NationStates Jolt Archive

Yet another one. :)


Rwanda's cabinet has voted to scrap the death penalty, Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama says.

He said if the legislation is approved by parliament, those on death-row would instead serve life in prison.

[...]

"The consultations that we have held since October showed us that Rwandans favour the abolition of the punishment," Mr Karugarama told AFP news agency.


Full story here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6278545.stm).

And there are some objections...

Some genocide survivors have objected to dropping capital punishment saying it acts as a strong deterrent.

Note that the genocide victims couldn't be reached for comment.

I would bet that since most of the population has personally experienced the death penalty (either by personally killing someone or seeing it happen or losing someone they knew), they're just tired of it.

I mean, in a place where a million and a half people are hacked to death inside of a few days...

I can't help but getting cynical. It did seem to work wonders as a deterrant, especially in their cases, didn't it?

Of course not. This is a country where laws really don't matter. It's the rule of man or mob, rather than the rule of law. That's why it's silly to even acknowledge this little bit of eye-wash.

And there are some objections...

Note that the genocide victims couldn't be reached for comment.

I can't help but getting cynical. It did seem to work wonders as a deterrant, especially in their cases, didn't it?

That should be a load of help.

Good on Rwanda's cabinet.

I can't help but getting cynical. It did seem to work wonders as a deterrant, especially in their cases, didn't it?

Yes, the "deterrent" argument doesn't really work here... Especially since one of the reasons the government wants to abolish the death penalty is to be able to bring mass murderers to justice.


Of course not. This is a country where laws really don't matter.

And you know so much about contemporary Rwanda, do you?

Enlighten us, do.


I would bet that since most of the population has personally experienced the death penalty (either by personally killing someone or seeing it happen or losing someone they knew), they're just tired of it.


Good point. It's not surprising for such brutal first-hand experience with death to do that.

And there are some objections...

Note that the genocide victims couldn't be reached for comment.

Hmmm of course because when I'm killing off an entire race the last thing I would want for punishment would be martydom and a lasting legacy.

Argfa...soon my home country will officially be more backwards than fucking Rwanda. Rwanda, the home of the most brutal genocide in the 1990s and of most of our lifetimes, and they've officially learned more than the United States. Jesus H. Christ, that's ri-God-damn-diculous.

That's good of Rwanda to abolish the death penalty, as they appear to want to do, but when will everyone wake up and smell the sanity?

And there are some objections...

Note that the genocide victims couldn't be reached for comment.

They don't have Ouija boards in Rwanda?

This makes me happy. :)

I only hope America will follow Rwanda's lead.
Never thought I'd need to say that...

This makes me happy. :)

I only hope America will follow Rwanda's lead.
Never thought I'd need to say that...

New Jersey is considering abolishing the death penalty. It's not like we actually use it anyway. The last guy killed on death row here was stomped to death by another inmate.

New Jersey is considering abolishing the death penalty. It's not like we actually use it anyway. The last guy killed on death row here was stomped to death by another inmate.

Good on New Jersey then.
Never thought I'd need to say that...

Good on New Jersey then.
Never thought I'd need to say that...

Yeah. We've found a solution to the death penalty question. We just put violent prisoners in the same confined area and have the corrections officers take a break.

Yeah. We've found a solution to the death penalty question. We just put violent prisoners in the same confined area and have the corrections officers take a break.

Genius.
Pure Genius.

But isn't that what the anti-semtites tried to do with Israel? ;) *on the ball*