Posted on 12/13/2005 7:11:35 AM PST by areafiftyone
California’s execution of a murderer this morning outraged many in Europe who regard the practice as barbaric, and feelings ran particularly deep in state Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s native Austria. In Graz, Schwarzenegger’s hometown, local Greens said they would file a petition to remove the governor’s name from the southern city’s Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI’s top official for justice matters denounced the death penalty for going against redemption and human dignity.
“We know the death penalty doesn’t resolve anything,” Cardinal Renato Martino said. “Even a criminal is worthy of respect because he is a human being. The death penalty is a negation of human dignity.”
Capital punishment is illegal throughout the European Union, and many Europeans consider state-sponsored executions to be barbaric.
Those feelings were amplified in the case of Stanley Tookie Williams, due to the apparent remorse they believe the Crips gang co-founder showed by writing children’s books about the dangers of gangs and violence.
Leaders of Austria’s pacifist Green Party went as far as to call for Schwarzenegger to be stripped of his Austrian citizenship – a demand, however, that was quickly rejected by Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel despite his government’s opposition to the death penalty.
“Whoever, out of political calculation, allows the death of a person rehabilitated in such an exemplary manner has rejected the basic values of Austrian society,” said Peter Pilz, a Greens leader.
Williams was executed this morning at California’s San Quentin State Prison after Schwarzenegger denied Williams’ request for clemency.
Schwarzenegger suggested that Williams’ supposed change of heart was not genuine because he had not shown any real remorse for the killings committed by the Crips.
In Italy, the country’s chapter of Amnesty International called the execution of the Crips founder “a cold-blooded murder".
“His execution is a slap in the face to the principle of rehabilitation of inmates, an inhumane and inclement act toward a person who, with his exemplary behaviour and his activity in favour of street kids, had become an important figure and a symbol of hope for many youths,” the group said in a statement.
In Germany, Volker Beck, a leading member of the opposition Greens party, said he was “disappointed” that Schwarzenegger allowed the execution to go through.
“Schwarzenegger’s decision is a cowardly decision,” Beck told the Netzeitung online newspaper.
“It is not thinkable that a prisoner could do more for society from prison than Williams did,” Beck said. “To kill him nonetheless is state-organized murder out of stubbornness.”
You missed unborn children and the occassional Jew.
Bingo.
Not one word, nor even a hint of a word about the innocent victims of Tookie. Go figure. The whole point of prison is punishment. NOT rehabilitation. You go to jail to pay for what you did. No amount of rehab, children's books or Tookie's benevolence will ever bring back the people he killed. I honestly hope that Tookie did seek forgiveness and accepted salvation. Even that however does not bring back his victims. Arnold did the right thing.
LOL! Exactly. There's only one way to stop some criminals.
Should be spelled, "You-are-peeing." oe iun computer lingo, "U-R-Ping."
The leftist hubris has no limit to the extremes they will go to to destroy the US and anything that doesnt fit into their personal world view. Well if we piss the EU off we are definatly doing something right. FU EU you are not our boss and never will be as much as it chaps your ass your time is over if the US falls as the superpower its not going to be the EU that comes next but communist china. So eat more arse fanboy.
They were absolutely convinced that a President Reagan would start WW3 within hours of taking office.
Of course, I gently laughed at these entreaties, and tried to explain the facts of the situation, that Carter was the last guy we need as President, and had proven so.
As much as they might disagree, history has shown that President Reagan was a great leader for the entire world.
Homocide bombing, on the other hand, is a noble expression of dissent. As long as the victims are Jews, of course.
"The USSC upholds Texas redistricting"
Has this happened? I can't find a story on this.
My bad. The local yokel tv news readers got it wrong. It goes to the Supreme Court.
Well I find bathing only once a week to be truly barbaric. Enter a room full of Krauts and you'll know what I'm talking about.
4. 71% of Iraqis are happy with life post-Saddam
5. Iraqis will vote again and flaunt their proud purple fingers in democratic triumph
6. El Rushbo's loyyas won a court ruling that makes it impossible for lame prosecutors to question Rush's doctors WITHOUT charging Rush first
7. The ECONOMY IS BOOMING thanks largely to tax cuts
8. gas prices 2.09 here in FL today
“Whoever, out of political calculation, allows the death of a person rehabilitated in such an exemplary manner has rejected the basic values of Austrian society,” said Peter Pilz, a Greens leader.
How perfect, a guy named "Pilz" making such a comment. "Pilz" means mushroom in German.
Raised in darkness, nourished on "Mist." (Look it up)
Pilz can also mean "fungus," by the way. Peter Pilz ... not a pretty picture.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is made possible by the rule of law, not of men.
Any nation or state that does NOT have capital punishment as part of that law denies its Citizens the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Its only logical that those who do not subscribe to that law be removed from the gene pool as quickly as possible when they deny another the same right to life lest cold-blooded killers become the supreme law of the land.
And no, I don't think they should be fed, clothed, housed, and entertained for decades at public expense. Affording cold-blooded killers the hope of the possibility of remission of the death penalty or a reprieve or a pardon at some future year and then executing them after all is state-sponsored terrorism and barbaric. Furthermore, it destroys the concept of justice.
There are other realms where the environment is more suitable for cold-blooded killers to work out their problems. Planet Earth is not one of them. Absent a shadow of doubt, pull the lever. Let's get on with our lives without having to worry about recidivism.
If the European Union wants them, that's their problem. Let's not make it ours.
Let's see. It's not ok to execute someone who coldbloodedly murders 4 innocent people. But, it's OK to give a bloodthirsty violent terrorist (arafart) a peace prize?
Wow, is the EU screwed up.
Good. More Validation.
In my quest to streamline my life and make decisions with less wear and tear on my resources, I have decided to follow this guideline:
"If it irritates, pisses-off, hurts or angers Liberals, Democrats, Union Members, the Chinese or Europeans, then it is the appropriate course of action to preserve the integrity and values of our country."
We could always offer to ship our criminals to Austria with no chance of return, in lieu of execution. Maybe that'd make 'em happy..
Here's what I find remarkable. The Europeans spend a great deal of time looking down their noses at the US and our supposed barbarism. I am growing weary of their self-righteous indignation when it is plainly evident that they have nothing of value to offer in its place. All their efforts have been misguided at best and intentionally driven by self-destructive ignorance at worst - kind of like Jimmy Carter himself.
I was suggesting that the town where Arnold was born has gone sick. No bad intended toward Arnold himself - Kudos to Arnie.
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