Pena di morte: Cuba vs US

[yurj]

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=6779

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The death penalty: Cuba's Fidel versus USA's George W.

VHeadline.com commentarist Charles Hardy writes: I have a sister and brother-in-law who lived for several years in Africa and India. When I was leaving the US for South America many years ago, they recommended: "Take a world almanac along with you. They make for interesting reading on quiet nights."

I am glad that I took their advice, although I have to admit that I use it more for breakfast reading than in the evening. I should buy a new one yearly, but the three I have on hand (1993, 1996 and 2003) provide me with more information than I usually need.

Thus it was that this morning, between the newspaper and the almanac, I found myself immersed in information about the death penalty that I would like to share with you in light of the recent decisions in Cuba.

In the United States, 38 of the 50 states recognize the death penalty as a form of punishment. On July 1, 1976, the US Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was not inherently cruel or unusual and was a constitutionally acceptable form of punishment. What a wonderful ruling, just a few days before the United States celebrated its 200th anniversary as a nation.

Executions had stopped in 1967, but in January 1977, the executions began again with the death of Gary Mark Gilmore by a firing squad in Utah. By the end of 2001, 749 people had been executed. One more died in front of a firing squad ... three were hanged ... eleven died in gas chambers ... 148 were electrocuted and ... 585 died by lethal injection.

It is also interesting to note, not only how these people died, but also where they died, and who died in the year 2000. That year there were 85 executions in the United States. But 40 of them were in Texas, where the present President of the US, George W. Bush, was Governor! The population of Texas comprises about 7.4% of the US population and yet 47% of those executed were in Texas!

...and who are the people who died under the death penalty?

There is a higher rate of minority members that receive that sentence than are persons in the white population. In 1992, 41% of those waiting the death penalty were blacks, although they made up only about 12% of the population. It should also be kept in mind that another minority group, Hispanics, make up about 32% of the population of Texas.

I am, personally, against the death penalty wherever it is carried out and however it is done ... whether in the US or in Cuba. But, when I hear the US reprimanding Cuba for its recent decision to carry out executions, I sense a lot of hypocrisy in their judgment. And, whenever I hear President George W. Bush speaking about human rights, and cruel dictators in any part of the world, I think of him signing the death decrees in Texas.

And ... speaking of Cuba ... El Nacional was quick to point out on the front page of its April 19 edition that Venezuela voted in favor of Cuba in the resolution which insisted that Cuba accept the presence of a representative of the United Nations' High Commission of Human Rights. The United States had wanted a much stronger statement that that which was issued.

The United States always seems to want strong resolutions with regard to Cuba ... but did it take any note on November 12, 2002, when the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution for the "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba"?

It was the eleventh consecutive year that the body had voted in favor ... the vote was 173 to 3!

The only countries voting against it were the United States, Israel and the Marshall Islands.

For those who have never heard of the Marshall Islands, there's no need to run to your encyclopedia. They're located in the northern Pacific Ocean, have a total population of 73,630 people (yes, only 73,630) and cover 70 square miles ... that makes the country a little bit bigger than Liechtenstein. Twenty-two Marshall Islands would fit into Rhode Island, the tiniest state of the United States.

Now, wasn't that a whopping vote of support that the US had to continue with the embargo of Cuba? Israel and the Marshall Islands! Has the United States lifted the embargo as 173 nations asked them to do?

That day, El Nacional also said that the United States would kindly ask the United Nations to lift the embargo on Iraq now that US troops are in control ... who could ask for a more humanitarian government than that?

I already told you that I am against the death penalty. I am also against embargos. Among other reasons, I don't think they're administered fairly and that they never can or will be.

And two last items: Ultimas Noticias, April 30, carried a story that said the United States representative walked out the meeting of the United Nations Economic & Social Commission meeting the day before. The reason? Cuba was re-elected to the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The same page in Ultimas Noticias had, as its lead story, information on a demonstration held two days before in Iraq ... 13 unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed and 75 were injured by United States soldiers. I wonder if Cuba also walked out of the United Nations Economic & Social Commission meeting? ...before or after the United States?

Finally, I read that the Pope sent a letter to Fidel Castro begging for clemency for those to be executed.

I am in agreement with the Pope.

I'm just trying to recall a time when he wrote a similar letter to Governor George W. Bush.

Charlie

[agaragar]

Vai yurj che a ogni post AN prende 100 voti in più.

[yurj]

Ottimo modo di rispondere ai fatti.

Preferisco che si parli di fatti, che di votazioni. So già che il mondo gira storto, i voti ad AN sono inevitabili, per cui non vedo perchè ti focalizzi sulle elezioni, come fossero qualcosa di decisivo...

[Oli]

Tutti gli stati ke prevedono la pena do morte sono altamente incivili, quindi sia Cuba, sia gli USA sono incivili, esattamente allo stesso modo.

X me CUBA = USA

Quindi, a meno di necessità di lavoro (ne dubito fortemente) o di qualke cambiamento nel mio modo di pensare, credo ke nn andrò + negli USA (tranne forse in uno di quei poki stati ke nn hanno la pena di morte).

[yurj]

Non confondere i cittadini con gli Stati...

L'ultima è che Bush ha fatto depennare un sacco di persone immigrate dalle liste elettorali in Florida, prima delle elezioni.

Lì ha vinto per 500 voti (e ricontrollando solo una contea...)