Toward a Moral Life

Cameron Todd Willingham, who refused to plead guilty for a lighter sentence

So, you take an apparent case of arson and resultant deaths, you convict someone of it, and you execute the guilty party.

Years later, arson experts (including Craig Beyler, one of the most respected in the field) bring up strong evidence that indicates that the fire was accidental. This comes up before a review board, which is rightly concerned that the wrong person was sentenced and executed, and an investigation of the issue is planned.

As governor of that state, what do you do? You could:

a) support the discovery of the facts in the case (if any were missed), discover any missteps in the pursuit of justice, and humbly apologize (and possibly offer some sort of recompense) to the family of the executed man on behalf of the state if facts dictate that he was not guilty;

or

b) ignore the whole thing;

or

(c) dismiss three members of the review board (causing cancellation of the scheduled inquiry), proclaim that the executed man, Cameron Todd Willingham, was “a monster”, tell the review board to “look forward, not backward”, and then run scared that he won’t get the GOP’s nod to run for re-election in 2010.

Guess which one Texas Governor Rick Perry chose?