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Dear FRONTLINE,
A person who is guilty of committing a crime,is not free from punishment,just because they become a Christian. Forgiveness comes from God who sent His son, Jesus, into the world to be the savior from our sins,but Christian or not,we all must be accountable for our sins;including President Clinton. I believe the death penalty was appropriate for Boggess crime.
L. Schmidt
cypress, ca
Dear FRONTLINE, Excellent program! Very well balanced! But I have to wonder how many condemmed to life without parole find religion or become a "changed man" as compared to those who are condemmed to be executed? And do the families and friends of the victims, do they really find relief in the execution of the condemmed?
Grady Henry
casa grande, az
Dear FRONTLINE, I was appalled that an entire show focused on this psychopathic murderer. Throughout the entire show all I saw over and over again, blotting out this murderer's story, were the eyes of Mr. Collier's brother and the deep and terrifying loss reflected in his eyes, the fact that he is forced to live with his loss due to the actions of this sick individual. I would like to see a follow-up show that covers the lives of the two men he murdered.
The question is not "Did it make sense to kill Clifford Boggess?", rather, "Did It Make Sense to Showcase a Murderer?". I believe that God sets boundaries for his children to follow, when you cross those boundaries you must pay the price. Mr. Boggess did not go to heaven, of that I am sure.
I also disagree with showcasing his "talents" and I urge people NOT to purchase, view or care a wit for his paintings. Let's instead aspire to honor the two men he murdered with a tribute or painting, poem, prayer, thought, or writing about them and put the rest in the trash where it belongs.
Fran Barclay
poulsbo, washington
Dear FRONTLINE, Dear Frontline: I felt journalist Alan Austin was remarkably in equilibrium, even handed and forthright. He did not portray Boggess as a sympathetic victim, nor did he glorify or belittle the actual and ancillary victim's grief and suffering. Contrary to other letter writers, I was not so biased as to overlook Cliff Boggess early childhood traumas as a means to partially explain his savagery. That kind of unspeakable abuse, and disruption to one's very early childhood can create a sociopath under the right circumstances and with the right mix of genes and environment. That mix was realized in Cliff Boggess. I do not believe he had any remorse, and was in fact a gifted mimic of actual human emotion. Cliff Boggess was an early victim and later a brutal inhuman victimizer. He did choose this path after he reached adulthood. He is living proof that the cycle of dysfunction and violence found across this land and others is alive and well, and he's a good argument for early childhood intervention into the lives of equally brutalized children. Useless retribution in the form of murdering them solves absolutely nothing, though I am loathe to personally allow sociopathic killers to sit in jail learning fine art, staying incredibly fit and even obtaining a pretty good education. Their time has passed and they forfeit human contact to large extent. The best we should offer is a secure environment, a clean place to live very modestly, adequate nourishing food and no outside contact for stimulation. Studying them might provide useful data we as a society can use to find answers on how to prevent the creation of more Clifford Boggess and similar killers. Killing them means we are equally brutal and blood thirsty. Too bad so many Americans are philosophically shallow, revengeful and filled with the same hate that allowed Cliff Boggess to slaughter two innocent lives and destroy several more. There is a lesson to be learned there. Few Americans have the real guts and intellect to find it.
Payton Tremaine
baltimore county, maryland
Dear FRONTLINE, In our quick-fix society, it seems that the public is only concerned with the events that take place beginning with the day of the crime. Most deny that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Who raised Clifford Boggess? It certainly wasn't his mother, his adopted mother or even his foul-mouthed uncle. When will society stop putting a band-aid like executions on an even bigger problem. What child should have to walk miles searching for his mother? I, for one, have no idea what it must feel like to be abandoned or passed around to the next relative. I'm not making excuses for Boggess and do agree that he did not seem remorseful, but he also did not appear to be in a normal state of mind. Austin made a short comment that I thought would have given more balance if expanded. Was Boggess coning us about being remorseful or was he hiding pain? Most people reading this probably don't care, but having spoken to inmates, I can tell you that prison life is nothing like the free world. Inmates normally must "wear a mask" to survive. Survive from other inmates, from isolation or just from time itself. This could be the reason why he did not "seem" remorseful. ALL things must be considered. On the other hand, if it doesn't affect us personally, it may just be easier to join in the countdown for the next execution. As for the victims, capital punishment and the healing of victims are two separate issues. I still cannot understand how any person's death can bring comfort to anyone. Victims are searching for peace in the wrong place. And if victims do feel "relief," I must wonder why. Are we breeding a society of vengeance. What does that say about us as human beings? It brings us to the level of Boggess on the day of his crimes.
J M
san antonio, texas
Dear FRONTLINE, At the end of the program I was saddened to see the brother of the murdered victim shuffling off to his car. I wondered if he was capable of forgiving, as Jesus has forgiven us. We should strive for that as much as we can. Yet, I know that the task would be very hard. With God all things are possible. Any situation that you find yourself in is not impossible to get thru with the love of our Lord.
Joe Tanguay
spokane, washington
Dear FRONTLINE, The program examing Clifford Boggess' execution rekindles the debate over capital punishment. The usual arguments against capital punishment always cite the following considerations: 1) capital punishment does not deter murder, 2) life imprisonment protects society from murderers so execution is not necessary, 3) capital punishment lowers society to the level of the murderer and reflects a barbaristic characteristic of our culture.
To these points I counter that 1) the argument that capital punishment is not a deterent is inaccurate since there is evidence that it does deter pre-meditated murder in some demographic groupings; 2) life-long incarceration does not remove the risk that a murderer will not kill again as there is always the possibility of escape, early release, and risk to other inmates and prison staff; 3) the ability of a society to take a life in its on defense does not reflect barbarism. Ultimately and ironically, capital punishment places the highest value on life by exacting the harshest of all penalties on murder. It serves as a reminder that life should be held sacrosanct.
Richard Howe
houston, texas
Dear FRONTLINE, Your documentary illustrated perfectly the failure of state-sponsored murder, and why it is an affront to our ethical evolution as human beings: in the end, everybody lost in this affair, the grand-daughter and her father lost because they were still unsatisfied, still hungry for revenge, and still plotting against their nemesis; the old brother lost in being consumed by vindictive and bitter hatred; the victims lost again in that no life was renewed, restored, vindicated,and no wrong was righted; the inmate lost by being murdered, as well as being allowed to pass from this world with so smug and glib a conversion, and with the pretense that his facilities could somehow exonerate him; the families of all victims lost in losing a member of their family; society has lost; religion has lost; and we all have been greatly diminished.
We should no longer comfort ourselves with the sweet palliatives that it is us versus them, that the criminals are the evil, wrong-doers who must be excised from our midst, and that we, the pure-of-heart, must amputate our own limbs to cure ourselves. We have to come to see with Martin Luther King, Jr., who no doubt would have opposed capital punishment, that "all communities and States are inter-related, and that whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly ... that we are all caught in a network of mutuality, a single garment of destiny ... and that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere..."
John Griffin
st louis, mo
Dear FRONTLINE, Clifford Boggess was not only a killer, he was a great actor. He may have fooled the priest, but I'm not buying his smuggness and "peace" with God. He was a con to the end. Not to mention a mediocre artist.
Brian Stewart
minneapolis, mn
Dear FRONTLINE, So many people who oppose the death penalty do so because of how it make THEM feel. Mr. Boggess was painted as a chnged man, but in fact I contend he was only more practiced and polished as a sociopath after his many years on death row.
I challenge all viewers to consider that this program was, by nature of TV, etc., very evocative--but also very superficial.
As a former corrections officer, I can vouch with some measure of expertise that when most convicts are restricted in their sociopathy, they appear changed, but in fact they have only adapted to their new limitations.
Please PBS, include more real analysis, and less maudlin favoritism in future productions...the backround music "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was in very poor taste!
Brad Darrington
helena, mt
Dear FRONTLINE, The program on Clifford Boggess really sickened me. I didn't buy the "changed man" story. Everyone in prison finds God except Charles Manson, who came upon the revelation that that he actually is God. Boggess recounted the details of his crimes with such an aloof attitude, seemingly unmoved by the lives he stole. It amazes me how people who fail to show the least bit of mercy shout the loudest pleas for mercy upon themselves. What precisely makes them better than their victims? People on death row have a warning, unlike their unprepared victims. I'm sure God forgives the truly penitent, which is the catch... Boggess may be able to go through all the appropriate motions for the sake of the public, but God knows the heart of a man. I have no intention on viewing the website information on the thoughts of people closest to Boggess, his artwork and other miscellaneous nonsense. It almost stands as a tribute to his disgusting memory. I could care less what they think, nor do I care about the talent he developed in prison. Clifford reaped as he sowed.
philadelphia, pa
Dear FRONTLINE, I found the program to be very interesting. I felt that the it was very open minded and very balanced. It showed both sides very honestly and openly, with very little personal opionion from the journalist. I left me wondering for both sides. It is hard to feel remorse for this man who took some much. But it is also hard not to feel remorse for those who have not gotten their peace from yet another's death. The questions which were asked, i guess can only be answered by those who are no longer with us.
Lindie Estus
st. marys, pa
Dear FRONTLINE, It is my opinion that capital punishment has become an unfortunate means to exact justice upon unduly violent criminals. I feel that in our current period of history American society has become increasingly desensitized to all forms of violence. In this regard it would seem "easier" to execute individuals that it once may have been. This is possibly the most frightening indicator of what is in store for America in the years to come.
Aron Ceely
montgomery village, maryland
Dear FRONTLINE, I was a little disturbed by tonight's show. Why was an admitted murderer given an entire show dedicated to his life when two innocent men are dead. It's not the capital punishment we're comfortable with, it seems to be the murders. You should wait until after someone like that is dead before you delve into his life. Why give him anymore satisfaction than he got out of taking a life.An eye for an eye!
Christopher Byrne
burlington, ma
Dear FRONTLINE, I found the program to be informative yet startling. Just the idea that another human being could kill in this way and yet be so quick to want to preach to the victim's families. I don't accept the death penalty as being a necessary evil that exists in this country but I do feel that the judicial system in this country has a lot to answer for when it comes to the lack of equal justice under the law.
Jamilah Rasheed
new haven, ct
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