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EU Official Calls for End to Death Penalty
AP via Yahoo ^ | Mon Dec 12,12:04 PM ET

Posted on 12/12/2005 1:17:50 PM PST by Simmy2.5

STRASBOURG, France - European Parliament president Josep Borrell called on the 76 countries still allowing the death penalty to respect the right to life and end the practice of capital punishment.

Borrell said the United States is the only democratic state that makes "widespread use" of the death penalty and the EU has a duty to convince the Americans to abolish it.

"Most unfortunately, in the U.S. the 1000th execution was carried out. The fact that it almost coincided with Human Rights Day makes this fact particularly poignant," Borrell told the EU assembly. "Luckily the death penalty is disappearing throughout the world, but the number of executions carried out is still excessively high."

In 2004, according to the human rights group Amnesty International, executions were carried out in 25 nations. In that year, 97 percent of all executions were performed in just four countries: China, Iran, Vietnam and the U.S.

"But there is a glimmer of hope. U.S. society is changing its views on the death penalty," Borrell said.

Capital punishment is not allowed in Europe, where no execution has been carried out since 1997. Various European institutions have pledged to fight for a "death-penalty-free" zone outside the continent.

"For us in Europe, the right to life is an inalienable right. No one ever loses their right to life, no matter what they have done." Borrell said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: bleedingheartliberal; deathpenalty; eu; stuckonstupid; tookie
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To: loreldan
My problem with the death penalty is I don't like the idea of the US government deciding who gets to die and who gets to live. This is the ultimate government interference.

Isn't putting someone in prison for the rest of their life "interference"?

The US Government is THE PEOPLE. If THE PEOPLE say "human life is precious enough that if you take someone else's, you will pay with your own" that's great. That's the way it should be; otherwise, you are literally getting away with murder.

61 posted on 12/12/2005 1:56:08 PM PST by GLDNGUN
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To: dead
Tell it to the Jews.

Good point! They sure didn't seem to care about their rights when they slaughtered millions of them.

62 posted on 12/12/2005 1:56:19 PM PST by NRA2BFree (http://www.angelfire.com/nm2/chainreaction/Kitties/LittleFReepers.html)
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To: Simmy2.5

The death penalty is one sign of a civilized nation.


63 posted on 12/12/2005 1:56:23 PM PST by TheDon (The Democratic Party is the party of TREASON!)
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To: drew
In light of the Euroweenies' moral superiority, I've dusted off this P.J. O'Rourke gem:

Back in London, I was having dinner in the Groucho Club -- this week's in-spot for what's left of Britain's lit gritz and nouveau rock riche -- when one person started in on the Stars And Stripes. Eventually he got, as the Europeans always do, to the part about "your country's never been invaded." (This fellow had been two during the Blitz, you see.) "You don't know the horror, the suffering. You think war is..." I snapped. "A John Wayne movie," I said. That's what you were going to say, wasn't it? We think war is a John Wayne movie. We think life is a John Wayne movie -- with good guys and bad guys, as simple as that. Well, you know something, Mister Limey Poofter? You're right. And let me tell you who those bad guys are. They're us. WE BE BAD. We're the baddest-ass sons of bitches that ever jogged in Reeboks. We're three-quarters grizzly bear and two-thirds car wreck and descended from a stock market crash on our mother's side. You take your Germany, France and Spain, roll them all together and it wouldn't give us room to park our cars. We're the big boys, Jack, the original, giant, economy-sized, new and improved butt kickers of all time. When we snort coke in Houston, people lose their hats in Cap D'Antibes. And we've got an American Express card credit limit higher than your piss-ant metric numbers go. "You say our country's never been invaded? You're right, little buddy. Because I'd like to see the needle-dicked foreigners who'd have the guts to try. We drink napalm to get our hearts started in the morning. A rape and a mugging is our way of saying 'Cheerio.' Hell can't hold our sock-hops. We walk taller, talk louder, spit further, f**k longer and buy more things than you know the names of. I'd rather be a junkie in a New York City jail than king, queen, and jack of all you Europeans. We eat little countries like this for breakfast and s**t them out before lunch." Of course, the guy should have punched me. But this was Europe. He just smiled his shabby, superior European smile. (God, don't these people have dentists?)

64 posted on 12/12/2005 1:58:13 PM PST by drew
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To: JillValentine

No kidding. It's unfortunate you have to point it out.


65 posted on 12/12/2005 1:58:20 PM PST by TheDon (The Democratic Party is the party of TREASON!)
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To: Simmy2.5

****United States is the only democratic state that makes "widespread use" of the death penalty and the EU has a duty to convince the Americans to abolish it. "***

Maybe your first duty should be to mind your own F'in business.


66 posted on 12/12/2005 2:00:03 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: Simmy2.5
"For us in Europe, the right to life is an inalienable right. No one ever loses their right to life, no matter what they have done." Borrell said.

Unless they committed the crime of being an inconvenience prior to being born. In that case, they don't have a right to life yet.

67 posted on 12/12/2005 2:06:20 PM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Wonder Warthog

The Consititution also gives the FEDERAL government the express right to carry out executions of murderers who cross state lines in their act of murder, and also the right to execute those convicted of high treason. Therefore, the allegedly "conservative" argument against the death penalty (that it gives a power to the government that it shouldn't have) goes up in smoke.


68 posted on 12/12/2005 2:07:16 PM PST by TimeLord (A whale fetus is a whale; a human fetus is a blob.)
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To: Simmy2.5

Since we are calling on countries to do things, I call on the non-death penalty countries to re-adopt it. Now. We are even.


69 posted on 12/12/2005 2:10:06 PM PST by NCLaw441
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To: Simmy2.5
Borrell said the United States is the only democratic state that makes "widespread use" of the death penalty and the EU has a duty to convince the Americans to abolish it.

When the EU is able to solve its own problems, then it might have some credibility in giving advice to the U.S. But that's going to take them a loooooooooong time.

70 posted on 12/12/2005 2:13:39 PM PST by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: Simmy2.5

I think we should insist that the EU not be considered a civilized entity until they give its citizens the right to bear arms.


71 posted on 12/12/2005 2:16:07 PM PST by Tribune7
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To: Simmy2.5

"Luckily the death penalty is disappearing throughout the world, but the number of executions carried out is still excessively high."

It's never even. Almost everyone that commits murder kills more than one person in their criminal career. Drug dealers could potentially be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people; though some would argue it's supply and demand and a junkie is free to choose to kill themselves with drugs, if they want to. But I digress...

Say a murderer is found guilty by a jury of his peers for the slaughter of a family of five while they were asleep in their beds.

You can only kill the murderer once, though he's guilty of five murders. I say we kill 'em, bring 'em back to life, kill 'em again, bring 'em back to life, etc.

So, you're right, Sir. The number of executions (by one citizen against another) IS excessively high these days.

There! That ought to satisfy the EU Doorknobs. *Rolleyes*


72 posted on 12/12/2005 2:16:35 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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Execution of the worst miscreants is necessary to keep a free people free. It puts value on life, unlike the Europeople who don't value life enough to kill for it.
73 posted on 12/12/2005 2:26:12 PM PST by webboy45
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To: Simmy2.5

Ok, how about we start with the beheadings.


74 posted on 12/12/2005 2:26:53 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: MEG33
It isn't a theory...No judge hands down a death sentence on his own in the US any longer.It is up to the jury to vote to impose..

Yes, the law says the jury imposes the death penalty. However, the reason I say "in theory" is that, in practice, the judge may order some evidence to be hidden from the jury, or may order them to ignore things they have seen or heard, all based on what the judge thinks is appropriate. So, even though it is the jury that makes the decision, the judge (and the lawyers) have an inordinate amount of influence on what decision the jurors make. Even the smartest person in the world can make the wrong decision if given the wrong or incomplete information. Now, these kinds of courtroom shenanigans usually benefit the defendant, but there have been enough overturned convictions to demonstrate that the prosecution is not free from this kind of thing either.
75 posted on 12/12/2005 2:28:18 PM PST by fr_freak
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To: Turbopilot

Thank you for pointing that out! Sometimes I focus more on the article, other times on posts. I guess today is an 'article day'.


76 posted on 12/12/2005 2:31:56 PM PST by proud_yank (Experience Tolerance: tell a liberal you own guns and drive an SUV!)
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To: Simmy2.5

EU mind your own damned buisness.


77 posted on 12/12/2005 2:32:48 PM PST by MARKUSPRIME
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To: Simmy2.5
But there is a glimmer of hope. U.S. society is changing its views on the death penalty,"

Yup...see the current CNN poll on the Kalifornia executon. Even the 9th circus wouldn't touch it.

78 posted on 12/12/2005 3:00:33 PM PST by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
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To: VRWCmember
"For us in Europe, the right to life is an inalienable right. No one ever loses their right to life, no matter what they have done." Borrell said.

>

Unless they were Jewish or Gypsies or Poles.

79 posted on 12/12/2005 3:06:30 PM PST by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
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To: JillValentine

Wrong.

Let the penalty fit the crime.

Treat the criminals as they treated their victims.

Result?

Criminal's treating their victims much nicer.


80 posted on 12/12/2005 4:22:49 PM PST by OldArmy52
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