Song of the Day 3/3: The Ramones, “Punishment Fits the Crime”
I suppose there’s a reason America’s laughably labeled “news” channels covered some South Carolina ass clown’s murder trial as if it were OJ 2.0 — I didn’t experience this first-hand, but I’ve seen plenty of bitching about it on political blogs whose readers couldn’t figure it out either.
I can’t account for it, other than maybe TV execs thought it really would turn out like the OJ trial and a jury would somehow let — what’s this mook’s name? Alex Murdaugh? — off the hook. No such luck. After brief deliberations, jurors convicted him of the murders of his wife and son. Now we get to see if a hang-’em-high Southern state will execute a rich white man.
“Punishment Fits the Crime,” from the 1989 LP “Brain Drain,” features bassist Dee Dee Ramone on lead vocals on his last album, though he continued to write material for the band even after he stopped performing with them. According to Marky Ramone, Dee Dee — born Douglas Colvin — was a staunch conservative, so I don’t doubt he’d call for the death penalty here. The longtime heroin addict died of an overdose in 2002.
“Now we get to see if a hang-’em-high Southern state will execute a rich white man.”
Prosecutors only asked for life in prison. I think the coverage reflects the hope that America isn’t as racists as it appears to be. That a rich white guy who MURDERS HIS WIFE AND KID can be found guilty.
Of course he never would have been found guilty if his murdered son didn’t record him at the scene of the crime 3 minutes prior to the murders. So, mixed “we aren’t that racists” results.
Two consecutive life sentences. Seems about right.
Murdaugh already got the rich man treatment in a trial that went on and on, glad to see him convicted. But he’ll be back, so will Ghislaine Maxwell. For the rich a trial is rarely just “over”.
Good point.
He still has to stand trial for a ton of other crimes that will add 99 years to his sentence, but really, what does it matter. hang him!