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No death penalty in VI unless Independence given - Caller

a caller on The Speak Out BVI programme believed that the death penalty should not come to the VI without independence in place. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – One caller on the most recent Speak out BVI show was of the opinion that the death penalty should never be put into law in the Virgin Islands.

The caller who said he had lived in the USA for some 32 years felt that we should never have the death penalty in the Virgin Islands (VI) unless we have independence, adding that he was one of the people who wanted independence.

The discussions on the local radio show last evening, September 25, 2012 were on a number of issues including whether laws should be applied differently in situations where persons were killed as tourists on vacation in various countries and made particular reference to the recent brutal murder and robbery of a South Carolina couple in St Maarten. 

A Jamaican national has since been arrested in connection with the offences.

The caller said that he was agreeable to the death penalty charge in every country, with his only exception being the United States of America (USA) because justice did not appear to be seen as blind [to race and class] there adding that “In America, it’s only [the] blacks, latinos and poor whites [who] get [the] death penalty.”

The image of justice in the US is one of a woman blindfolded holding a balanced scale in her hand which was meant to indicate impartiality in the implementation of the rule of law.

Blacks, he claimed get the death penalty when they kill a white person and when they kill a fellow black they get about seven years in jail.

“A rich white [person] in America never gets the death penalty [for murder] so that’s why I [make the exception] for America,” the caller asserted.

He had earlier declared that justice is supposed to be blind, and suggested that the law should not be applied differently for persons who commit crimes against tourists.

8 Responses to “No death penalty in VI unless Independence given - Caller ”

  • mask man (26/09/2012, 09:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I am sick of hearing about this independent crap a status that no one wants but Mark!
  • bigger picture (26/09/2012, 11:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    death penalty is a state by state ruling in US, not a country thing. And there is constant resistance against it precisely for the basic reasons mentioned. poverty also contributes to hopelessness. But beyond that, it has never been proven that the death penalty works. more often than not, there is flawed evidence and death is irreversable. with all the mistakes, that is why the governor of Illinois ruled against it and let death row prisoners out because of miscarraige of justice. Besides, in the heat of argument, passion, anger, revenge, I have never known anyone to stop and logically and rationally say, gee, these are the consequenses of my potential behavior. And more times than not, race and class may become factors in behavior as well as lacking resources to fight cases. the Death penalty is barbaric and the US is one of the few countries still using it. Many industrialized countries don't. Figure out between countries how to handle these shocking killings of tourists. Some may even be as simple as cultural misunderstanding... it is all horrible.
  • Stats (26/09/2012, 11:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I thought I'd check the statistics as to what race was the most executed on death row in the USA. Since 1976 35% of executions have been black, 7% Latino, 56% white and 24% other. Currently the death row population is made up of 41.8% black, 12.4% Latino, 43.25% white and 2.56% other. So it does not appear that death row is racist.

    I personally don't beleive in the death penalty. Being alive and having your freedom taken from you for life is far better punishment than releasing someone to God. I also firmly beleive that those who push the button are guilty of murder and it is no far less a crime than any other murder.
    • Kingfish (26/09/2012, 14:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ Stats: Your statistics may be correct, when you look at the number of blacks who were executed and is on death row in proportion to the US population it shows that more blacks are sent to death row than whites, which tells us that it is applied in a racist manner. Blacks are about 13% { 39 million}% of the US population of a little over 300 million and whites are about 78% {234 million}. Take a look at your stats again and you will see how racist the death penalty is in the US.
    • thanks (26/09/2012, 19:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      thanks for the stats
  • Queen Mary (26/09/2012, 16:30) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Not sure what the death penalty has to do with independence please enlighten me someone!
  • Voter (26/09/2012, 21:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Non-issue. We are civilised and British.


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