Americans Can't Be Critical of Nations with Death Penalty when Death Penalty Exists in USA.

Perhaps by the time this blog is printed, Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan will have been executed in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle heroin out of the nation well over a decade ago.  As an American admittedly I shake my head wondering the justification of such an execution when the act was non-violent and occurred such a long time ago.  

 

Westerners  read about Islamic nations executing not only killers but citizens who abandon Islam or engage in same sex relations or extramarital affairs.  China executed political opponents during and after the  Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 .  Now China is purging their country of corruption which will likely end up with some executions.

 

This upcoming Monday, Kelly Renee Gissendaner,is scheduled for execution in Jackson, Georgia.  On the other hand, due to a hung jury 2xs during the penalty phase of her trial, convicted murderer Jodia Arias was spared the death penalty. 

Admittedly there are some very sick men and women on death row in the United States and society would be best served if they were gone.   But killing them is nothing more than sweet revenge by an angry citizenry for their actions.  

Americans know the death penalty is generally reserved for killers and on very rare occasions people convicted of high treason.  Other death penalty nations don't appreciate the distinction.

With the United States continued implementation of  the death penalty, death penalty nations will  ignore pleas by the United States for clemency for their death row citizens and view any protests  as American interference in their internal affairs. 

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The Death Penalty Information Center has a map showing which nations have dropped the death penalty.

 

Source of Map: Death Penalty Information Center