What Does It Take?

The former warden of San Quentin wrote an Open Forum in the Chronicle trying to derail the scheduled execution of a multiple murderer. Here's my letter in response:

Editor - Let me get this straight. Dan Vasquez notes that Clarence Ray
Allen "ordered 3 murders from his prison cell" then calls Mr. Allen a "model
prisoner"? What's a fella got to do to be executed around here? Kill
somebody? A man who once ordered murders from prison is an unusual choice
to label as "no risk".

Besides, most of us aren't impressed by someone who's a model citizen while
under 24 armed guard. It's just not that impressive.

The issue isn't "threat to society", "retribution", "revenge" or even
"deterrence". The issue is justice - notably missing in Mr. Vasquez's
defense of Clarence Ray Allen (along with the names of the victims) until
the very last word.

Update: Turns out Mr. "Vasquez has been has been retained by the legal team for Allen and that the op-ed reflected remarks from the brief Vasquez was paid to write for the clemency review undertaken by Allen's legal team". I'm not surprised..