Execution can be fun!

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


For the first time in years, proponents and opponents of the death penalty have something in common to rally against: a new toy doll strapped to an old-fashioned electric chair that shouts, “That’s the best you can do, you pansies?”

Recent Must Reads

9/18 – Where have you gone, Upton Sinclair?

9/16 – That sinking feeling

9/15 – Fighting jelly with jelly

9/14 – Marx as globalization prophet

So far 65,000 of the Death Row Marv dolls have been sold nationwide since the toys debut in June, according to APBNEWS.COM.

Though activists on both sides of the issue call the doll offensive, the manufacturer is happy to be raking in the profits. One store owner even credits George W. Bush’s recent barrage of executions as good promotion.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again—any amount today.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate