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Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Wed Nov 30, 2005 at 09:25:16 PM EST
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Say Hello to 1,000 Executions and check out the photos of regular folks who oppose the death penalty. If you make one of yourself and e-mail it, they will add it to the list. If you need a saying for your sign, try these:

Not in My Name.
Choose Life, End the Death Penalty
An Eye for An Eye Leaves the Whole World Blind
Execute Justice, Not People

Update: More than 380 towns around the world joined forces Thursday to condemn the death penalty.

Rome's Colosseum, Brussels' Atomium, Madrid's Santa Ana Square, Buenos Aires' Obelisk and the Moneda Palace in Santiago were being lit up as part of the "Cities for Life" initiative, according to the organiser, the Catholic Sant' Egidio Community in Rome.

Many of the other towns and cities that have signed up to the initiative - around half of them in Italy - were hosting vigils or rallies to mark the day. "Capital punishment supports a culture of death instead of fighting it, and puts the state on the same level as those who kill," said Sant'Egidio spokesman Mario Marazziti.

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    Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death | 12 comments (12 topical)
    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    OK, I like your idea of going blind. But isn't justice supposed to be blind? Would you want your hard earned dollars to go to someone who has killed not once, not twice, but several times? Imagine if that person killed your daughter, would you still want to support that person for the rest of his life? Not to mention, what happens if he gets parolled or they have to release them early due to crowding, because we don't want our hard earned dollars going to multimillion dollar luxury prison hotels? I say, give them three shots. After all, in many other states they have to go through 2 Trials already before they even start a sentence for a crime! Let them appeal three times, if their third appeal fails and they are stuck for life, don't spend thousands of dollars on them. Go to the local Wal-mart and spend $20 on a box of bullets, that way you can get rid of the scum of the earth, after all if you actually pay attention to the bible, it mentions the use of the death penalty and of RETRIBUTION!

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Yep, death penalty really works doesn't it. Compare the amount of people that get executed each year in the USA with the numbers of serious crimes. Compare the vast percentage of citizens that are in jail in the USA to any other civilized democratic country. Compare the percentage of serious crimes (murder, rape, ...) in the USA with any other civilized democratic country. Do the above and one can only come to the conclusion that either the citizens of the USA are too stupid, to learn even the most basic of things, which I don't believe, or that the establishment in the USA just is extremely short sighted. I hope Wyveryx comments were meant as sarcasm.

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#3)
    by mpower1952 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    If you don't believe that innocent men executed, how do you explain Jesus? Wyveryx: As to your hypothetical question about my daughter, I think I would have either of these reactions: 1- I wouldn't rest until I had killed him myself. 2-I wouldn't rest until he had seen the error of his ways, truly regretted what he had done and turned his life around, even in prison. I truly hope that I would be strong enough to follow number two

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    "When the warden with the strap-down team came for him, I walked with him. God heard his prayer, "Please, God, hold up my legs." It was the last piece of dignity he could muster. He wanted to walk. ... The pope still upholds the right of governments to kill criminals, even though he restricts it to cases of "absolute necessity" and says that because of improvements in modern penal systems such cases are "very rare, if not practically nonexistent." ... When people support executions, it is not out of malice or ill will or hardness of heart or meanness of spirit. It is, quite simply, that they don't know the truth of what is going on. " Would Jesus pull the switch? Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J.

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    When a dog mauls a child, the authorities put the dog to sleep. This 'rehabilitated' nobel prize nominee murdered four people (and most likely more), started a gang that still kills many people, and has yet to apologize to the victims' families. What's the difference? Oh, right, dogs can't write books or find god before they get killed. One would think that he should have more common sense than a dog and realise that murder is, I don't know...illegal? Justice would be doing to 'Tookie' exactly what he did to his victims. (or, OR...having a Vonnegut-scenario where he has to re-live the moment of death through his victim's eyes, every day and at random times, for the rest of his life. I would actually advocate that over the death penalty any day.)

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Debate about the death penalty really seems to either bring out the deepest ugliness in us or profound humanity. BTW, the gentleman in NC scheduled as the 1000th is purported to be a Vietnam Vet. His lawyers have argued his experiences in Nam contributed to situation. So, as we wage another war started on false pretenses the ignored and forgotten from anther war die in our own death chambers by our own hands. Hoping the disturbing irony doesn't escape everyone. This is one of those moments where we as a society need to look in the mirror and seek reconciliation.

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Interesting set of blogs about the death penalty... seems to be the hot topic for some reason. Is it because of the magic 1000 number? Actually, I was surprised at that 'low' number. Listening to the bleeding heasts on here, I would have thought that numder closer to 100,000. Too bad TL ( & some others on here) can't show this amount of compassion for the victims! That's who really deserves your attention. And BTW.... I find it very odd that you all scream about us sticking our noses in other countries where we don't belong (IE - Iraq) but have no problems advancing your agenda in countries where we also don't belong (IE - Singapore)

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    BB...What of the execution of innocent men? It surely is inevitable, if it has not happened already. That's why I'm against the death penalty, because our justice system is far from perfect and far from equal.

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Kdog... What of the execution of innocent men? Well...of course there is aways that possibility and I'm sure it has been done more than a few times... however, in many cases (Like the one I cite in another Blog) there is no doubt. I actually think the death penalty should only be applied in exreme cases anyway (John Wayne Gasey --- Tim McVie --- etc) and in that way... all of the pro people would feel vindicated, and people like yourself would probably be ok with it too....yes? IMHO - It's a win win common sense type thing ol buddy.

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    et al... The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country. And what's wrong with that? If the news there is anything like the news is here (I'm betting it's worse...if that's possible) they are only getting ONE side... The Al-Jezera 'America is the devil side'. What the hell is wrong with trying to show the positive? The news media here should try that every now and then just to try and give us the impression they aren't so freakin biased! And don't send me a ton of BS saying there isn't a positive side! I know better. Several soldiers I know are absolutely fed up with the news media here, as they should be!

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    ooops. wrong post ...sorry

    Re: Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    Actually BB..I'm against the death penalty for even the most heinous. Life without parole is a fate far worse than death for those bastards. My old man spent a little time in the pen, and he told me how prisoners treat the killers of innocent women and children. They are the lowest in the prison societal structure, and they get their just desserts. Trust me.

    Don't Kill For Me: End the Culture of Death | 12 comments (12 topical)