Adios - Humberto Leal Garcia Jr.

The State of Texas said adios to Humberto Leal Garcia Jr. this past Thursday when he was put to death by lethal injection in Huntsville for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in 1994.  That an inmate was executed in Texas is certainly no big story - nearly half of all executions in the US happen in the Lone Star State - but what has gained this case international attention is that Leal was technically a Mexican National who was denied his consular rights before trial.  A virtual who's-who of the international rights community had stood up for Leal including President Obama.  Their claim was that Texas had no right under the Vienna Convention to deny Leal access to the Mexican consulate when he was arrested.  While Texas and Governor Rick Perry ultimately gave a collective middle finger to Washington, Mexico, and the world by proceeding with the execution, I felt the case warranted a little discussion.

Executions in Texas are common, so much so that we don't even hear about them in the state unless the national media runs with a story for some reason.  That's what happened for me on the Leal execution.  I was flipping channels and Rachel Maddow was all over this story early last week.  Maddow (and MSNBC) are about as far to the left as you can get without drowning in the Pacific Ocean so her motivation was obvious and two-fold:  1) she is anti-death penalty, and 2) Governor Perry is still considered a possible Republican presidential candidate and any chance to bash one of them is high on her daily "to do" list.  If all I knew about this case was what I heard on the Maddow Show I would believe that Leal was a Mexican citizen vacationing in Texas who was pegged for this murder and not allowed access to his consulate by the corrupt San Antonio police force.  He was the victim of a "wild west" justice system in Texas and was being put to death despite international calls for his execution to be stayed.  The truth, however, is far from Ms. Maddows twisted view of reality.

This case involves a number of issues, one of which is the death penalty.  I'm not going to get into that today.  I was born and raised in Texas so you can guess what side of the fence I fall on that one.  Another issue (and the one that President Obama and others are using as the focus of their criticism) is the denial of consular rights by a state when the US has signed an international treaty guaranteeing those rights.  The claim is that Texas actions are putting American citizens at risk when they travel abroad (how is that working out for those hikers in Iran?).  The International Court of Justice ruled against Texas on this case in 2004 to which the governor's official reply was "Texas is not bound by international law."  These have been the discussions you hear regarding Leal in all the mainstream media.

Here is what you DON'T hear them discussing:

• Leal abducted the 16-year-old girl from a party, beat and raped her with a 15-inch stake, bit her so severely that the imprint and DNA was used to convict him, and then bashed her skull in with a 35-pound piece of concrete.
• Leal was a Mexican citizen in the US only because he was an ILLEGAL ALIEN that had been in the country since before he was two years old.
• Leal never asked to contact his consulate and was not told he had that right because he claimed he was a US citizen when arrested.
• Leal confessed and apologized for the crime just before being executed - not that there was ever any doubt as to his guilt.
• American citizens arrested in Mexico for serious crimes are almost NEVER afforded anywhere close to the diplomatic courtesy the Vienna Convention calls for. 

My favorite bit of hypocrisy involves the identification of Leal as an illegal immigrant.  Every law that has been passed over the last five years giving police ANY small opportunity to even inquire about a person's nationality has been attacked by Mexico, the left, and especially the Obama administration.  Sanctuary cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have laws like "Special Order 40" that prevents police from asking the country of origin or citizenship status of anyone detained for a crime.  You can't have it both ways.

My Opinion:

If an American citizen commits a crime of this magnitude in a foreign country, they can keep him and execute him with my blessings.  There's a very basic fundamental in life, which is that a person's protection and safety is secured mostly by being known as tougher and stronger.  Governor Perry's first obligation is the upholding of his oath of office  as the Governor of the State and to administer the laws.  Deferring to a cabal of euro-weenies and leftist whack-jobs would be an abdication of these responsibilities.  Governor Perry is rightfully showing once again that "Don't mess with Texas" is more than an advertising slogan, it's damn good advice - President Obama should do the same for the USA.

Side Note:

The underlying issue here SHOULD be illegal immigration.  Leal was born in Mexico but had lived in the US since before he was two.  He was raised in this country and graduated from an American high school.  His last words as the drugs coursed through his body before losing his life?:  "Viva Mexico!"  Wake up America!