The UN General Assembly voted on Tuesday for a global moratorium on the death penalty. The resolution was nonbinding; its symbolic weight made barely a ripple in the news ocean of the United States, where the rights of governments to kill a killer is enshrined in law and custom.
But for those who have been trying to move the world away from lethal revenge as government policy this was a milestone. The resolution failed repeatedly in the 1990s, but this time the vote was 104-54, with 29 nations abstaining. Progress has come in Europe and Africa. Nations like Senegal, Burundi, Gabon - even Rwanda, shamed by genocide - have decided to reject the death penalty as official barbarism.
The United States, as usual, lined up on the other side, with Iran, China, Pakistan, Sudan and Iraq. Together this blood brotherhood accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's executions
link to the entire International Herald article
Nice to know who else thinks like Americans....... and guess what? No word of this on CNN...
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Technorati"is your town's darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red
to come to the aid of their country!" he said. "We've GOT to make noises in
greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!" Thus he
spoke as he climbed. When they got to the top, the lad cleared his throat and
he shouted out, "YOPP!"
And that Yopp... That one last small, extra Yopp put it over!
Finally, at last! From the speck on that clover their voices were heard!
They rang out clear and clean. And they elephant smiled. "Do you see what
I mean?" They've proved they ARE persons, no matter how small. And their
whole world was saved by the smallest of All!"
"How true! Yes, how true," said the big kangaroo. "And, from now
on, you know what I'm planning to do? From now on, I'm going to protect
them with you!" And the young kangaroo in her pouch said, "ME TOO! From
the sun in the summer. From rain when it's fall-ish, I'm going to protect
them. No matter how small-ish!"
-- Dr. Seuss "Horton Hears a Who"
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