about Gardner, but using Twitter to announce the execution was tacky as hell.

It's like wearing a polyester leisure suit to church. Does that make better sense? You Neocons like church and stuff, right?

This sounds like a better way of using twitter than someone using it will driving near me on my way to work. Saved some paper too, no need for a press release.

Im apalled that so many people are so easily appalled over stupid s*!t.

I don't tweet- but I find the use of the word 'inappropriate' inane at best. I DO find the fact that this scumbag has been on death row for twenty five years 'inappropriate'. I also find his murderous behavior 'inappropriate'. Is THIS the PC game we're playing now? I refuse to join.

Today, right after midnight, a vicious murderer villian was himself, murdered: but with more courtesy than he gave his victims. I applaud the act as just and tip my hat to the Supremes for not intervening in his behalf. He is guilty and there were at least TEN witnesses to his holding the gun into the mouth of his victim and PULLING the TRIGGER. I hope the immortal soul of this degenerate killer spends eternity in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT..............I believe THAT is the hell he has earned for willfully and wantonly taking the lives of two innocents.

And in the end, we must take the consequences for our acts. That personal responsibility MUST be the name of the game must guide our behavior and to hell with and PC Twitter/sh-tter!/psychic litter.....................

Mr Rogers....It costs more to execute a person than lock them up for life, both sides have agreed to that, so your argument there doesn't hold water.

Also, your other point - deterant. It is shown over and over that the death penalty does not deter. Another argument that doesn't hold water.

If they are locked up for life, they aren't going to kill anymore innocent people - they are in jail/prison for gods sake.

Aaarrrrrggggghhhhhhh, those who support the death penalty make no sense other than wanting revenge, of course that would not apply if it was one of their relatives who they believe to be innocent.

The death penalty is an ABSOLUTE DETERRENT. # of previous murders committed by the late Mr. Gardner=2 # of possible future murders the late Mr. Gardner can commit=0!

"......You Neocons like church and stuff, right?"

Do you realize that "neocon", is a meaningless buzzword? Write down your definition, THEN google for a definition. You will be surprised--so many definitions and histories that the word is meaningless.

The only reason it costs more to execute than house are all the bleeding heart liberals tyeing cases up in courts for millennial. There needs to be a mandatory time from sentencing to execution lets say 14 days maximum.

Sound like a better use of twitter than someone using it while driving in front of me on my way to work.. Saved Utah some paper too, no need for a press release.

No offense to anyone, but whether you're for or against the death penalty, this "tweet" is no more inappropriate than when Ashton tells the world he's going to go drop a deuce.

I agree with you internet, fax, phone, tweet, twitter, text, all are ways that the word was going to get out about this killers death. He picked the firing squad, I don't think he cares. Now his is getting his final justice and the victims are too.

Why is Twitter more inappropriate than a news release on CNN, Fox or printed media. Instant communication is today's norm. Personally I would have volunteered to pull the trigger myself if asked. What did it take around 30 years to execute this guy and keep him alive is the question. Endless appeals, waste of taxpayer's money keeping him alive to two murders that he was clearly guilty of, that should be the crime. Thank God justice finally prevailed.

Who Gives A SH!T

They should have tied him to a post and sold stones for people to throw at him until he was DEAD,and the money could have went to his victims families!

I don't give a rat's ass about Gardner, but using Twitter to announce the execution was tacky as hell.

It's like wearing a polyester leisure suit to church. Does that make better sense? You Neocons like church and stuff, right?

I would have preferred if the AG would have used octopus ink to scribe the announcement on fine Egyptian papyrus, securing the document with his personal beeswax seal and then had it hand delivered by messenger on horseback.

Oh, hell! Did I just make a sarcastic comment in rebuttal towards MY OWN earlier comment?!? I did, didn't I?... Damn, I gotta stop smoking so much weed on Friday afternoons.

They need to bring "Ole Sparky" back (make it hurt)!

they should have put lighter fluild on his nuts and burned them for 60 sec, before they shot him.

Life is a very precious thing! Some of us get up and go to work everyday to provide for our families in hopes that our children will grow up to do the same thing. Then one day some idiot breaks that family chain. That missing link could be a parent, child, sibling, or even a friend. More people feel this death than just the one victim. Now on top of that, if the law is lucky enough to catch him...we innocent victims get to support him for 25 plus years!!! The only real deterrent for murder is the death penalty. We just need to tweak the system to where in an open/shut case like this, the sentence is carried out in minutes and in the same manner the victim was murdered. The reason our nation does not do this is because our nation is run by Judges and Lawyers, and appeals are their job security

Your correct! He should have been killed a long time ago. Why have government $$$ keep these creeps a live? You take someones life you do not have the right to live!

Why is this a problem? He didn't say , Ha ha we get to kill somebody. He stated basic information.

Yeah, this guy got 30 years of living after he took that many away from them and their loved ones. I do believe in the death penalty. I think if there was more executions for VERY horrendous crimes that these murderers would think twice before killing. Hell, now they don't care, cause most of them have it better in prison than what they had on the streets!

How do we forget the victims in these cases? This scumbag lived for years at taxpayer expense, didn't have to do anything but eat his three meals a day and watch TV, was given the choice of how he died...and said absolutely nothing in remorse before he was shot in the heart. Wake up folks, this guy got exactly what he deserved...about 25 years to late.

StevenB not all liberals don't believe in the death penalty. Don't asssume that just because they don't believe in the death penalty that they are liberal. There are dead right winged fundamentalist who don't believe in it because of their religion.

And to Don97...., hey in the Bible, Paul tells the Christians that they need to obey the gov't in matters that do not concern God and righteousness because "if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:4) Basically if you break the law, expect to die. You don't use swords to make prisons.

ahelir - The death penalty has work as a deterrent in many countries. Japan for one which has one of the lowest crime rates. Granted there are many factors that contribute to a low crime rate; teaching ethics along w/ the 3Rs (RRR) from pre-K - 12th grade, a code of family and societal honor, a system that never closes a murder case, a prison system that doesn't pamper (no a/c or heat, a sustenance diet, no pool tables or TVs), the certainty that you will be caught, prosecuted, and a death penalty that is used and doesn't take 10, 20, 30 yrs to carry out.

This man was a savage killer the means of communicating his execution has no relevance. The fact that it took this long for justice to have been served is the real injustice here.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY SOULD HAVE PUT IT ON PAY-PER-VIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bet they would have gotten a higher rating than that pathetic blathering our president gave from the Oval office Tuesday night about the Gulf disaster.

Plus they could have made a few bucks.

c bir

I do not feel sorry for the murderer.

I think IT IS RIDICULOUS that Utah's attorney general is twittering about the event. What is he - a 2 year old? Attorneys, let alone Attorney Generals, do not twitter about legal matters. They have courts for that.

The Attorney General's twitter is OUTRAGEOUS in and of itself.

Again somehow it always seems they come back to how the guilty killer suffers or there are macabre comments about his demise. I remind you he got what he deserved and was sentenced to by a court of law. His VICTIMS did not get such press coverage and concern from the media, from the courts and least of all him. Why do we give any credance to the whinings of people who gave no concern to others and took lives in extreme violence making themselves judge, jury and executioner as Gardener did. He was given all of that plus 25 years that his victims did not have. He got to say goodbye to his family, got appeals for years, got free food, clothing housing, lawyers, he got a last meal. What tell me did he give his victims.......nothing but a violent painful death. Excuse me for not feeling sorry for him. The bible says an eye for an eye and he got just that........deal with it. Those of you against the death penalty I would like you to come back and still say you are against it when a family member of yours is brutally murdered.....give me a break at that point I can guess things would be much different.

On top of that what else was the Utah AG supposed to say. He stated the facts period. He did not give details he stated nothing that was not true and nothing that would not have been printed in the morning newspaper so why is it any different just because it is digital media and immediate as opposed to waiting 6 hours to read it in the morning paper......how would that have changed any of the actual facts.........it wouldn't. People again giving sympathy where it doesn't belong and certainly is not deserved.

I first heard he was dead on Twitter, so what? Who cares HOW you get your information? This is a stupid story.

don97524....It's about time they turned "ole sparky" back on, tied more knots in the hangman's noose, mixed more chemicals, loaded more rifles, or bought more cyanide for the gas chamber...Anyway they want to remove these blights of mankind from society is fine with ME...I lost my best friend 30 years ago, stabbed to death, and the scum is still living off the taxpayers on death row. I will personally dance at the prison gates the day he dies!!!!! As for your question "How does your God feel about murdering the murderer?" MY God also said "AN EYE FOR AN EYE"

We've become a nation of idiots who think nothing of having sex in public but who are appalled that someone would twitter an execution.

So immature and lacking in logic that we think a simple time-out will solve the problem of a penalty for murder.

We've become a nation of idiots who think nothing of having sex in public but who are appalled that someone would twitter an execution.

I NEVER see people having sex in public. What are you talking about?

I would be APPALLED if I saw people having sex in public. In fact, I frown upon overly demonstrative public displays of affection. Take it inside.

AND DON'T TWITTER ABOUT LEGAL MATTERS. It cheapens our judicial system.

phil

I disagree with you completely. I don't ever want to be the kind of person who rejoices in another person's death. I can understand people wanting revenge but I still don't believe in the death penalty.

Here's how you save money. Execute criminals that can't be rehabilited quickly. Forger? Don't lock this guy up - put him back in society where he can atone and become a benefit. If he messes that up with more crime, execute. There should be no one held in prison. Capital criminals should be put down upon conviction. Everyone else should be free to repent. Otherwise we are just punishing ourselves.

Prisons do not work. They create more and viler of the same. But hey, prisons make jobs and are business. Wonder why there are so many "criminals"? Oh yeah, this is HELL.

Don

I can not celebrate death either. I find it very distasteful how some people react to an execution - in "joy" as you put it.

I completely disagree with the death penalty. I never want to be the position of being God and don't think our government should be in that position either.

He was sentenced to death for a 1985 capital murder conviction stemming from the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during a failed escape attempt. He was at the Salt Lake City court facing a 1984 murder charge in the shooting death of a bartender.

For the 1985 killing of a lawyer: Kisses on the cheek, a parade, a medal, and national media attention.

For the escape attempt: 20 years hard labor

For the murder of a citizen bartender too obscure (though surely specific since he was originally charged with the murder) for the MSN to even name (though the scum-sucking vermin lawyer is named): Death by four bullets randomly placed within the body, hopefully leading to a long, slow departure from this earth.

The headline should have read- " Another scum murderer was put to death today in accordance with Utah state law."

I agree with you. How much should we care about someone who killed without mercy? What about the children who have to grow up without a father now? Shouldn't we care more about them? I only wish that the death penalty could have been applied sooner.

Insensitive? Excuse me? He just stated the facts.

WTF?

I totally agree with you-he just stated the facts. I am one of those "bleeding heart liberals" some have mentuioned--I don't know why it took so long to get him executed. No feeling sorry for him here!!!

If you don't like what he had to say..then just don't follow his twitter. What is the big deal? He was just doing like every other person on twitter does...so I really think the public should get over it and the press should let it go. Sometimes things just go too far!

well if they had executed him 25 years ago like they should have there wouldnt be a twitter to worry about.

There is freedom of speech in America only if you're talking about sex -- preferably incest or wife-swapping. If you have anything of importance to talk about, you better make sure it is politically correct in every possible way. In other words, keep your mouth shut unless you're going to talk drivel.

well if they had executed him 25 years ago like they should have there wouldnt be a twitter to worry about.

^This right here.

End of discussion.

Jason, Brad - Incisive truth! It gets no simpler than this!

Another slow news day.

Guy's a double murderer,actually. The second murder when he attempted to escape court proceedings for the first is what got him a date with some high velocity justice!!

I wonder what caliber they used? Obviously it wasn't large enough, or that buzzard bait wouldn't have had a chest left for them talk about. I think 7 shots from a .444 magnum at 10 yards would have worked nicely.

.30 Full metal jacket I suspect. I like the sound of the 44 hollowpoint better!

AND this guy took the bait... His announcement was to make himself feel big, tough strong... How much stronger can you get than to be able to squelch out a life with the blessings of so many I DID THAT!! IT WAS ME ME ME gotta go now.. the guy sia jerk

He was probably thinking What would Bush Jr. Do?

or maybe he thought people would want to know what was going on.

This degenerate mutant was SCARED of lethal injection. Plain old panic, apprehension, imminent fear of death and AFRAID that his cowardly responses would've have found him excreting solid waste in his pants while waiting for the needle. Why do you think he was planning to FAST? Like most evildoers - He was a coward and took the quick and certain death from five expert riflemen who volunteered to obliged him. All that exists of him now is vile ether and if there is any justice (I believe there IS), this murderer's immortal soul, along with those of other, evil ether clouds - are all completely isolated. They have cognition of the evil they embodied but now and forever exist as nebulous plasma - awareness without form, in eternal solitary confinement.

Now, That's a Hell I can believe in.

Basically, Twits twitter.

I wish twitter and facebook woud just get shutdown! Then maybe those people that use these sites. Can on with there lives.

well what did you say? was it interesting? controversial?

Not interesting. Not controversial. I said "I agree w/ Matt" ... which doesn't convey any meaning without the original comment. It's like someone singing along at a concert and MSNBC.com reporting the song was written and performed by the person in the audience, not the band.

I have sent correction e-mails multiple times to MSNBC.com through their Reader Inquiries section and they STILL haven't corrected their error. It's more than 8 hours later. C'mon, MSNBC, get your reporting right! This is unbelievable.

Erin Roony Doland, MSNBC's reporting isn't unbelievable, it's propaganda. News you can believe in! (hmm...seems to me I've heard a similar phrase...)

MSNBC no longer has journalists on staff, merely repeater reporters or bloggers. There's nominal fact-checking, just enough to qualify for a magazine from the likes of Isaac Asimov or Heinlein...structural facts are in place, but the story is something else.

MSNBC news is the equivalent of checkstand perusal of scandal rags. A lot of hype, nonsense and viewpoint.

It's one of the many reasons it's at the bottom of viewership and believabilty.

Hey, why wait until they get to prison? Why don't we just let police officers execute the accused on the spot!

Didn't sign your speeding ticket? BANG! Wrongfully convicted? BANG! Caught with a joint? BANG! Reckless driving? BANG!

What a ridiculous statement.

While 25 years for this double murderer's execution (with the second having many eyewitnesses) to be carried out is too long ,cjl1954's solution is a tad extreme in the opposite direction. I'd like to see a 5 year period after a guilty verdict and death sentence for new evidence to come to light followed by a final year for final appeals. In a case like Mr. Gardner's I think maybe the 5 years could be waived since there were multiple eyewitnesses to what was his SECOND MURDER. Either way you can't go shooting people like China even if it would be nice for some defendants to get an early date with final justice, we don't operate that way which is why we're a much better country than Communist China!!

cj- considering most people in US prisons nowadays are non-violent drug offenders, I think your idea is pretty f*cking stupid. The death penalty is for killing human filth considered guilty of violent offenses (multiple murder, rape, etc). It's not used enough, but it's not for every case, either.

I like Texas's idea, 3 reliable witnesses testify that you did in fact commit the offense, and you get the "Super Highway to Execution", a single appeal which consist of a judge revue of the trial and witness statements and your GONE!

And for the libturds that have a problem with an execution of a convicted murderer, or the fact that the Utah AG used twitter, TOO BAD!

Little problems turn into big problems, KILL them all in prison and use our TAX money for something of value, such as helping the elderly and the poor.

I'm sick and tired of paying for COLOR TV, INTERNET, or what ever for any person in prison. A good inmate is a "DEAD INMATE". As soon as the jury says GUILTY, they should turn and be SHOT by one of the family's victims member.

So what if a few people are wrongly convicted. What a handful, even if it was hundreds, who cares, just think about the thousands who die everyday in car accidents. Come-on, do you really worry about or are you just trying to make yourself feel good?

I'm sure you don't agree, but hey who really cares after they are dead, just like this case, in a few days nobody will even remember this guys names, much less the victims. We spend so much time about worrying about how we care for feces in prison then we do for the victims.

Whens the last time you posted a story or something about the victims? Better yet drive over to the victims house and sit down and discuss taking care of this feces for 25 years while their love one's lay in the ground. Then write me your sob story about how it's wrong to kill this feces and everyone else in prison.

I'm sure that you'd hold to your convictions (no pun intended) when it was you protesting your innocence. There'd be another "you" screwing you. All we have to do is find a way to make you a criminal. Not to hard since we can set the bar anywhere we want.

Puff puff pass

As my mother always taught me "You only need to worry if you've done something wrong".

As for setting the bar for anywhere is a far fetched thought when their were eye witness's that seen the crime. If I had to sit around and wonder if they are going to set the bar on making me a criminal, I would be hiding under a rock.

Since that isn't going to happen, I stand that anyone who kills another person, should be let's say "KILLED" and let's say the same day they are found guilty. Why wait, and waste resources that could better be used else where.

Little problems turn into big problems, KILL them all in prison and use our TAX money for something of value, such as helping the elderly and the poor.

Cjl1954, how about we euthanize the elderly since they don't contribute much to society any more and use the inmates as slave labor. Doesn't that make more sense?

That's not what that sentence said. You don't make sense.

So only Democrats and non-Mormons are allowed to use Twitter?????

He is, but what does that have to do with it? I'm neither of those things, and I haven't found anything wrong with what he tweeted yet.

So, Kevin, is the gravamen of your concern the political and religious persuasion of the twitter, the content of the twit, the death penalty as a general propisition, firing squad executions, or whether there were 4 blanks and one round or one blank and 4 rounds? Can we then begin from the point you want to make and actually get anywhere?

Was the murderer a Mormon or a Republican? Just asking. Were the victims Mormon or Republican? What does it matter you twit?

And the guy they shot received a purple heart.....literally.

Stupid reporter, trying to hype things up. A 'barrage' is a continuous volley of rounds, which in my opinion would have been so much more deserving than a measly 4 shots.

regardless as to being for or against the Death Penalty, tweeting was Totally INAPPROPRIATE behavior for Utah's Attorney General to be doing.

Think about it.

Why is it any less appropriate than writing memoirs in a book?

Just another medium, just stating facts. He said nothing about his own feelings or opinions.

When the STATE can trivize an execution, it makes it easy to keep killing.

I am actually pro death penalty, but an AG has a responsiblity to conduction himself appropiately.

ah yes. doing the ritual dance properly is the measure pf legitimacy?

"a little too casually" you think.

He just ordered a man to be executed.

maybe A LOT too casual.

So perhaps you would like to lets us know since everyone Tweets what is the proper etiquette for tweeting?

Why is this any different than a man standing on step saying I gave the order to begin firing at 12 midnight????

An execution is not a football game or even a wedding.

The Government is taking a life. That should never be treated trivally.

"The Government is taking a life. That should never be treated trivally."

I'm not sure that this announcement on twitter was any more trivial then if they had announced it over the TV or in the papers....and further nothing the government could have done in this case would be more trivial than how Gardner treated the lives of his victims. as i see it he was treated rather well considering he was given free food and shelter up until his well deserved execution.

"a bit casual" you think.

He just ordered a man to be executed.

I repeat myself, maybe A LOT too casual.

Why elected officials and news people tweet things regarding events all the time. Why is this any different than a man standing on a step announcing that the order to execute was given at midnight?

How do you you know the Tweet is really from the person it claims to be? There is no verification of a person's identity when they set up an account, and you can use any name not already in use. If a man stands on a step an announces the execution, you can see and identify him as the governor or his press secretary. A Tweet is totally anonymous and as such is about as reliable as a rumor. In this case, it makes little difference if the execution announcement was real or fake, but other situations could have serious economic or political consequences. The rush to be "with it" and use the latest technology for everything doesn't always work out so well, as demonstrated by the fiasco of electronic paperless voting, where candidates have received more votes than the total number of ballots cast.

The difference is a reporter is doing his/her job.

The AG's job includes ensuring the process is not trivalized and turned into a circus and that all participant act appropriately.

Don't get me wrong. The guy likely deserved being executed, but how we as a society conduct one of the most serious actions that a STATE can take, speaks volumes about our true values.

Elected officials tweet and they too are doing their job. I am sorry I just do not see the difference between this and a person standing on a step reading a statement that says the same thing.

Personally I do not tweet am not a fan of tweeting or any of the other things that leave there mark forever and ever/but that is just me. I also see no problem with it.

Howy, how about the reporter that called it a barrage of gunfire? Four shots is not a barrage. How many people will now deem 4 shots a barrage of fire? Doesn't this trivialise what our troops are going through when a real barrage of gunfire happens?

If a reporters job is to lie about what happened, then yes, they did their job. Why not say "four bullseyes bring closure to many." That's no fun. Our species love the shock and awe of over the top headlines.

Words can become trivial whn the press gets a hold of them. Let's send the reporter and the editor that approved it, to the front lines for a barrage of gunfire. After all, it's just four shots, correct?

the political tweets are probably much more likely to BE what the speaker/writer SAYS, rather than the gobbledygook and sausage that comes out of the "media meat grinder" and media biased filters.... "barrage" case in point.

I agree. There is a lot to be said for the class and formality that has been sadly shoved off by twit. Granted this person's execution was warranted, could we have a little professionalism please?

Or Texas!!

To all the compassionate liberals in the world "THE DEATH PENALTY. ZERO REPEAT OFFENDERS SINCE 1977" Works every time!!

when will the reality hit, that we are simply a bunch of intelligent animals, and that there is no god or higher power? these people can be removed from the herd for their lack of positive contribution to society and the state can be saved all the funds that would be spent on fourty or more years of boarding them. gardner's family shouldn't feel too much pain for his death, and the governor should feel not the slightest remorse for having sent the message over whichever medium. the only ones who should feel or do anything are the woodenheads who are upset over nothing. do they have nothing better to occupy their time? go clean your house, bathe your kids or dogs, volunteer for some helpful casuse, just get your idle eyes and brains off the rest of the world for a few minutes.

oh, and please proofread your posts.

could not agree more....think of the money it would save tax paying citizens too !!

The U.S. justice system provides every opportunity for an accused criminal to establish his (or her) innocence including after a guilty verdict when the death penalty is involved. That is why we are better than countries where a guilty sentence means an instant date with the executioner. While I find 25 years to be almost 20 years too long I think 5 years for new evidence to be discovered is appropriate. If an innocent man (or woman) is ever put to death that is a horrible miscarriage of justice so reasonable precautions have to be made. That said for dirtbags like the late Mr. Gardner where they were caught red handed with multiple witnesses to one of their murders an express lane to final justice would be appropriate!!

I would agree with that Fred. My point too is that sitting on death row for 20, 25, 30 years is absolutely rediculous, and especially when a person is caught with his/ her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, or when someone admits to a killing and can relay the events that took place that only the killer could know.

You miss the point, which is: is it appropriate that a public official tweets his buddies to tell them that in his governmental capacity he's just had a man executed?

Most people would think not.

Mark Thomas can you answer me what is the difference if he called the television and radio media and newspapers and announced that he had just given the order for the execution to be carried out and posting it on twitter or facebook or youtube which are all forms of public media. Was it to casual for your infinite formal mind to comprehend? There is none he announced it to the fastest media around, the internet.