[From the diaries by susanhu.] Today, October 10th, is the world day against the death penalty. While the civilised world (including New Zealand) has abolished capital punishment, 74 countries still retain the death penalty. The world day against the death penalty is the day we work to change that.
This year, the focus is on Africa. Out of 53 African nations, 12 have abolished capital punishment, and 20 observe a practical moratorium. But 21 still execute people, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Botswana and Egypt. The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty has an electronic petition, which you can sign here. It’s a small gesture, but the more people who sign it, the more weight it will carry.
Idiot/Savant
No Right Turn – New Zealand’s liberal blog
Thanks for front-paging this. Wanted to add this link to the U.N.’s page on General Assembly resolution 44/128 of 15 December 1989:
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
And Amnesty International’s Death Penalty pages.
I’m glad they’re focusing on Africa, but we need the petition here too.
I can’t see my way to preaching to Africa until we’ve cleaned our own dirty house.
Guess it’s time to haul out my favorite Gandhi story again:
On one of his walks through the Indian countryside, Gandhi was routinely approached by villagers for advice, judgement, wise words. In one, a woman came to him and asked for his advice on a domestic problem. “It’s my young son,” she said. “He keeps eating sugar every chance he gets. I can’t even keep it in the house. I’ve punished, threatened, bribed, and promised, but nothing makes any difference. So, teacher, I come to you for help. Please, can you tell my child to stop eating sugar?”
Gandhi thought for a while, then asked the woman to come back with her son in four days.
When the time came she appeared dragging her son behind. When they were before him, Gandhi turned to the child and said “Stop eating sugar”.
Silence.
Finally the woman couldn’t contain herself. “Um, great teacher, is that all? I can’t help wondering why we had to wait four days for your much valued but rather simple effort to help.”
“First I had to stop eating sugar,” Gandhi replied.
Wow.
Example is everything in parenting and world peace.
Have to agree !
It’s why I’m not sure I can sign either — while I am personally opposed to the death penalty, I’d be perfectly willing to make some exceptions for members of this misAdministration if they were ever convicted of war crimes.
Oh, speaking of death penalty, heard on the Rachel Maddow show that Saddam Hussein goes on trial next week for his crimes against the Kurds; if he’s convicted and sentenced to death, he’s supposed to be executed (hung) within 30 days of conviction, even though he’s got a ton of other “trials” awaiting him. I’m sure the US would love that; there are probably plenty of folks worried about his taking the stand and talking about US cooperation in most of his acts…
I think i remember that we’re the only (if there are more there’s only one or two but i think we’re it) well developed nation to keep the death penalty. It’s really a mockery.. especially when considering that the right to lifers make such a big deal about .. well the right to life.
Consistency in thought isn’t what’s important in their minds, apparently.
As far as Sadaam is concerned… too bad we can’t put the US government on trial for helping him out so much in the 80’s… could the US possibly be an accomplice to murder?
The US has company: Japan. But that’s about it.
Idiot/Savant
No Right Turn – New Zealand’s liberal blog
(apologies to those who’ve heard my story about this before)
Many years ago, we had a Republican governor of Wash. state who ran successfully for four terms. Daniel J. Evans.
My mom held tea parties for him the first time he ran. I was a young girl then.
Every time, part of his platform was his profound opposition to the death penalty. He never hid his view. He spoke out about it. He was savagely attacked for his view, but held firm.
It never kept him from winning office.
I think the reason why is that he exuded such integrity, such ability, such common sense in so many ways, and such eloquence, that people couldn’t vote against him, even if they were personally for the DP. It was quite something.
I can see my way to preach to Africa because I have no death penalty in my house.
If it were the US government preaching to Africa about executions your Gandhi story would apply. In this case, however, the preaching is coming from an international organization which does not pledge allegiance to our flag.
for your government? I think that as an individual American I share the onus of what my country does. If not me, who?
Am I to remain silent when other countries murder and pillage because my country has also done these things?
It still is, assuming you’re from the US. “Be better than we are” is a very strange and unpersuasive cry.
Change my comment from “has also done” to “is doing these things”, and then answer the question.
If you’re beating people up I don’t think you have any standing to preach to others about non-violence. All that does is discredit the case against violence. “Do as I say, not as I do” is the very definition of hypocrisy, seems to me.
This was my original point – the actions of my country are not MY actions. I’VE never executed anyone. I’m against the death penalty here and everywhere else.
What you seem to be missing is that the US government has nothing to do with “World Day Against the Death Penalty”. If the US government were telling Africans not to execute people, that would indeed be hypocritical.
I m going to admit in advance to nit picking so be warned ! 😉
but i think you have to be aware of the context. If you shake and waggle your fingers and yell at the top of your voice “for shaaame” when your nominally representative government is guilty of carryign out the same atrocities, it looks a bit hippocritical.
However, if you look at the situation and shake your head and say “I wish those things wouldn’t happen.” and wonder how we can get both their government and our government to do something about it through joint effort, then that’s pretty gosh durned bleepin’ reasonable, pahdnah!
Of course you can think or say anything you like. The only thing is – will it seem reasonable to an outside obsever?
Thank you. I signed the petition and I’m proud to live in a country that has abolished the death penalty.