America loves killing people.
Invading other countries, hyping up unhealthy junk food, building cars that go three times as fast as you'd ever be able to legally drive them, evolving into an often depressive culture, inflicting prohibitive health care costs, cigarettes, stress, obesity, carcinogens in the air, unsafe food... the list goes on.
Then there's the death penalty.
America is the only Western democracy to still have the death penalty. Though, of the 18 countries around the world that still put people to death, in 2009 it "only" came in fifth of the Big 5 with 52 executions, behind China (thousands), Iran (388), Iraq (120) and Saudi Arabia (69).
But it calls into question this "world leader" thing. The barbarians are not at the gates, as we are so often told. They are inside our borders and they wear expensive suits.
I personally knew at least a couple of murderers, from before they committed their crimes. So I don't come from such a sheltered environment that I am completely removed from the realities of this subject. This was in Australia. We got rid of the death penalty in 1973 with our last execution taking place in 1967. That was the hanging of a man named Ronald Ryan in Melbourne. Doubts still exist about his guilt.
But I want to focus on the United States because of its place in the world and the information available. (It is very difficult to get this kind of information about China, but they've basically run amok.)
Colonized and "modern" America has had the death penalty throughout its history, except for a brief period in the 1970s. It was famously/infamously resumed with the firing squad death of notorious murderer Gary Gilmore in 1977 (featured in Norman Mailer's book "The Executioner's Song" and the attendant movie). Gilmore murdered two men in extremely cold-blooded circumstances.
Gary Gilmore refused to contest his sentence -- actually insisted he be put to death -- making the occasion even more lurid. I remember reading about all this in Australia. Front page news.
Here is one of several good starting points if you want to read a little more background info on the death penalty in the U.S.:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/amnesty-international-releases-2010-report-on-death-penalty-statistics
Much more to say in the next couple of blog entries. Unfortunately.
Take care.... and care,
Adrian Zupp
IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INTERESTING you might also like to read "THE DEATH PENALTY -- PT. 2: I AM TROY DAVIS" and "THE DEATH PENALTY -- PT. 3: WHAT NOW?"
FOOTNOTE
From the outset I knew that many of my entries in "House On Fire" were rather lengthy -- by certain (not all) blogging standards. The reason for this is that this isn't a personal blog about things I do each day or other such casual or entertaining topics. The serious issues discussed here warrant a certain degree of backgrounding, analysis, discussion and supporting evidence. They are like mini papers on very serious subjects and I feel duty bound to not short-change readers on the facts they need to make decisions about the subject matter, or the exposition necessary to make my own position very clear. That said, I am aware that reading is more onerous for some folks in our nanosecond cyber culture (no insult intended!) or what I'm writing about is not peppy enough to carry them through 1000 words. Therefore, I am going to try and be a little more concise in my blogging. Often this will manifest itself in the breaking down of subjects into several entries or parts. I hope this helps. Thanks.
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