Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Statement of Ron Carlson to the Ertman and Pena families

To the Ertman and Pena families:

I can’t say that I know how you feel concerning the loss of your loved ones Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena. The images of those two beautiful girls will forever be in my mind as well as the horrifying act of their demise. What I can say is that I can relate to it due to the fact that I have had two people murdered in my family. On June 13th, 1983 my sister Deborah Ruth Carlson Davis Thornton was murdered by Karla Faye Tucker and Daniel Ryan Garret. On October 17th, 1984 my father William Gerald List was murdered by Elbert Smiley Homan.

I can say that I understand your wants and desires for justice concerning Peter Cantu. I have difficulty in believing that the execution of Peter Cantu will provide any sort of closure concerning the case.

I can truthfully say that, since I have personally witnessed an execution. I had hoped and prayed that I would receive closure and that would be the end of it.

What I did learn that night was that another set of victims were created and that the cycle of violence continued.

It is my hope that the Ertman and Pena families can find peace in their lives. It is also my hope that the Ertman and Pena families can find it in their hearts to forgive those who destroyed their families. If they can do that, I believe they will find that their lives will be better because of it.

I state this because when I forgave those who destroyed my family, I found that I was more at peace concerning the loss of my loved ones. We can never forget them, but we can honor them.

Two of the men sent to death row for this gang rape and murder were juveniles and were taken off death row in 2005 when the US Supreme Court outlawed sentencing juvenile to death. They were given life. The earth did not crumble. Texas did not disintegrate. The world continued to rotate on its axis--in other words, life went on and the two juveniles are in prison but not facing death.

We do not need the death penalty.

We do not need the state of Texas to kill people who kill to show that killing is wrong.

2 comments:

dudleysharp said...

Most importanlty, Ron, I am terrible sorry for the murders of your loved ones.

I would bet Ron was with that group of insenstive idiots that protested the death penalty at Jennifer and Elizabeth's memorial,

Even Diann Rust Tierny condemned that protest!

Both families find that the death penalty was the least amount of justice due their daughters.

Ron, who has ever claimed to get emotional or psychological closure based upon the just execution of the murderer, for the unjust murder of innocent lives?

No one that I have ever heard of.

It is really one of the more stupid, unthinking arguments presented by anyone.

IS EXECUTION CLOSURE? Of course.

For those who have lost loved ones to murder, the execution of the murderer definitely brings closure.

The execution is closure to the legal process, whereby execution is the most just sanction available for the crime and the family is relieved that the murderer is dead and can no longer harm another innocent - a very big deal.

It is the closure of justice.

The confusion with "closure" is when some imply that execution can bring psychological or emotional closure to the devastation suffered by the murder victim's loved ones.

I know of no victim survivor who believes that execution could bring that type of closure. How could it? No punishment can, nor is that the intention.

The concept of emotional "closure" via execution is, often, a fantasy perpetrated by anti death penalty folks, just so they can denounce it, with a talking point, as in: "Those supporting capital punishment claim that closure is a major reason to support the death penalty - but there is no closure."

It is a strawman that antis use, just to knock it down, as Ron did.

When pro death penalty folks state that the death penalty brings closure, I think they are, equally, in error.

Do you know of any murder victim survivor who says that their emotional or psychological pain was closed once the murderer was executed? Me neither. Does anyone?

Murder victim "Mary Bounds' daughter, Jena Watson, who watched the execution, said Berry's action deprived the family of a mother, a grandmother and a friend, and that pain will never go away."

"We feel that we have received justice," she said Wednesday after the execution. "There's never an end to the hurt from a violent crime. There can never fully be closure. You have to learn to do the best you can. Tonight brings finality to a lot of emotional issues."

Ina Prechtl, who lost her daughter Felecia Prechtl. to a rape /murder said, after watching Karl Chamberlain executed: "One question I ask myself every day, why does it take so long for justice to be served?" It took 17 years for the execution (both the above from "Texas executes 1st inmate since injection lull", 6/11/2008, MICHAEL GRACZYK, Associated Press Writer, HUNTSVILLE, Texas).

"(Kidnap/rape/murder victim) Cheryl Payton's sister, Susan Payton, said, "On this (execution) day, we're uncertain that you could define today as closure. It is like a chapter in a book that you just read the next chapter and you hope that the next chapter might be better" ( "Victim’s Family Reacts To Execution", by Steve Alexander, WKRG, Mobile News, Alabama, May 27, 2010).

Anonymous said...

Okay mr. Ron carlson? What about the FACT that your father was a child rapist? He had a continuous record of his perverted nature! Do you think he should have been able to continue with his predator behavior? Think of all the lifes he ruined in the process! I know because I was one of those children! Why don't you comment on this? Your always running your mouth about how your predator father was murdered! I knew him,and I know for a fact that he would still be doing it if he was here still! So please! Comment on this!