Why Do I Do it?
It's like drugs or fast food. I know I shouldn't even walk in the door, but sometimes the temptation is just too great. Like today. I went over to CNN.com, and what did I find? This
story about executions for financial crimes. The practice of widespread executions in China is shocking, and not just to death penalty abolitionists, especially because the government applies the penalty for non-violent, financial offenses and the like. However, this being CNN, they could not resist, in their discussion of the types of offenses for which the death penalty has been imposed, to cite this:
The precise number of people executed for all crimes in China is a state secret. Reports range from 5,000 to 10,000 a year, many for murder, but they have also been killed for corruption and crimes as minor as bottom-pinching.
Legal experts have proposed what they call a "kill fewer, kill carefully" policy for nonviolent crimes.
"Bottom-pinching." Clearly they want to show that the penalty is unjustly and disproportionately applied, but
bottom-pinching? Just had to have that one, little, slightly salacious detail.
Posted by binky at September 14, 2004 02:15 PM
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