CORRECTION: In a story about former George W. Bush fund-raiser Richard Dyke, owner of Bushmaster Firearms, Salon News repeated a police reporting error that a Bushmaster rifle was used in the shootings at the North Valley Jewish Community Center. In fact, the Bushmaster rifle was found in accused killer Buford Furrow's van, but was not used in the shootings. Salon regrets the error.

Gov. Death
BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
(08/07/99)

Finally, the straight story about Bush and his record of "compassionate conservatism." I have yet to understand why the mainstream press has avoided the obvious hypocrisy between Bush's religious faith and his decision to allow a born-again Christian like Karla Faye Tucker to be executed when she was clearly a good influence and a huge comfort to many women in prison. People can and do change. Individuals differ, and the state has the responsibility to examine each case individually. Gov. Bush is laboring under a dark illusion if he believes that his hands are clean.

-- Jacqueline Marcus

Christopher Hitchens appears a bit confused regarding the Texas execution rate and Gov. Bush's ability to review all of those capital cases. Hitchens may be surprised to learn that the average inmate has had about 10 years of post-conviction judicial review prior to execution and that the Texas governor's office has its own office of legal counsel and an 18-member parole board, both of which advise the governor on each individual death penalty case. So Hitchens need not be concerned regarding the governor's ability to properly review cases.

Hitchens is but one of a number of intellectual giants to question Karla Faye Tucker's execution. I feel certain that had Gov. Bush commuted Tucker's death sentence based on sexism or her "born again" status, that such would be roundly applauded by hypocrites such as Hitchens.

-- Dudley Sharp
Vice president, Justice For All
Houston

I am no fan of Gov. Bush, but I do not think that your article was fair. Texas' large number of executions is not a new phenomenon; a substantial number of executions also occurred during the governorship of the relatively liberal Ann Richards.

-- Tom Desmond
McKinney, Texas

At some time during Gov. Death's reign, a black man who had already served eight years of a life sentence for rape (of a white woman, I might add) was found conclusively innocent by DNA testing. The only reason he could be held, according to the test, is that he was human. Gov. Bush hesitated to sign the man's pardon because he didn't want to look soft on crime. Need I say more?

-- Peter D. Barry
Austin, Texas

The fact that Clinton, Gore and Bradley favour the death penalty, indicates the mood of the majority of the American people. Frustrated with the violence in American society and the gun murders of young (as well as old) people, Americans throw up their arms and favor the death penalty for criminals whatever their status.

If the death penalty were made a political issue in the prevailing climate of the United States today, it would simply favor the candidate who was in favor of it -- unfortunately, George W. Bush.

-- Allan Bernstein
Thornhill, Ontario

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