Despite 7 of 9 prosecution eyewitnesses changing their stories after the trial and one of the remaining witnesses bragging that actually he committed the murder, Troy Davis was killed last night at 11:08pm by lethal injection. Welcome to America, where you are presumed executed until proven innocent. You can bet that Rick Perry would be proud and that an audience at a Republican presidential debate would applaud wildly (see this article if you don't get the connection).
We've become a nation of bumbling idiot executioners. Is there strong evidence of your innocence? We'll execute you anyway. Were you a juvenile at the time of your crime? We'll execute you anyway. Are you mentally retarded? We'll execute you anyway. And then your governor will say he's proud of it and run for president as "tough on crime."
For some international perspective, here are the world's top ten executioner countries based on total number of executions in 2010:
1. China
2. Iran
3. North Korea
4. Yemen
5. United States
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Libya
8. Syria
9. Bangladesh
10. Somalia
What great company we keep! Right up there with the world's most brutal and grisly regimes, even putting Saudi Arabia to shame.
Here are Troy Davis' last words, as he was strapped down on the gurney last night in Georgia:
I'd like to address the MacPhail family. Let you know, despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent.
The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask ... is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth.
I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight.
For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls.
I was out in front of the US Supreme Court last night with a couple hundred people when it was reported that the execution was going forward and then when it was reported that Davis was dead. There was stunned silence. And a realization that the world is an even darker place than we had thought.
