How can a civilized nation--Saudi Arabia-- put 47 people to death without much negative blowback from other nations?
"Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was one of 47 detainees put to death by sword and firing squad in the kingdom's largest such mass execution since 1980," report Amro Hassan and Ramin Mostaghim in the Los Angeles Times.
47 people at once?
The only offense of some of these men was political protest.
I should be out demonstrating at the Saudi embassy in Los Angeles. I should be asking my government to take a stronger stand against this bloodshed.
On the other hand, my government allows execution, a punishment sometimes committed inhumanely and erroneously.
Most civilized nations have ended capital punishment--but not the US.
Most civilized nations have strict laws controlling guns--but not the US.
Most civilized nations provide health care to all their citizens--but not the US.
So I suppose there's not much I can do, except vent in a blogpost and work on ending the death penalty in my own nation.
Thank you to the LA Times for its editorial pointing out lack of serious US comment on Saudi Arabia's execution.
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