ACLU Whines Over TV Denial For Death Row

Proving conclusively that the system for capital punishment in Texas meets all relevant standards under the Constitution, Texas ACLU officials are now expending effort to demand that death row inamates be given television privileges. The request has been dismissed out of hand by Texas Board of Criminal Justice Chairwoman Christina Melton Crain.

Noting that Texas is the only state that does not allow condemned prisoners television access, ACLU prison project litigation director Yolanda Torres first raised the issue in May.

"We believe it is significant that every other death row in the country has successfully developed and implemented policies and practices that allow death row prisoners access to television, while at the same time maintaining the safety and security of their employees and institutions," Torres wrote.

Crain's response was, in my opinion, perfect.

"I appreciate the passion and energy that you bring to matters for which you advocate," Crain wrote. "But as the Board and the current Administration do not wish to entertain this issue further, dialogue between you and me on this subject is now closed."

ACLU representatives are up in arms over a government official not kowtowing to their demands to coddle murderers.

Meredith Martin Rountree, the Texas ACLU's prison project director, believes Crain's decision is based on misguided popular opinion.

"TDCJ's job is not to pander to public misunderstandings and misconceptions about criminal justice," Rountree said.

Actually, as government officials in the state of Texas, it is their job to run the prisons the way we Texans want. Until and unless there is a right to watch Oprah buried somewhere in the text of the Constitution, we don't want the killers to have televisions. And they work for us, Rountree, not the UnAmerican Criminal Liberals Union.

Heck, if we had our way these killers would get one bullet to the base of the skull immediately upon the denial of their first and only appeal.