Come On Texas

I like Texas. I'm married to a Texan. Somehow they just insist on building on their reputation as a not a nice place. Texas has executed a convicted murderer despite arguments that he was mentally impaired.

Tests administered to Mr. Woods over the years placed his I.Q. between 68 and 86, prompting a bitter debate between his lawyers and the state over whether he was too impaired to face execution. The state and federal courts repeatedly sided with prosecutors.

The debate reflects the gray area left by the Supreme Court in 2002, when it ruled that the mentally impaired were not eligible for the death penalty but left it up to state courts to interpret which inmates qualified as impaired.

Those of you who have been here any length of time know that I am 100% against capital punishment and 200% against it when there is any question whatsoever about the validity of the conviction. This is just sad. What does it say about Texas that an IQ of 68 to 86 is not considered mentally impaired? If I was a Texan I would be insulted not to mention ashamed.

h/t Americablog