prisoner 119486

watching a documentary about Wanda Jean Allen, who was executed January 11, 2001. She was an African-American woman, the first woman to be executed there since 1903, and only the second to ever have been executed in Oklahoma. The 1st one was black as well. the film suggests that she was mentally retarded with an IQ around 70-80, and had a 1982 manslaughter conviction, from which she was released from jail in 1984. She met her girlfriend (the victim) Gloria J. Leathers, 29 while she was in jail. Wanda shot Gloria in the stomach, after a domestic altercation, in front of Gloria's mom, at a police station as they were leaving, after having filed a police report against Wanda. Gloria was survived by 3 children.

yes, this story is tragic, but one comment by an observer really struck me: "we have to remove those elements of society that won't abide by the rules"

wtf?!!! element?!! whose society?!! and whose rules?!!
she was a human being, an American, a woman, a black woman, a black woman who was alive, and our 'society' killed her, because she broke the law and took a life.
She wasn't an 'element' to be 'removed'. Wanda was killed.

I'm not an anti-death penalty advocate by any means. matter of fact, i've called for the chair for several folks. my thing is, let's not lump criminals in categories, say 'the only way to take care of the problem is to get rid of them', and then start sending more folks to the chair. as a black woman, i find that statement very disturbing, since overwhelmingly it is us, blacks, african-americans that end up facing the death penalty.