leading to a breakdown of talks. The matter was resolved in November 2007 when a resolution for a moratorium on all executions was passed by a 2-1 vote. (Hood, 2008) The countries who have opposed legislation so far have been predominantly third or fourth world countries, with countries like the United States and Singapore acting as outliers. (Hood, 2008) Despite the presence of these impoverished countries marked with injustice the United States’ presence on the side of opposition makes it difficult to argue that abolition is the right path of freedom and democracy. The United States has released multiple press releases and government documents stating that capital punishment is just in our society and has retributive and deterrent values that are necessary for our society to continue to function properly. (The Death Penalty in the OSCE, 2006) While there is sufficient evidence that the first claim is a fallacy the latter argument is even more disturbing. These documents state in simplistic terms that the United States not only condones retributive violence but encourages its existence. This domestic viewpoint on a punishment that Western Europe and many developed nations deem cruel and unusual goes not against not only the United States foreign stances but against clear language used in its Constitution. There are currently 23 countries who legally execute criminals as of 2010. (Amnesty International) These countries are, in descending order of 2010 executions, The People’s Republic of China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, The United States, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Syria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine, Egypt, Guinea, Taiwan, Belarus, Japan, Iraq, Malaysia,
leading to a breakdown of talks. The matter was resolved in November 2007 when a resolution for a moratorium on all executions was passed by a 2-1 vote. (Hood, 2008) The countries who have opposed legislation so far have been predominantly third or fourth world countries, with countries like the United States and Singapore acting as outliers. (Hood, 2008) Despite the presence of these impoverished countries marked with injustice the United States’ presence on the side of opposition makes it difficult to argue that abolition is the right path of freedom and democracy. The United States has released multiple press releases and government documents stating that capital punishment is just in our society and has retributive and deterrent values that are necessary for our society to continue to function properly. (The Death Penalty in the OSCE, 2006) While there is sufficient evidence that the first claim is a fallacy the latter argument is even more disturbing. These documents state in simplistic terms that the United States not only condones retributive violence but encourages its existence. This domestic viewpoint on a punishment that Western Europe and many developed nations deem cruel and unusual goes not against not only the United States foreign stances but against clear language used in its Constitution. There are currently 23 countries who legally execute criminals as of 2010. (Amnesty International) These countries are, in descending order of 2010 executions, The People’s Republic of China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, The United States, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Syria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine, Egypt, Guinea, Taiwan, Belarus, Japan, Iraq, Malaysia,
DeathPenaltyPaper_000.docx