The Fruits Of Victory Would Be Ashes In Our Mouth
These words from from President Kennedy’s speech on the Cuban Missile Crisis, seem to be the Russian aim, as they continue to lay waste to Ukraine.
Kennedy was talking about nuclear war, but pictures from Ukraine remind me more of the damage of atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima or from an all-destroying earthquake.
Vlad the Mad will certainly be remembered by history in the same way as Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin.
I don’t believe in the death penalty, but he is surely the one case, where anybody would make an exception.
I wonder how he would like Hitler’s most feared punishment. Hitler apparently, worried most about being exhibited in a zoo.
Should We Stun Animals With Carbon Dioxide?
This post has been prompted by a text from a cardiologist. He said.
Current CO2 crisis reminds me that I think we should be using nitrogen to stun animals before slaughter, not CO2.
I heard a project on Farming Today a few months ago about CO2 stunning and thought it a great mistake as it can stimulate breathing and cause distress in some.
Have you seen anything on using nitrogen?
I haven’t but I must admit, I’ve had the thought myself and have also asked myself, if the gas in food packages is nitrogen, which would be logical to me.
I do have some thoughts.
The Best Beef I Ever Tasted
Over forty years ago, I used to buy beef from a local farmer in Suffolk.
- It would now be considered organic.
- All the farmer’s animals got the best care.
- He used to slaughter the animals himself in the field after giving them a pick of grass, using a captive bolt.
It was certainly, the best beef, I’ve ever tasted. But then the animals suffered no distress.
Medical Uses Of Carbon Dioxide
This is from the Wikipedia entry for carbon dioxide.
In medicine, up to 5% carbon dioxide (130 times atmospheric concentration) is added to oxygen for stimulation of breathing after apnea and to stabilize the O2/CO2 balance in blood.
This would appear to support the cardiologist’s text.
Is Carbon Dioxide Cheaper Than Nitrogen?
I have found these prices for ten litre cylinder of both gases.
- Carbon Dioxide – £78
- Nitrogen – £54
On this quick comparison, there would appear to not be a large difference.
Availability Of Nitrogen
Reading the Wikipedia entry for nitrogen, it appears to me, that production of oxygen-free nitrogen is not that difficult and this may explain the price comparison with carbon dioxide.
Nitrogen And The Death Penalty In The United States
This is a section called Euthanasia in the Wikipedia entry for nitrogen.
Nitrogen gas has become the inert gas of choice for inert gas asphyxiation, and is under consideration as a replacement for lethal injection in Oklahoma.
As nitrogen is an asphyxiant gas, some jurisdictions have considered inert gas asphyxiation by inhalation of pure nitrogen as a means of capital punishment (as a substitute for lethal injection).
I have been totally against the death penalty since meeting Jimmy O’Connor in the 1970s.
Conclusion
It strikes me that nitrogen could be used to stun animals as a more humane alternative to carbon dioxide.
Help For Charlie Gard
This article on the BBC is entitled Charlie Gard: Pope and Trump offer parents support.
I think this Pope is a good man, and I suspect his kind words would be welcome.
But whilst Trummkopf does nothing to abolish the death penalty in the United States, his unwanted comments should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
America Is A Sick Country
There is no other title for a post about this story on the BBC entitled Gun that killed Trayvon Martin ‘makes $250,000 for Zimmerman’.
In my view anybody who wants to own a gun other than for genuine sporting purposes, needs his head examined.
Until the United States has a sensible gun policy and abolishes the death penalty, I shall not be visiting.
Simon Fanshawe Questions Our Attitude To the Death Of King Abdulla
Simon Fanshawe is a respected commentator and today, he reviewed the papers on BBC Breakfast. He picked up this article in the Daily Mail entitled Flags at half mast and fawning praise for a King ‘loved by his people’ sparks furious backlash over rule which saw ‘death by stoning’ for adultery and regular beheadings.
It is not often I agree with the Daily Mail, but I agree with the areticle’s tone and would go further. David Cameron and Prince Charles should not be going to Saudi Arabia. How about sending two of Princess Anne/Prince Andrew and Nick Clegg/Theresa May?
I have never been to Saudi Arabia and never will until they bring their justice into the civilised world and treat women, homosexuals and other religions with respect. The same principle applies to other countries like the United States, Israel, Zimbabwe, North Korea and quite a few other countries. There are just so many interesting places with better systems, that I’m not cutting off my nose to spite my face.
Pakistan’s Response To The Terrorism
According to this report on the BBC, the Pakistan government is ending its suspension of the death penalty.
He also announced an end to the moratorium on the death penalty for terrorism cases, which correspondents say is a move aimed at countering a view held by many Pakistanis that many terror suspects end up evading justice.
No wonder the Taliban just gets worse and worse.
I have got so fed up with all the problems in the Middle East and Pakistan, I now rarely use any shop or business that is owned by people from the area, who are obviously Muslims.
As the Qataris seem to be one of the funders of Islamic State, I also steer clear of anything they own if I can.
I’m beginning to feel very sorry for the average hard-working Muslims, who will feel the backlash of the nihilists in the Middle East.
I must say, I’m glad to see the old price going South, as it’s hurting some of the most odious people in the World. But sadly they’ll just have to not buy the sixth Bentley or Lamborghini.
What Do You Do With The Likes Of Roberts And Evans?
I remember the day, when Harry Roberts shot dead the policemen in Shepherds Bush, as it was a Friday and I was working behind the bar in the Merryhills pub in Oakwood. It left a rather sombre mood to the evening, as everybody read the story in the paper.
That is nearly fifty years ago and we now have the problem of what to do with Roberts.
We also have all the arguments about Ched Evans, and whether he should play football again, after release from a sentence served for rape.
If it was up to various vociferous minorities, then the likes of Roberts and Evans, along with masses of other criminals serious or even petty, would be incarcerated for ever.
Some prisoners need to be locked up permanently, and without all the facts, I would never say who these people are.
But really, if we lock even more people up, I feel I have a right to protest about the waste of my taxes.
In some ways, what I dislike most about prison, is that it appears to totally fail in preparing prisoners to return as decent members of society. If a school had the educational performance of the average prison, it would be rightly closed down.
If you read Lord Ramsbotham‘s book, Prisongate, you also realise that quite a few prisoners are suffering from diseases such as dementia, which have rendered them unlikely to be a danger to society. Surely humanity says that these people are better in the care of their families if possible.
But then to some people vengeance is all important, and capital punishment should be applied regularly as it is in Iran, China and the United States.
I Can’t Bear To Look At The Times Website Today
The headline story is of the poor woman sentenced to death in Sudan for a love of a man of the wrong religion, giving birth on the floor of a prison cell in chains.
What has all this got to do with religion?
Maryland Abolishes The Death Penalty
It was on the cards and it is reported here in the Guardian.
All it needs now is for the Governor to sign it into law.
An Optimistic E-Mail About The Death Penalty In The United States
I have just received this e-mail about the death penalty from a abolitionists in the United States.
The famous phrase, “may you live in interesting times” is said to be a Chinese curse, but for a death penalty abolitionist the times are both interesting, and exciting!
Last Wednesday in Maryland the state Senate passed the death penalty repeal bill 27 to 20 and sent it to the House of Delegates. On Friday afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee passed it to the full House with a 14 to 8 vote. There are just two more big steps to go!
The countdown to repeal in Maryland continues with the second reading of the bill to take place starting around 6pm EDT tonight. The third reading and final vote in the House of Delegates is anticipated for Friday, where it is expected to pass and be sent to Governor O’Malley for his signature, making Maryland the 18th state without the death penalty!
We’ll keep you up-to-date as the Countdown to repeal moves forward.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Two more campaigns are introducing legislation to abolish the death penalty: Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, and the Delaware Repeal Campaign. And last week, the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty launched its bill. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has been deeply involved in all of these efforts and will bring you the details as they move forward.
Thank you for your support during these very “interesting” and exciting times for death penalty repeal in the United States.
Look for our updates throughout the week!
I hope that the optimistic nature of the e-mail is well-founded.
The Anonymous Widower 