Soccer Dad told me that now that Wesley Baker has been executed, we won't have to write about it any more. Maybe, but I think I need one more post.
The execution brought out people who seem to have been transformed from mere opponents of capital punishment into murderer groupies. Here's an account from the AP:
"Wesley is my friend," said Bonnita Spikes of Beltsville, who held a poster with Baker's picture on it. "I've seen him every day for the past couple of months. I got to know him."I really shouldn't take this person seriously, but just for laughs, what "vicious cycle" is she talking about? Baker murdered a woman in front of her grandchildren. The state gave him abundant due process and executed him. Is someone going to murder now to avenge his death? Yeah, I'm sure there are people who will explain that someone will, that the execution has provoked rage, blah, blah, blah. But really, all we had here was a simple case of crime and punishment. The State of Maryland has reaffirmed the value of life by holding Baker accountable for his life. Justice has been done. Let's not glory in it, but at the same time, let's not let moral equivalence reign.
She said she last saw him about 5 p.m. Monday.
"He was upbeat, calm, his spirit is good," she said. Baker also told her that recent visits from Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore and state Delegate Salima Marriott, D-Baltimore, were "monumental moments" for him.
"It's hard knowing one of my friends is going to die tonight," said Spikes. "He was a victim of the system. Killing him is not the answer. This vicious cycle of killing will never end."
Previous Wesley Baker posts collected here.
UPDATE: Response to ex-governor Glendening here.
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