-Caveat Lector- Why are americans so bloodthirsty? > London Times 1/3/00 > > Death row haunts 'merciless' Bush > > FROM DAMIAN WHITWORTH IN WASHINGTON > > GEORGE W. BUSH'S merciless application of > the death penalty threatens to dominate the > presidential campaign as Texas prepares to > execute three juvenile murderers in the > next few weeks. > > As the leading Republican contender > campaigns to see off a tougher than > expected challenge in the key primary > states, the American Bar Association has > joined death penalty campaigners to condemn > Mr Bush's ruthlessness in running his home > state. > > The day after the Iowa primary, in which > the selection of presidential candidates > begins, Texas is scheduled to execute the > first of three men who were 17 when they > committed their crimes. > > The executions in the coming weeks, plus > two others next week in Virginia, are being > characterised as a dramatic intensification > of an execution policy. The Governor of > Texas is under fire for displaying little > of the "compassionate conservatism" that is > the central message of his campaign. > > Texas, which leads the nation in the number > of prisoners it executes and has > administered lethal injections to record > numbers under Mr Bush, will execute eight > men in the next few weeks, including one > who is a paranoid schizophrenic. > > The bar association said that only five > other countries - Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, > Saudi Arabia and Yemen - have executed > juveniles in the past decade, and in that > time the US had executed ten who were under > 18 when they offended. > > Opponents of the death penalty say that the > US is in violation of international > treaties, but Washington says it has either > not ratified the relevant treaties or is > exempted on the matter of the juvenile > death penalty. The Supreme Court has set > the minimum age of execution at 16. > > Glen McGinnis, who was 17 when he murdered > a woman in 1990, and Anzel Jones, who was > the same age when he killed in 1995, will, > barring a reprieve, die on January 25 and > 26 respectively. Toronto Patterson, who > killed a three-year-old girl, will be > injected with heart-stopping chemicals next > month. All three are black. > > Activists are also intensifying their > campaign over two other non-juvenile cases: > Larry Robison, a paranoid schizophrenic who > was rejected for treatment because he > lacked medical insurance, went on to kill > five people; and Johnny Paul Penry, who has > the mental age of a seven-year-old and > raped and stabbed a woman to death. > > Of the 212 executions in Texas since the > resumption of capital punishment 1977, 113 > have occurred during Mr Bush's > governorship. He has the power to grant a > reprieve but has done so only once, after > evidence that the accused was not near the > scene of the crime. Last month David Martin > Long tried to commit suicide on death row > but was nursed back to health so that he > could be flown from intensive care to > execution. > > Mr Bush says that he looks at every case > "thoughtfully and carefully", but that he > does not have the right to replace a jury's > verdict or to show mercy on the grounds of > age or mental illness. Leading candidates > from both parties support the death penalty > and it is uncertain if Mr Bush's stance > will have an adverse effect on voters, two > out of three of whom favour the penalty. > > ===== DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
