Capital Punishment shows signs of mortality
7/26/2002 - 17 Av, 5762The American Prospect has an article on recent signs that the Death Penalty is on its decline. Hopeful news for this abolitionist. The Supreme Court decision banning the execution of the mentally retarded seemed like a no-brainer to me (and hopefully soon juveniles will also be protected, until then we are one of only 5 or 6 countries in the world that execute kids…including such countries as Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.)
I am especially emboldened to hear that public support of the death penalty has dropped in the past 10 years from 75% to 65%. As the Prospect notes…the law is going to follow the people, and the only real hope for an outright ban is for the percentage to drop close to if not below 50.