So I’m watching the news tonight and they give a fair amount of coverage to the protests going on about the impending execution of murderer Kevin Cooper. There are some familiar faces in the crowd of course and some general banners that support a ban on all exections. I happen to disagree with them, but I respect their position a great deal. However… the celebrities making the most noise in this case are dead wrong.

If you want to argue against the death penalty in all cases, then argue that point. Fight for it with all your heart. I respect that. It’s a tough sell, but I will never wish anything for these people but more energy to keep fighting their fight. However, don’t try and sell us on the idea that this guy is innocent. Kevin Cooper if a killer. He murdered four people in cold blood, including two pre-teens. Cooper got his fair trail and was convicted. Years later he got DNA evidence tested at his request and that evidence showed conclusively that his DNA was at the crime scene, on the victims’ bodies and in the car stolen from the scene of the crime on the night of the murders. (For a complete outline of the evidence against Cooper and the evidence being argued to re-open the case, read The Case Against Kevin Cooper) Re-opening this case is not going to chane the fact that Kevin Cooper did kill those four people. He was convicted and setenced to die. If someone wants to change the law, to abolish the DP, fine. Just don’t carry a sign talking about how killing the “innocent” is wrong. Cooper killed the innocent. If he dies tomorrow it will be after two decades of legal fights rather than the few seconds he gave his victims. He will die of an injection that will spare him the pain he caused the little girl he hacked to death.

Mike Farrell, James Cromwell, Jesse Jackson, Laney Davis….there are legitimate cases to argue out there, but this is not one of them. If you paint all DP cases with the same brush you are using to whitewash Cooper’s case, then you run the risk of ruining your case in other situations when some good might actually be done. At this rate, what sane person is going to give you a second thought the next time you argue for someone’s innocence? As with most issues, the DP battle will be won in the center and if you don’t pick your cases more carefully, you will loose the swing votes for ever.