Way To Go, Utah!

This morning Utah's firing squad executed Ronnie Lee Gardner.




Gardner had been on Utah's death row for 25 years manipulating the system and trying to escape his fate. He was sentenced to die in 1985 for a botched escape attempt on April 2, 1985, during which Gardner shot and killed Michael Burdell, a defense attorney, and injured court bailiff George "Nick" Kirk. Gardner, in court on charges stemming from the 1984 robbery and shooting death of Melvyn John Otterstrom, used a gun that had been smuggled into the old Salt Lake County Courthouse by his girlfriend.

Melvyn John Otterstrom's and Michael Burdell's family are still suffering because of Gardner's cruelty and viciousness, and George Kirk says he has not been without pain from his wounds in the 25 years since Gardner shot him.


Members of Gardner's family — some of whom left the courtroom in tears at the last hearing to get his sentence changed — are victims as well, and I'm sorry for them, but my greatest sympathy goes out to his victims.

Gardner had no redeeming features. There is no reason he should be alive.

I believe the system worked. Too slowly, but it worked.

Touchdown Jesus

A six-story statue of Jesus Christ near my home town was struck by lightning and burned to the ground a couple of days ago, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers on Tuesday.



Already there are numerous theories going around: "The Devil did it." "God was displeased at the image."

Personally, I think Elvis did it!

Regardless....the church is going to spend over $700,000.00 to replace it. I guess it's their business, but I can think of a hell of a lot of places where that money would do more good than in a plastic statue.