Bonin’s Execution

Re “ ‘Freeway Killer’ Bonin Executed by Injection,” Feb. 23:

As a liberal, I must admit that I am not entirely convinced that the state should be engaged in the business of taking human life. As a human being, however, I am convinced that the world is a little bit better off without a monster such as William Bonin in it.

S.E. KING

Manhattan Beach

All I would like to know is, if capital punishment was reinstated in 1976 and Bonin was convicted and sentenced to the death penalty in 1982 and 1983, why did we (the taxpayers) have to support and pay for a murderer for so long? Murderers can expect a swift and speedy trial but taxpayers can expect an agonizingly slow punishment.

GREG S. LOGAN

South Gate

There is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty deters crime, nor that it is cheaper than if the convicted served life in prison, nor that capital punishment is fair (it appears to be for the poor only).

If society sets an example for its citizens, this example seems to say it is OK to kill for revenge. It is no wonder so many people are murdered every day because the murderers felt they were wronged in some way. The irony of it all is that society will then attempt to kill the murderers for revenge.

How then does capital punishment make society better?

JOHN GORMAN

Yorba Linda

Where were the television cameras when justice was being served?

TONY BARBA

Compton

Thank you for printing your Feb. 19 article emphasizing the anguish of Bonin’s “other victims.” The pain, horror and outrage I now feel are leading me to believe our society is way too kind to criminals. Where is our sympathy for the victims?

Bonin, having expressed no remorse, apparently lacked a conscience, and was thus worse than an animal. As such he deserved to suffer in the death process, himself, just like his many innocent victims did when he strangled them. A lethal injection was too quick and too kind; he should have been slowly hanged, so that he, too, could have experienced an agonizing strangulation death.

I think “his other victims” might have felt a little more vindicated, and well they deserved that vindication.

LYNNE NEAGLE

Westminster