by Ivan Eland

Independent Institute

03/07/05

Since 1990, the United States has been in the deplorable company of the few remaining nations -- Iran, China, Congo, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia -- that still put young people to death for crimes. America, famous for the extent of its individual freedoms, should not be on any list with such despotic third world abusers of human rights. In fact, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion for the court, noted the 'stark reality that the United States is the only country in the world that continues to give official sanction to the juvenile death penalty.' Yet why stop at ending the death penalty only for juveniles? The United States is also one of a small group of countries, many of which are severe abusers of human rights, that allow the death penalty to be used at all. The United States needs to exit this nefarious club, too...

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1472


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp