Let's all work to abolish the Death Penalty everywhere, especially in the U.S.

From Amnesty International website, September 14, 2011
More than two-thirds of the countries of the world have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. While 58 countries retained the death penalty in 2009, most did not use it. Eighteen countries were known to have carried out executions, killing a total of at least 714 people; however, this figure does not include the thousands of executions that were likely to have taken place in China, which again refused to divulge figures on its use of the death penalty.



Chart courtesy Amnesty International


Where "+" is indicated after a country and it is preceded by a number, it means that the figure Amnesty International has calculated is a minimum figure. Where "+" is indicated after a country and is not preceded by a number, it indicates that there were executions or death sentences (at least more than one) in that country but it was not possible to calculate a figure.


What is shocking is to listen to the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, take such pride in his "accomplishments" in the very high number of executions in Texas since he became governor, while he campaigns for president as a Republican candidate.