WHEN WILL IT END?

About two hours before I started writing this, Mr. Troy Davis was executed by lethal injection in the State of Georgia in the United States because he had been found guilty of shooting an off duty policeman - Mr. Mark McPhail - in 1989.  Just a few hours earlier in the State of Texas in the United States, Mr.Lawrence Russell Brewer who was a white supremacist, was also put to death by lethal injection because he was found guilty of killing a man in 1998.  Those in favour of the death penalty had a field day today.  Two people executed within a matter of hours!

I don't know too much about the case of Mr. Brewer as of this moment, but there has certainly been a great deal of attention given to the case of Mr. Davis. 

In the heading on this page I asked the question "When will it end?"  I am referring not only to the continual use of the death penalty, not just in the United States but in other countries where it is still practised  - which most people know I am totally against - but also to what can well be described as "cruel and unusual punishment" in this case, as well as continued interest in the morbid.

Mr. Davis' case garnered world-wide attention. People such as Pope Benedict, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa all spoke up on his behalf and something like 3-million signatures were collected in support of a review for clemency in his case.  But to no avail.

What may not be so well known is the fact that three times prior to this evening's execution, Mr. Davis was set to be executed and on each of those three times the execution was stopped with less that an hour to spare.  Can you imagine anyone having to go through three traumas like that? To me that is nothing less than "cruel and unusual punishment" no matter who you are or what you may or may not have done.  How can a civilized nation allow these things to happen?  Why don't the authorities understand the meaning of "cruel and unusual punishment"?  I may not be expressing this in the best possible terms, but I want to get it out while the event is still fresh in people's minds.  The western countries so often criticize the methods and habits and human rights in other countries but there are times such as this present incident shows, when they should take a look in the mirror.

Not thirty minutes after the execution of Mr. Davis took place, the normally respectable CNN television network - in a piece hosted by Mr. Anderson Cooper -  started a second-by-second account of the execution given by some journalists who were present to watch Mr. Davis die.  It was unbelievable.  We were even told how many times Mr. Davis blinked after he was given the first of three injections.  The tiniest details were given huge importance and repeated over and over again not just by Mr. Anderson but they were even repeated later on the summary of the news headlines.  Mr. Anderson is normally a reporter/commentator of the highest quality, but why was he dealing to the world all these grim details?  Is that what CNN thinks is good for the world?

It is time some people in high up places started to learn to respect the dignity of every human being. Whether that person is or is not guilty of a crime, dealing out the tiniest grim details of an execution for long periods of time is good for no one.  If we say we are a civilized people - then let us act like we are. 

CAN ONE VOICE MAKE PEOPLE THINK?

Within two days of writing my last Blog here in August, I was so surprised to find I had received more than two hundred emails from people as far away as South Africa, England, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. 

Three things in particular surprised me. First that so many people from so many places - people I didn't even know - had read what I wrote. As I am decidedly "internet unfriendly" I just don't understand how people find what I write.

Secondly, I was surprised that not one of the writers disagreed with what I said and all - without exception - encouraged me to write more.  In past years before I retired, I was continually being taken to task by politicians, local people and even bishops for things I wrote - or said on the radio.  But this time - we all agreed.

Thirdly, I was surprised because out of all those emails I received, four came from U.S. Senators, six from members of the U.S. Congress and three from decidedly senior people working in the White House as well as two from senior Members of Parliament in London.   None of them do I know personally and all of them asked me not to mention their names, which I will respect of course and I have to say how much I appreciate them taking the trouble to write.

Looking at the statistics on that particular Blog, some 2,356 different people read it.  I am truly amazed.  That is a lot of people reading a blog from an unknown person like me.

After that far-too-long preamble and without wishing to be presumptious - though it is very tempting - I wonder how much permanent effect, if any, what I wrote had on any of these people.  Particularly those in the power circle of things.  Can one small voice make a difference?  I believe it can, even if mine didn't or doesn't, but I hope I make people think.  When John the Baptist was preaching he made a huge difference at the time even though he was - to quote - "a voice crying in the wilderness".

In that Blog last month, I mentioned Mr Warren Buffett's comments on how there should be an increase in taxation for the super rich.  He said that he was paying a lower rate than some of his employees who earned far less than he did.  I suggested that was not right (as did Mr. Buffett) and wondered what would be the reaction of the mega-rich "powers-that-be" on Wall Street.  Did what I say make some people think?  I hope it did.

This morning on CNN I was interested to hear that President Obama was putting forward a proposal to increase the tax rate for the mega rich and what is more interesting, is that it is to be called the Warren Buffett Plan or words to that effect!   In addition, in the United Kingdom, taxation on the super rich is to be increased now to a rate of 50-pence on the pound.

Then after that, I saw that the whole area around Wall Street in New York was brought to a traffic standstill yesterday by over 3,000 people protesting against the way Wall Street gurus handle matters.  Placards saying "BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE - NOT BY THE RICH FOR THE RICH" were carried.  Somethng unheard of in days gone by.

I have no idea if what I wrote made people think, as I said, but the fact that so many people read what I wrote and so many in turn wrote to me - including people in "high up" places who are involved in big decision making, makes me think that maybe - just maybe - the small person's voice can make a  difference.  If that is the case,  then if many small voices speak up change will come about. Look what has happened in the Middle East just because the ordinary person in the street spoke out.

Voices need to be heard when things are not right in order to change the status quo.