VirusHead

Too late. He was executed this am at 2:15 – pretty early, wouldn’t you say?

Reaction from the White House: “White House press secretary Scott McClellan said it was important that the death penalty “be administered fairly and swiftly and surely, and that helps it serve as a deterrent.” (false)

Note that as governor of Texas, a state that executes more inmates than any other, Bush allowed 152 executions.

Death penalty foes slam US over 1,000th execution – Reuters (under International News)

World Reaction – they think it’s news:

Grim milestone as US executes 1,000th person – EuroNews (video)

Statement of President of the European Union on the US Death Penalty – British Embassy, Oslo

The European Union is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and has consistently called for its universal abolition. We believe that the abolition of the death penalty is essential to protect human dignity, and to the progressive development of human rights. We consider this punishment cruel and inhuman. It does not act as a deterrent and any miscarriage of justice – which is inevitable in any legal system – is irreversible. Consequently, the death penalty is abolished throughout the European Union.

In countries that maintain the death penalty, the EU seeks the progressive restriction of its scope and respect for the conditions under which capital punishment may be used, which are set out in several international human rights instruments.

In this regard, the EU welcomes the US Supreme Court rulings of June 2002 and March 2005 declaring the execution of persons with mental retardation and the execution of juveniles respectively, to be unconstitutional. The EU urges the US authorities to extend these restrictions, in particular to the execution of persons with severe mental illness. The EU regrets the US decision to withdraw from the Optional Protocol of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR), which gives the right to consular assistance in death penalty cases, and urges the US to continue to adhere to the VCCR.

US carries out 1 000th execution since 1977 – Independent Online South Africa

US passes execution landmark – Aljazeera

Risk of erroneous executions or racial disparities does not deter the public’s general approval of capital punishment – Spero

Kenya human rights body slams US over 1,000th execution – Reuters – South Africa

I have lived in two states that have the death penalty including the current state I reside in and I am totally in favor of the death penalty. However, I would much rather see it carried out much swifter and not have the taxpayers of our state having to support these cold blooded killers for 15-20 years while they waste our money on useless appeals. I say give them the manditory one appeal and then carry out the prescribed sentence.

I have one question; aren’t prisonors suppoed to be model citizens while they are being incarcerated? After all if they truly are remorseful they shouldn’t be misbehaving while in custody and there for they shouldn’t be rewarded for doing what is expected of them.

I am opposed to the death penalty in all but a very few extreme cases. It’s barbaric and I wish I were able to be opposed to it all the time in every case. I am always a little shaken to see that the culture of “life” doesn’t really value life so much.

This guy killed his wife and her father. He was a murderer. But if you compare his case (not to mention his 77 IQ and the fact of what Vietnam almost certainly did to him) to those of others, it is really quite remarkable. I live in Atlanta, so perhaps I have a slightly different perspective – but you just don’t find that many murderers who immediately call the police and confess.

Still, that’s the one case. There are a lot of arguments against the death penalty, but it sounds pretty much as though you are going on a gut feeling?

“Supposed” to be model citizens? Hmmm. Well, have you ever actually set foot in a jail? It was one of those things Jesus advocated – to visit people in jail. People don’t really talk about that much in America since it’s not as jazzy as denying people their humanity in various ways.

My point was simply that we’ve been going a lot of killing – we like it, it seems. And Bush likes it a lot.