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Killer Who Claimed Rap Influence Executed
Yahoo - AP ^ | 10/06/05 | MICHAEL GRACZYK

Posted on 10/07/2005 11:38:17 AM PDT by Borges

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A man was executed Thursday for gunning down a Texas state trooper in 1992, a slaying his trial attorneys had argued was prompted by anti-police rap music.

For his final statement, Ronald R. Howard looked at the trooper's widow, daughter and brother and said he hoped "this helps a little. I don't know how, but I hope it helps."

Then he turned to friends and a brother who were among his witnesses, expressing love and thanking them for locating two of his young children, who visited him on death row within the past week. "Love you all. Thank you so much," he said.

As the drugs were administered, he lifted his head from the gurney and said, "I'm going home."

Twelve minutes later, he was pronounced dead.

The slain trooper's widow and daughter, who were standing next to the window, hugged and kissed as the 32-year-old Howard slipped into unconsciousness.

"Today justice has been served," said Linda Davidson, widow of Department of Public Safety Officer Bill Davidson. "It's real frustrating the wheels of justice turn very slowly."

Howard was executed for killing the 43-year-old Davidson during a traffic stop outside Edna, about 100 miles southwest of Houston.

At the time of the shooting, Howard, then 18 and a father of four, was on probation for burglary.

Defense lawyers argued at his trial that Howard's constant exposure to gangsta rap music and its anti-police messages influenced him to pull the trigger.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 18with4kids; 1scumbaggone; copkiller; eminem; execution; leo; racistfilth; rap; rapmusic; urbanbarbarian; urbanbarbarians
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To: Borges

Everybody throw your hands in the air,
And wave them like you just don't care.
Now we're feeling good,
Like you know we all should,
'Cause Ron got the 'lectric chair!


21 posted on 10/07/2005 12:11:54 PM PDT by gridlock (Eliminate Perverse Incentives)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Why do people think rap is music?

They do? It obviously is not. It's rhyming noise with crude lyrics and virtually nothing else to redeem it. It is a fad, albeit a long-lived one. I predict is will fade away like all fads. Don't expect it to be listened to 10 years from now, let alone 100 years from now, like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, et al. and this is by no means an anti-black statement when manifold black contributions to real music have long been extant.

23 posted on 10/07/2005 12:16:02 PM PDT by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: Borges

the precious made us do it


24 posted on 10/07/2005 12:18:20 PM PDT by hyperkitty (DON'T PANIC)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Its kind of an oxymoron to music because there are no instruments being played. Most of the music is stolen sound bites re-engineered and mixed in a studio.
25 posted on 10/07/2005 12:22:35 PM PDT by april15Bendovr
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Its kind of an oxymoron to music because there are no instruments being played. Most of the music is stolen sound bites re-engineered and mixed in a studio.
26 posted on 10/07/2005 12:22:39 PM PDT by april15Bendovr
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To: april15Bendovr

That's a great story - stick it to them!


27 posted on 10/07/2005 12:24:28 PM PDT by steel_resolve
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Why do people think rap is music?

Because occasionally you might be able to decipher someone mercilessly banging on drums or something.
28 posted on 10/07/2005 12:25:13 PM PDT by hyperkitty (DON'T PANIC)
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To: drt1

should the song be legal? Of course. That is freedom of speech and it must be protected, even if we have to protect some maggots among the population. Only an idiot (synonamous with liberal) would think that it CAUSED him to kill. Stimulus-response thought patterns work well for plants. Not humans.


29 posted on 10/07/2005 12:25:26 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: drt1
Thats another good abbreviation

IAHV Inappropriate Antisocial Hate-speech Venting

30 posted on 10/07/2005 12:25:40 PM PDT by april15Bendovr
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To: Stingy Dog

He had 4 kids at 18, but didn't know where at least 2 of them were.


31 posted on 10/07/2005 12:29:04 PM PDT by MortMan (Eschew Obfuscation)
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To: april15Bendovr

> Twelve minutes later, he was pronounced dead.

Sweet


32 posted on 10/07/2005 12:30:04 PM PDT by Rate_Determining_Step (US Military - Draining the Swamp of Terrorism since 2001!)
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To: MortMan

No surprise there.


33 posted on 10/07/2005 12:30:17 PM PDT by hyperkitty (DON'T PANIC)
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To: BTHOtu

Me too!This clown deserved to fry or get lethalated or whatever.


34 posted on 10/07/2005 12:32:24 PM PDT by Riverman94610
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To: Borges
>Killer Who Claimed Rap Influence Executed

Rap doesn't even
promise listeners thirteen
virgins when they die!

35 posted on 10/07/2005 12:34:48 PM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: hyperkitty
As a Drummer and Musician I have always felt disenfranchised by RAP music because there are no musicians in that music.

Like in the Becks song "Where its at two turntables and a microphone"
36 posted on 10/07/2005 12:35:18 PM PDT by april15Bendovr
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To: april15Bendovr

The irony of the Ice-T Cop Killer controversy is that our man Ice has made more money PLAYING cops on TV and the movies than he ever did rapping about KILLING them!


37 posted on 10/07/2005 12:35:27 PM PDT by Riverman94610
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To: Riverman94610

$


38 posted on 10/07/2005 12:37:53 PM PDT by april15Bendovr
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Comment #39 Removed by Moderator

To: Borges

My give-a-damn's busted. Who's next on the list?


40 posted on 10/07/2005 12:45:40 PM PDT by libs_kma (USA: The land of the Free....Because of the Brave!)
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