Dear Associated Press editor,
In your Aug. 9 story on the Texas executions, your writer MICHAEL GRACZYK
wrote:
"Two convicted killers, including a prisoner described by death penalty
opponents as mentally retarded, were executed Wednesday in the nation's
busiest death chamber."
Don't you think the writer ought to FIND OUT whether the prisoner was IN
FACT mentally retarded? What kind of shoddy reporting (or worse) is this?
Just giving the death penalty opponents' evaluation of the prisoner is
outrageous. The only supposed "view" to the contrary you gave was the
vote of the Texas Legislature; well THERE'S "expert" opinion, for you.
How about a DOCTOR'S opinion? Isn't the issue of whether someone is
mentally retarded or not an issue of FACT? So where is that fact in this
story? If you want to be gutless and not be objective about whether a
retarded person should be executed, fine. But at least be objective about
WHETHER OR NOT HE'S RETARDED. Just a bunch of conflicting IQ numbers from
the various parties...how about DOING YOUR JOB AS REPORTERS and finding
out his actual, OBJECTIVE IQ?
This type of reporting - from the Associated Press of all places - is a
disgrace. MICHAEL GRACZYK should be promptly fired for incompetency.
Jason Roth
Writer/Editor-in-Chief
http://savethehumans.com
jason@savethehumans.com
