Abolish the Death Penalty By Gilles DENIZOT

Abolish the Death Penalty
By Gilles DENIZOT

The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state. This cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is done in the name of justice.

It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In 2008, at least 2,390 people were executed in 25 countries around the world and 8,864 people were sentenced to death in 52 countries. Amnesty International reports that executions almost doubled in number from 1,252 in 2007. 95% of all known executions were carried out in only six countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Pakistan and Iraq.

In December 2007 and 2008 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolutions 62/149 and 63/168, calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The United States of America voted against.

The United States of America is slowly turning against capital punishment. Yet, 52 human beings have been executed in 2009. It needs to stop, on a federal level, and in all states where capital punishment is still in practice.

The death penalty:

- denies the possibility of rehabilitation and reconciliation.

- promotes simplistic responses to complex human problems, rather than pursuing explanations that could inform positive strategies.

- prolongs the suffering of the murder victim’s family, and extends that suffering to the loved ones of the condemned prisoner.

- diverts resources and energy that could be better used to work against violent crime and assist those affected by it.

- is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it. It is an affront to human dignity.

- should be abolished in the USA. Now.

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Gilles DENIZOT

Be sure to go to his recent post DO UNTO OTHERS which says so much so passionately that we all need to hear frequently...I would not do it justice to pull out any part of it and I want you to see this post set into his admirable and humble yet brilliant website. Gilles is someone I want to meet someday and get him to autograph a piece of music for which he's been singer and/or director! You can also vote on his blogsite - send it out - and or send out and vote on the twitter URL Abe just sent...scroll to the post just below...

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