EU urges Texas to end executions

Personally I disagree with any type of corporal or capitol punishment.

I think it is inappropriate for the EU to suggest any individual state or territory of the US to do anything. Now if they want to suggest to the US government that is another matter. I dont think the State of Hesse within Germany would take to kindly to the US government suggesting anything to them either for example.

What business is it of the EU???

I nearly spat out my tea....

I guess it's a bit like saying 'What business does the US have in messing with Iraq or Kosovo...and the many more places it deemed necessary to get all physical with... not to mention the hundreds of ways in which the US pushes other countries into policies it doesn't want for fear of losing favour with the mighty US of A and the trade and military consequences that brings.


I love parts of America...some Americans are some of the smartest and most forward thinking people i know...but too many Americans are under-educated and completely lacking in the ability to see past the end of their nose... or outside their backward, backwater state... it's time America woke up.

The USA is no better than Saudi in it's treatment of convicts.

Originally posted by eyewitness86
The average American is far less informed and educated than most Europeans, and most of us Americans have no idea about human rights campaigns . We execute the innocent and imprrison the mentally ill. There have been over 200 INNOCENT people released from prisons and DEATH ROWS across this nation because DNA proved their innocence.


Europe is way ahead of us in most every way; they have been civilized and cultured since before we ever had a foot set on this continent. We are the young bucks playing fast and loose with peoples lives and maybe someday we will grow up and see that we have a lot to learn from our Euro friends about what is best LONG TERM. We are short term thinkers here and we need to be long term..simple.

So are you are saying since WWII Europe has become civilized? I think we been around at least that long...

There have been mistakes but I find the rapist released over and over to finally not just rape, but also kill is pretty bad. BTW 120 people have been released from death row not 200, but still there are a few innocent, but I find the fact that over 50% of violent crimes are from repeat offenders is a much worst issue.

So eyewitness86 what do we do? It seems majority of criminals are repeaters just to continue to get worst as they get older and more and more victims pile up. It seems you want to make the criminal the victim. In the cases where an innocent person is put to death I pray those days are past us with the advancement of technology, but I’m sure there will be more, but with what 15k to 20k murders per year and 100k forcible rapes and only 3350 on death row today across America that is really a low number as it should be since death row is saved for the truly heinous criminals. Add that the average time on death row is 12 plus years with about 50 to 70 killed per year that is only 1% of all murders per year make it do death row. Do you think that at least 1% of all murders are really really bad people?


[edit on 22-8-2007 by Xtrozero]

Originally posted by Boondock78
seems like we have lotsa bloodthirsty people round here.
specially you big, bad texans...

Yeah...whatever....

You want to mollycoddle murders, be my guest but don't call people that believe the death penalty is a deterrent and justified bloodthirsty...let's reserve that term for the killers, ok. Texas are not blood thirsty, we just know when it's time to "get a rope". I guess you think shooting someone in defense of yourself, your family or some innocent is murder too? Ever been the victim of murder? No? Oh that's right, that would mean that you would be dead and your murderer would be relaxing comfortably in his or her jail cell (if they were caught) laughing his butt off at the people protesting outside the prison for the justice system not to "murder him" for the crime!

Texas...were common sense is still found in abundance....

Originally posted by infinite

Originally posted by Kacen
but the European government is becoming too weak and pansy-ish.

There is no such thing as a "European government".

The European Commission is not a government.

I apologize I meant "governments". Despite that minor error on my part, my point still stands.

Originally posted by infinite

Originally posted by Kacen
Err, well to be fair we wouldn't have bases in Europe if the EU didn't let us and agree to it.

Sadly,
these bases were negotiated by the sovereign nations before the European Union or the EC was created.

The lease is agreed by the governments, nothing to do with the European Union.

There is no common defence policy in the EU.

Regardless, once again, my point still stands.

Originally posted by DarkStormCrow
Personally I disagree with any type of corporal or capitol punishment.

I think it is inappropriate for the EU to suggest any individual state or territory of the US to do anything. Now if they want to suggest to the US government that is another matter. I dont think the State of Hesse within Germany would take to kindly to the US government suggesting anything to them either for example.

The EU has made great progress with individual States about the reduction of emission gasses[for instance Arnolds' California]. Such cooperation could not have taken place with the federal government[Too bad]. Not to compare but the Federals have no responsibility wether or not people are sentenced to death in Rhode Island or Texas of where ever.
In the end is up to them , in the backyard of the EU we could use the potential EU membership as leverage in such talks.
Personally ik would not like to be named in a top 5 list between China, Saudi Arabia and Iran..

[edit on 22-8-2007 by Foppezao]

Originally posted by infinite

Originally posted by Souljah
I think penalty of 100 years in prison is enough for every criminal to start thinking about his evil deeds he did in the past and in the end - he will eventually die in prison and never ever taste freedom again. Isn't that already a maximum penalty?

And does the State want to become like the criminal? do we want to lower ourselves to their world by taking life?

They've over stepped the mark, crossed the line and we do not support their actions.

An innocent man in prison can be freed, if he is not guilty, if you are executed then you can't.

That's the problem with the death penalty.

[edit on 22-8-2007 by infinite]

Errr, wow. I think you greatly misread his post.

He was speaking against the death penalty.

Originally posted by MrMicrophone

You want to mollycoddle murders, be my guest but don't call people that believe the death penalty is a deterrent and justified bloodthirsty

^^^^i never said i want to mollycoddle anyone and i didn't call people that believe in it as a deterant bloodthirsty...i call the people bloodthirsty that type out their posts in a bragging way about how tough texas is and how they'd have a party at 500. do you think that way? if so, you're blood thirsty, IMO...abslutely...
does the death penalty really deter?

...let's reserve that term for the killers, ok.

^^^no, it's not ok....i shal use the term for whoever i feel in my mind is deserving of the term....


Texas are not blood thirsty, we just know when it's time to "get a rope".

^^^i call it blood thirsty...you guys get a 'lot of ropes'

I guess you think shooting someone in defense of yourself, your family or some innocent is murder too?

^^^^did i say that? i sure don't recall. i would call that justifiable homicide. i have numerous guns in my home for just such an occasion...

Ever been the victim of murder?

^^^of course not...what does this question mean? when i was 7 my house was broken into and my parents were almost killed. i saw most of it...hell of an experience....if someone breaks into my home to try to harm myself or my wife, i will put them down....i fail to see what this has to do with being pro death penalty though...

Texas...were common sense is still found in abundance....

^^^^^^bwuahahahahahaah

if thats how you see it man, whatever.....just don't go trying to paint me in some corner about how i feel about shooting someone to defend myself or my home...you're starting to pull stuff out of the air dude.

reply to post by 11Bravo


You can speak for yourself. This is what causes so many problems in the world.... I would have expected more from people here on ATS, but instead we sit here and argue sending insults back and forth about how we don't give a f- about the other country. That's wrong. We need to learn to work together and take advice from other countries instead of having a stick up our asses everytime someone says something about us.

reply to post by Souljah



Duuuuuude, Murder is evil, you can't let evil survive anywhere......Kill the murderers on 100 hours after conviction. Publicly, in the same manner the murdered their victims. Make it required viewing to renew a drivers liscense or graduate high school. Run it as a commercial on TV in slow motion. Perhaps the next idiot will get it!!!!!!!!!!

The E.U. has everyright to express concern over the death penalty in texas, but to actually ask them to cease this is absolutetly ridiculous.

While I am not for the death penalty, in some cases this is justifiable. An eye for an eye, is the way I see this in my book. This is probably some unelected eu commissioner who has nothing better to do with his or her time, than tryng to make the headlines....

Instead of slaggin or insulting each other, should we all not be working together, like the way the UK and the US does.

And another point it is Individual Soveirgn nations who decide, weither or not US bases should be on their territory not the E.U. So lets get that myth sorted out already...

reply to post by nickh


First, the Governor of Texas Rick Perry is an odious character. Second, he is pals with the King and Queen of Spain and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Perhaps the EU should be offering to take the Texas deathrow inmates into the prison system of Spain or the Netherlands...

... rather than just shaking their finger at Texas (mostly because George W. Bush - of Maine - claims to be Texan).

Originally posted by Xfile
If europe wants the our death penalty inmates your more than welcome to them.I for one dont think wasting my taxpayer money is a deserving punishment to cloth and feed these animals.

I just cant read this threat any further after reading this stupid comment. I do agree that there are crimes when the capital punishment in my opinion is just, but when someone can guarantee that there are no innocent people murdered by the government in the name of execution, the execution is NOT the right answer.
I just happened to see this documentary a month or so ago in Finnish TV about someone sitting in death row in USA. And after the DNA tests he was released and "compensated" with money. If I do remember right he was a former major league baseball player? Can anyone remember that one?
In my opinion every senator and president and supporter for death penalty has committed a murder.

And as I was in the first page of reading this, I will continue reading....

If I do recall right the supreme court in USA ruled against the death penalty in 1970something? Still there are states that do murder people in behalf of the state. So what is the real power of the supreme court in there?
Maybe this should be a case for another threat but that "from my cold dead hands" or something does say it all to me, USA was established by violence, and it will continue to cherish this legacy.

And by all means, I really do think that for example the rapist and killer of someones daughter should be executed what happened to the beyond of all doubt?

[edit on 22-8-2007 by finallianstallion]

[edit on 22-8-2007 by finallianstallion]

[edit on 22-8-2007 by finallianstallion]

[edit on 22-8-2007 by finallianstallion]

Originally posted by wings_of_an_eagle
It costs 1.2 million dollars a year to keep an inmate alive in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons. It costs 2 thousand dollars for an inmate to be executed. WEIGH THE PRICE and tell the EU to stay out of my state

What If YOU were in death row for a crime that you didnt commit?

Originally posted by Kacen
Errr, wow. I think you greatly misread his post.

He was speaking against the death penalty.

Funny how I was expanding on his points and expressing agreement on how wrong the death penalty was.

Regardless, once again, my point still stands.

sadly you was wrong, on both accounts.

btw

If you are trying to get my attention, why not U2U me instead?

[edit on 22-8-2007 by infinite]

I don't see any reason why the EU can't express its views on this to Texas, but I also think it's highly unlikely anyone in Texas is going to care what they say.

Originally posted by djohnsto77
I don't see any reason why the EU can't express its views on this to Texas, but I also think it's highly unlikely anyone in Texas is going to care what they say.

I agree. The difference is that The EU does not attack the country that doesnt agree their views...

reply to post by djohnsto77


Exactly... the thing is, if the EU actually wanted Texas to amend their laws, they would/could probably do it in more serious ways - rather than a polite "expression of concern". It makes me really wonder why they even said anything anyway..

Originally posted by nickh
if the EU actually wanted Texas to amend their laws, they would/could probably do it in more serious ways

What could the do? Attack Texas... I doubt that'll work.

I doubt they could pull off an economic embargo just against Texas (or all U.S. states that have the death penalty)... a total trade embargo against the U.S. would be economically disastrous. Plus, to be fair, they'd have to also embargo like at least half the world, including all the Middle Eastern countries, China, and Russia. Don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

Originally posted by nickh
the thing is, if the EU actually wanted Texas to amend their laws, they would/could probably do it in more serious ways

Ermm..can a single US state be taken to the United Nations? I don't think it can.
The same with an economic embargo too, it's near impossible I think.