The Anonymous Widower

Iran Gives the Old Phrase of Neck-Tie Party a New Meaning

Iran has now started prohibiting shop-keepers from selling ties in Iran according to this report in the Guardian.

How long before they make it a capital offence and give life to the old phrase?

May 31, 2012 Posted by | News | , , | Leave a comment

Obama Commutes a Death Sentence

I am someone who believes that capital punishment should never be used, no matter what the circumstances.  So I was pleased to see that Barack Obama had used his prerogative to pardon someon under sentence of death.

Obama spares Thanksgiving turkey from the death penalty with a presidential pardon

Following in the Thanksgiving tradition of many U.S. presidents, President Obama issued a presidential pardon sparing Courage from the death penalty.

Courage is a 45 pound turkey from New Jersey.

President Obama commented that some presidents actually ate the turkeys they had pardoned, but that “thanks to the intervention of Malia and Sasha cuz I was ready to eat this sucker  Courage will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate.”

Courage will be flown to California to serve as Grand Marshall in the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade. In the event that Courage is unable to perform his duties, a second turkey named Carolina was also pardoned.

Both Courage and Carolina were donated by the National Turkey Federation.

After the Thanksgiving Day parade, both turkeys will reside at Frontierland at Disneyland.

Obama’s mock pardon of the turkey is the 1st pardon he has issued since taking office. He has not used the presidential pardon power to pardon any real offenders nor has he commuted anyone’s sentence at this time.

The article was from the Legal News Examiner.

But isn’t it about time, he did something about the death penalty.

November 26, 2009 Posted by | News | , , | Leave a comment

The Trial of Khaled Sheikh Mohammed

The attacks of September 11th will always leave an indelible mark on my mind.

It is absolutely right that he is being brought to trial in a civilian court on the mainland of the United States.  Just because someone is accused of probably the worst crime of this century, it doesn’t mean that he should not be given the same rights as to someone who has committed a much lesser crime.  In both cases too, we should ensure that the standard of justice is impeccable. 

In fact, you could argue that we should make sure that terrorists are tried by the best judges, prosecuted by the best and most persuasive lawyers and defended by the most innovative and most-respected counsel, as we must attempt to persuade the terrorists followers, that what they did was completely wrong.  If there is any chance of a bias or a mistake in the trial, then you will act as a recruiting sergeant.

What is not right is for President Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, to call for the death penalty.  For a start, I believe strongly that the death penalty should have been consigned to the dustbin of history many years ago.  I have many reasons, least of which is the fact that miscarriages of justice can’t be rectified.  I also believe that just because someone is an objectionable human being, we shouldn’t descend to their level.

So President Obama may have gone up in my estimation by trying Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, but he totally loses respect for calling for the ultimate penalty.  Does he want the United States to be bracketed with Iran, China and North Korea as those who feel that the death penalty should be retained and used with relish.

In fact, I suspect that the defendants will want to be executed, as this will give them immortality and more publicity for their vile and backward, nihilistic cause.

He also has a difficult problem to overcome.

According to this article in The Times, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003.  Now that wasn’t down to Obama, but his predecessor.  But can anybody tell me what was the point?  I’ve met quite a few senior policemen, who have interrogated some of the nastiest criminals.  I doubt they would have found that using the same dubious technique that number of times would have been at all productive.

It is probably not the fact that they used the technique that will cause the problem, but the fact that defence counsel will make sure that it is broadcast all round the world. 

Those 183 times will be the another impeccably dressed recruiting sergeant for Muslim terrorist organisations.

They may also result in a wrong judgement after the trial.  I hope not, as that would be a disaster for us all.

November 14, 2009 Posted by | News | , , | Leave a comment

Japan Suspends Death Penalty

It may surprise some people that Japan still uses the death penalty.  They also apply it in a particularly inhumane way in that the convicted is not told until the last minute.  His relatives aren’t told either and they don’t get his body back. 

But this is now effectively suspended, as all executions are signed off by the Justice Minister.  And the new Prime Minister has appointed Keiko Chiba, who is a fierce opponent of capital punishment. So she won’t sign!  Good!

Let’s hope that she gets rid of the law for ever.

September 18, 2009 Posted by | News | , | Leave a comment

A Grim Milestone

Today the 1,000 person was executed in the United States by lethal injection.

I thought that Obama would put an end to this barbarous practice.  Especially, as many more of those executed are coloured. I still won’t go to the US until they abolish capital punishment.  Unless of course, someone is giving me a large cheque.

But then there was a report on the BBC today, that says he’s not as liberal as he made out to be elected.

July 21, 2009 Posted by | World | , , , | Leave a comment