ON: WHY AMERICA SHOULD NOT GRANT TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY A SECOND CHANCE

On NBC's Meet the Press last Sunday, Texas Governor Rick Perry said, "America is a place that believes in second chances."  Too bad Mr. Perry does not practice this wonderful act of charity in his home state.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as of April 27, 2014, the Texas Governor has executed 275 men and women. On the day he was interviewed by David Gregory there were 273 more Texas prisoners awaiting lethal injection.

During his tenure Governor Perry has commuted the sentences of only 31 prisoners, 28 of which he was forced to commute after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that it was illegal to execute anyone who committed their crime as a minor.

Before the landmark Supreme Court decision, however, the Governor executed Napolean Beazley, who was only 17 when he killed the father of a Texas Judge. He was executed on May 28, 2002, one of the last juvenile offenders executed in the United States. Youth could not cause Rick Perry to look into his heart and give Napolean Beazley a second chance.

Though the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles recommended Kelsey Patterson not be executed because of his mental illness, Governor Perry refused to commute the death penalty. Mr Patterson was executed on May 18, 2004. Governor Perry did not think mental illness gave Mr. Patterson a good enough reason to grant him a second chance.

Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of setting fire to his home, killing his three children. Before his execution a Texas fire-forensics' scientist examined the evidence and found there was no evidence an arson was committed. He sent this information proving Mr. Willingham's innocence, along with Mr. Willingham's request for commutation, to the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles and the Governor.  The Board and the Governor ignored the information and the request. Willingham was executed by Governor Rick Perry on February 17, 2004.  Proof of innocence by a third party could not convince Rick Perry to give Cameron Willingham a second chance.

Marvin Lee Wilson, with an IQ tested at 61, lost his appeal because justices claimed he based it on only a single IQ test and that the test could have been faulty. Wilson was executed on August 7, 2012. Governor Perry did not believe Mr. Wilson's retarded intellectual ability was reason enough to give him a second chance.

Humberto Leal Garcia, Jr., was a Mexican national who was never told during his arrest and trial that he was entitled to support and counsel from the Mexican Consulate. President Barack Obama, the U.S. State Department, and the Mexican government all requested commutation of his order for execution. He was executed on July 7, 2011. Evidently Rick Perry does not believe that a denial of basic rights under the law, or a plea for clemency from the President of the United States of America, are enough to grant you a second chance at life.

Rick Perry is now hinting he would like to run for President of the United States. He wants Americans to grant him a second chance. If the Texas Governor wants a second chance he needs to prove he lives a life filled with enough compassion to give others a second chance.

Commute the death penalty for the 273 death row inmates you now hold, or step aside Mr. Perry! If you cannot show compassion in Texas, why should the rest of America show you compassion and give you a second chance to be its leader.