I wanted to bitch about British girls. But I went for a talk, and I changed my mind (for now). The speaker's name is Nicholas Yarris, and he spent 23 years on the Death Row, for a crime he did not commit. More details of his "crime" can be found here: http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/302.php
"The state (Singapore) had the highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999, estimated by the United Nations to be 13.57 executions per one million population during that period."
Yes, I'm talking about the Death Penalty. (Yes I hear your "hoo"s and "haa"s; and jiehui's nagging voice at the back of my head "there's nothing you can do about it vane! that's just the way the world is!")
Yarris could have died -- for nothing. He had 150 years of a sentence to his name, and the Death Penalty. All for crimes he did not commit. He was a druggie, and hence an easy target and victim for the policemen to exert their power and authority. To wrongly accuse him, that is. [At this point, I'd like to recommend the movie Crash, the Oscar winning one, not the other crap one.]
Pardon my incoherence and inarticulate-ness. I've talked about the Death Penalty before, but someone shot me down and said that it is necessary. But now, I think I am more capable of substantiating my stand that the Death Penalty should be abolished. And Yarris put it very simply why so: "Simply because I don't trust people with such power." He brought up how the Nazis killed the disabled because they are weak. A similar situation may arise. Say one day George Bush decides that the disabled people are wasting the resources of the country and hence decides to kill them all. They, or he, has the power to. Just one signature and off with their heads.
Then someone brought up the issue of the killing of Saddam (that 911 guy). Was it not right to kill him for the 3000 people he killed? No, says Yarris. Observe the uproar, the unrest of his people. Observe how terrorism has bloomed. It wasnt Saddam who caused it. It's that Bush. Apparently Bush made a speech a few days after 9/11 to say something along the lines that it's his fault that the world is in such a mess and people's lives are threatened. He wanted to organise an Amnesty gathering of sorts, where anybody and everybody could come together to "make peace". I doubt it happened.
I digress. I was talking about the Death Penalty. And I cant help but think of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. (Yea, cliche, I know.) I mean, who are we to send someone off to the gallows. Who are we to claim to be in the name of Justice? So what if the murderer took someone's life? You taking the murderer's life makes you one too. Here I argue on a highly debatable notion - morality. But. Yarris says it's not about morality. It's reality. People in power do what they want. Possession of drugs in Singapore sends you straight to the ropes. You have one chance of appeal. HUR.
Yarris claims not to be a Liberal. Yes to life sentence; no, to the death penalty. Reasons are those I've just discussed. Yarris is 46 years old now. "I can finally say that I've lived half my life -- free." In prison, he was tortured, contracted Hepatitis C, was fed poison to counter his illness, and was scoffed at whenever he mentions he is innocent. Even the guy who came to file his appeal. People in power, my friends.
He is now an activist, giving talks around the world, telling people about his story. Hopefully, he gathers enough support to abolish the death penalty once and for all. And his approach, while lamentable, is highly effective. That is, through money. He's telling businesses to boycott states that support the death penalty. Businesses that are worth billions to the economy of the state. And well, who cares about the fucking death penalty when their wealth and luxuries are at stake?
I shall end here. My point (uh huh- i hear you jiehui), is just to let people know. Make people have a stand. And with that, stand up against such a stupid punishment. Honestly, I felt sad when I saw the figures on wikipedia, on the number of people Singapore has killed under the death penalty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Singapore
We have killed so many people that it is no longer the case of 杀一警百. (Direct translation: Kill one to scare the others.) It's the case of waving a sword in a crowd and killing anyone who dares enter your radius. (Well, I exaggerate, but.) Obviously, Singaporeans have no issue with this law. Until someone of kin becomes convicted. And dear god, for the possession of drugs you get killed. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! How serious can that be!?!?! *breathes*
This is a note of awareness. Amnesty International is where you can support such fights for human rights. Whatever that entails, I'm not quite sure. But honestly I dont trust our government with such power to kill.
"The state (Singapore) had the highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999, estimated by the United Nations to be 13.57 executions per one million population during that period."
Yes, I'm talking about the Death Penalty. (Yes I hear your "hoo"s and "haa"s; and jiehui's nagging voice at the back of my head "there's nothing you can do about it vane! that's just the way the world is!")
Yarris could have died -- for nothing. He had 150 years of a sentence to his name, and the Death Penalty. All for crimes he did not commit. He was a druggie, and hence an easy target and victim for the policemen to exert their power and authority. To wrongly accuse him, that is. [At this point, I'd like to recommend the movie Crash, the Oscar winning one, not the other crap one.]
Pardon my incoherence and inarticulate-ness. I've talked about the Death Penalty before, but someone shot me down and said that it is necessary. But now, I think I am more capable of substantiating my stand that the Death Penalty should be abolished. And Yarris put it very simply why so: "Simply because I don't trust people with such power." He brought up how the Nazis killed the disabled because they are weak. A similar situation may arise. Say one day George Bush decides that the disabled people are wasting the resources of the country and hence decides to kill them all. They, or he, has the power to. Just one signature and off with their heads.
Then someone brought up the issue of the killing of Saddam (that 911 guy). Was it not right to kill him for the 3000 people he killed? No, says Yarris. Observe the uproar, the unrest of his people. Observe how terrorism has bloomed. It wasnt Saddam who caused it. It's that Bush. Apparently Bush made a speech a few days after 9/11 to say something along the lines that it's his fault that the world is in such a mess and people's lives are threatened. He wanted to organise an Amnesty gathering of sorts, where anybody and everybody could come together to "make peace". I doubt it happened.
I digress. I was talking about the Death Penalty. And I cant help but think of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. (Yea, cliche, I know.) I mean, who are we to send someone off to the gallows. Who are we to claim to be in the name of Justice? So what if the murderer took someone's life? You taking the murderer's life makes you one too. Here I argue on a highly debatable notion - morality. But. Yarris says it's not about morality. It's reality. People in power do what they want. Possession of drugs in Singapore sends you straight to the ropes. You have one chance of appeal. HUR.
Yarris claims not to be a Liberal. Yes to life sentence; no, to the death penalty. Reasons are those I've just discussed. Yarris is 46 years old now. "I can finally say that I've lived half my life -- free." In prison, he was tortured, contracted Hepatitis C, was fed poison to counter his illness, and was scoffed at whenever he mentions he is innocent. Even the guy who came to file his appeal. People in power, my friends.
He is now an activist, giving talks around the world, telling people about his story. Hopefully, he gathers enough support to abolish the death penalty once and for all. And his approach, while lamentable, is highly effective. That is, through money. He's telling businesses to boycott states that support the death penalty. Businesses that are worth billions to the economy of the state. And well, who cares about the fucking death penalty when their wealth and luxuries are at stake?
I shall end here. My point (uh huh- i hear you jiehui), is just to let people know. Make people have a stand. And with that, stand up against such a stupid punishment. Honestly, I felt sad when I saw the figures on wikipedia, on the number of people Singapore has killed under the death penalty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Singapore
We have killed so many people that it is no longer the case of 杀一警百. (Direct translation: Kill one to scare the others.) It's the case of waving a sword in a crowd and killing anyone who dares enter your radius. (Well, I exaggerate, but.) Obviously, Singaporeans have no issue with this law. Until someone of kin becomes convicted. And dear god, for the possession of drugs you get killed. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! How serious can that be!?!?! *breathes*
This is a note of awareness. Amnesty International is where you can support such fights for human rights. Whatever that entails, I'm not quite sure. But honestly I dont trust our government with such power to kill.
