I received two comments for my article “UN General Assembly and death penalty”. The Writers questioned the source for my statement “Every death penalty for murder prevents three to eighteen murders.” The source is an Associated Press report dt. 11 June 2007 that can be accessed on www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19160965. The report points to a series of…
Category: America
Thoughts on 10/11/2007
It is for the couples to decide when to have their first child. Couples generally prefer to have their first child within first year of marriage. Satara Zilla Parishad’s scheme asking couples to delay their first child for two to three years and offering Rs.5,000/- and Rs.7,500/- for staying childless for two and three years…
Thoughts on 28/9/2007
Pedro Zapeta I came across this news item on CNN. Pedro Zapeta was an illegal immigrant working in USA. He worked as a dishwasher for11 years and saved money. Two years back he wanted to return to Guatemala. He wanted to buy some land and build a house for his mother and sisters. When boarding…
The end of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was hanged at around 6.00 a.m. (8.30 a.m. IST) on 30/12/2006. He was sentenced to death for killing of 148 people in Dujail in 1982 by lower court on 5/11/2006, two days before American elections. He filed an appeal. His appeal was rejected on 26/12/2006 and he was to be hanged by 25/1/2007. He was hanged within four days, on Id-ul-Adha.
Five points
USA and judicial encroachment Judiciary in USA is going beyond its powers and encroaching powers of legislature. Massachusetts Supreme Court allowed gay marriages. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has ordered the Legislature of the state to amend laws within six months to allow same sex marriages. This is crossing the limit. Many gay marriages…
Jury system
Zaccharias Moussavi trial shows how one juror can make the system ineffective. The juror opposed death penalty and did not assign any reason. Hence Zaccharias Moussavi was sentenced to life. There is one film in which Demi Moore acts the role of a juror. A criminal is on trial. William Baldwin acts the role of…
Bush visit
President George Bush visited India and nuclear deal was signed. There were protests against the visit. Our government had invited him. It was not proper to protest. Bush has nothing to do with Danish cartoons. Protests in that regard were targeted wrongly. Whether the nuclear deal is good for India is debatable. It needs to…
War crimes
After World War II there were trials for war crimes and many were punished. None belonging to victors were punished. All belonged to vanquished. Not that soldiers of USA, UK, USSR, France and other countries who were their allies did not commit any war crime. USSR soldiers raped two million German women. Australian soldiers raped…
Death penalty II
Wrong is wrong even if said by a Chief Justice. Justice Brennan of Supreme Court of USA was wrong when in 1981 he said “I believe that a majority of the Supreme Court will one day accept that when the State punishes with death, it denies the humanity and dignity of the victim.” Let us…
Elections, judges etc.
Elections in India should be held on a single day. Bihar elections are held in four phases. First polling is on 18/10/2005 and last polling is on 19/11/2005. Paramilitary forces could have been used for maintenance of law and order. Election Commissioners want to extend their importance and do unjustified things. Reasons given for such…