Crime and punishment in China: Amnesty International claimed yesterday that while the exact number is guarded as a state secret, they believe thousands of people were executed in the China last year, more than every other country combined. While China has maintained they’ve taken steps to lower their rate of execution, such as mandatory review of all death penalty cases since 2007, Amnesty International says they’ve still been executing people for “a wide range of crimes that include nonviolent offences and after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards.” source
What makes Iran different from Egypt: Well, innumerable things, really, but here’s a good example: the Iranian parliament, chanting from their chamber for the executions of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The extent of the totalitarian power the Iranian regime holds over its people is immense, and to this point the strategy of media blackout has worked far more successfully than it did in Tahrir Square, but make no mistake – a video of a parliament chanting for the deaths of their political opponents should chill you no less than a video of some thugs beating up people in the streets. source
Yo, Tucker: What Michael Vick did was awful, and we’re sure he realizes the error of his ways … but come on. Execution? Exe-freaking-cution? In other news, we haven’t been to The Daily Caller in months. Is that site still around? source
Firing four bullets into a man’s chest is, by definition, violent. If it can also be clinical and sterile, then that also happened in this execution.
Salt Lake Tribune reporter Nate Carlisle • Describing what he saw as Ronnie Lee Gardner was killed by firing squad last night in Utah. The first-person account of the execution, which is the first Carlisle ever witnessed, is a gripping read. Instead of slumping over after being shot, like the guards expected he would, Gardner clenched his fist. Then de-clenched it. “At the time, I interpreted this as Gardner suffering — clenching his fist in an effort to fight the pain,” Carlisle wrote. “As I write this, I don’t know whether that’s true. It could have just been reflexes or some other process the body begins after a major trauma. Scientists do not know much about what a person shot through the heart feels.” No matter your thoughts on capital punishment, this is gripping. source
Wolfram Alpha is a smart idea that has been neutered by bad decision-making – charging an embarrassingly-high price for their iPhone app, treating copyright like something they can control. Well, now they have something to grasp onto: Bing. While their searches aren’t all that useful by themselves (too insular), combined with a decent general-purpose search engine, it starts to feel like a killer app. This specific execution is why people got excited about the product at launch. Not the $50 iPhone app.
source
When I met John, he was very charming and thoughtful. He would give you the shirt off your back. He was that kind of person, before he went to the Gulf War. When he returned in 1991 he was a different man.
Mildred Muhammad • Wife of D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad, describing his personality changes which led to the 2002 shootings. John, who kept the District gripped in fear for weeks due to the random nature of the shootings, will be executed next month for the crime. Mildred has a new memoir on the experience, “Scared Silent,” out this week. • source
Romell Broom’s execution was delayed because they couldn’t find a vein. Of all the bizarre reasons to avoid an execution, Broom’s may be the most bizarre. Broom, convicted for the 1984 rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl, was to be executed today in Ohio, but could not be because they could not find a vein after looking for two hours. Governor Ted Strickland then gave him a one-week reprieve, during which time, those veins better come out. source
Sharon Keller closed her office early, stood by her decision. The Texas judge, currently on trial for misconduct, prevented lawyers from appealing the execution of Michael Richard. She closed her office at 5 p.m., refusing to let the lawyers, fighting against a 6 p.m. execution deadline (and computer problems), have more time. Richard died as a result. Her argument: Another judge was on duty that night and they could have handed the appeal to them. Keller could be removed from the bench for the five counts of judicial misconduct. source
