Death penalty
Your editorial of March 26 decrying the constant judicial delays in the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev capital punishment case, in which he was sentenced to death and is still kicking around, very much alive, in a federal supermax prison, is completely understandable. After all, the foul and cowardly deed was done in 2013, more than a decade ago.
However, when dealing with capital punishment, and with all of the horrendous crimes for which defendants are sentenced to death, cooler heads should prevail. There is a systemic problem with the death penalty. Our criminal justice system is flawed, along with all human institutions. Errors are made. While it is true that the Boston Marathon bombing has resulted in one of the most clearly accurate and well-deserved convictions in recent memory, the problem is systemic: If capital punishment is inflicted, it is virtually certain that an innocent person will eventually be executed. The National Innocence Project has uncovered many cases of unfairness or even unlawfulness is capital cases, and recently even discovered the case of an innocent man who was executed. I was not surprised, as it was inevitable.
Harvey A. Silverglate
Cambridge
Right to shelter
Our governor and legislators are placing blame on the federal government. There is plenty of blame to go around, but they need to look themselves in the mirror and realize a good portion of the Massachusetts immigration issues are caused or exacerbated by their own actions, or lack of action.
They won’t change or clarify the Right to Shelter Law (which was originally put in place for homeless Massachusetts citizens) and have not even thought about creating Massachusetts’ own laws to limit immigration to legal immigration. Meaning laws like we used to have when people waited their turn to come here legally, prepared to work and had a clear path to citizenship.
Instead, they offer migrants free housing, free medical, driver’s licenses, breaks on education and then they limit the information our RMV can give out to law enforcement!
Now our taxes will be going up to support a situation which by no measure is sustainable. Costing this state alone almost $1B a year! They are bankrupting our state. If they are worried people have been leaving, just wait…
Right now, more migrants are coming into this country every four days than we have citizens in most towns. No other country would allow this.
Where is the common sense?
I do not blame the immigrants — why wouldn’t they come?? Anyone in their situation would. I do blame our state AND federal government for allowing our borders to be overrun, for the increase in crime in our cities, towns and schools and for the undermining of our police and justice systems.
Stop the blame game and use the laws we have or change them as needed to get control of our state back before it is too lat. Then collaborate with other states to force the federal government to close our borders and bring back the immigration laws that worked.
Joan Gonfrade
Ashland
