Another dumb and stupid thing Texas does

[Racket_Man]

A few days ago Texas executed a mentally retarded man (alledged IQ of 61) using a "test" that includes comparing that person to a FICTIONAL John Steinbeck character, Lennie Smalls portrayed in the novel "Of Mice and Men."

The character of Lennie Small is used as the standard for legal mental retardation for executing a prisoner in Texas. If a person appears smarter than Lennie Small in an interview then he may be executed. If he does not then he is too retarded to understand his crimes.

Wiki summary for the novel

A NY Times article about how the Steinbeck family is outraged by Texas using the charater in the way they do

An article in the Atlantic detailing more of the legalistic nuances of the case.

[Andrew B]

How many times do you think I'd have to smash my head with a hammer until that makes sense? I'm thinking at least 5.

[Salted Grump]

I'd wager closer to 20, with a 10-pound maul. May as well go all the way and have your skull go concave before that makes any sort of sense to me.

[TheHuckster]

How many times do you think I'd have to smash my head with a hammer until that makes sense? I'm thinking at least 5.

On the bright side, after you do that, you won't be eligible for execution in Texas.

[anakhouri]

So, if you're considered smarter than Lenny, that automatically means you understand what you did and had an evil motive (which Lenny did not)?

This is the single dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of dumb shit in my life.

[ziratha]

I see, so somebody sat down one day and asked how the might design a test for eligibility for execution that he himself could never pass.

If he were ever up for execution he could simply point to the test he was be tested with and would therefore fail said test. It's brilliant.

[RedRoseSpiral]

Once again, can we give Texas back to Mexico yet?

[gremcint]

Once again, can we give Texas back to Mexico yet?

do you really think the states would ever give up that oil?

[NateSean]

Once again, can we give Texas back to Mexico yet?

Hell, I wonder why they haven't gone through with seceding from the union yet.

I mean what's next? Are they going to determine the validity of abuse allegations by having the woman take a test to see how much she resmebles Bella Swan?

[Duelist925]

Hell, I wonder why they haven't gone through with seceding from the union yet.

I mean what's next? Are they going to determine the validity of abuse allegations by having the woman take a test to see how much she resmebles Bella Swan?

To be fair, I think that'd be a better test to verify whether the woman is a vapid sociopath or not.