Yossi Gestetner

Following the news that a Jewish inmate is to be executed In Florida on Feb. 16 due to killing 25 years ago a wildlife office, while the inmate was age nineteen, on parole for burglary and under the influence of drugs, I sent the following e-mail to Charlie Crist, the Governor of FL.

Hello Mr. Governor,

I would like to address the issue of Martin Grossman, who is on death row in your state and scheduled to be executed on Feb. 16.

I am a Jewish Republican who is actually in favor of Capital Punishment, but only if it is proven beyond any doubt that the criminal committed a crime which warrants such a punishment. In the case of Grossman, I doubt highly that he fits this mold.

No, I am not making excuses for Grossman. And no, I am not saying that one can overstate the pain that was brought to the family of the 26 year-old wildlife officer who was shot by Grossman. However, considering that Grossman didn’t’t go out there as a gangster to kill people; considering that Grossman was under the influence of drugs while committing the crime; and considering that had he not been on parole at that time, the approach by prosecutors may have been different altogether, I ask that you reconsider if the death penalty is really warranted in this situation.

Thank you for reading my email,

Yossi Gestetner

www.yossigestetner.com