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Troy Davis Execution a ‘Stain’ on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
Oct 1st, 2011 | 9 responses
The execution in Georgia of Troy Davis, who many both in and out of the United States believe to have been innocent of the murder charges against him, has once again highlighted the global opprobrium associated with America’s continuing use of the death penalty. According to French philosopher Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, writing for Le Nouvel Observateur, the fact that President Obama failed to mention or intercede in his execution not only undermines the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for giving him the award, but it represents the near demise of America’s moral standing in the world.
For France’s Le Nouvel Observateur, Daniel Salvatore Schiffer writes in part:
Never again, until it has abolished the odious and antiquated death penalty, may America presume to give lessons on democracy to the world, and certainly not in the name of human rights!
Because this America, by executing Troy Davis in cold blood, has demonstrated to the entire world that it has nothing but scorn and indifference for the millions of men and women who have raised a hue and cry for somewhat more humane and compassionate justice. Simply put, just a little more “fairness” toward an innocent man.
Yes: there is now an indelible stain in the terrified eyes of true democrats to see that America, far from being the great modern nation that it claims to be, is no better under the circumstances than countries that, in matters of justice, impose the most barbaric and medieval methods such as stoning or hanging – practices that are most commonly applied where the sinister and obscurantist “Sharia law” of antiquity prevails.
As for Barack Obama, forget about it: beyond his lack of political courage and intellectual foresight, his deafening silence on the painful Troy Davis matter is unworthy of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded him by the Oslo committee, which was granted him a little too quickly solely on the flimsy basis of his beautiful but only theoretical speeches.
So the assassination of Troy Davis reveals much more that is negative than a simple stain on American justice: it is the institution of the Nobel Peace Prize itself, its profound meaning and philosophical significance, that have been shattered through the cowardice of Barack Obama, whose true concerns are manifestly more electoral than humanitarian.
READ ON IN ENGLISH OR FRENCH AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.
9 Responses to “Troy Davis Execution a ‘Stain’ on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)”
Is it truly the Death Penalty, and not the punishment of an innocent man that raises the ire?
Seems rather petty to me if it is. The execution isnt’ the injustice, it’s the injustice BEFORE the execution that should raise the ire of the world-for without that, there would have BEEN no Execution, no death penalty to be upset about.
That’s a good point Cannonshop. But perhaps this quote from the Colombia article we also posted above offers the best explanation for the staunch opposition of most of the civilized world to the death penalty:
“Irreversible punishments demand infallible judges, a circumstance that doesn’t exist in the world of human beings.”
http://worldmeets.us/eltiempo000071.shtml
Is there anything that will not be blamed on President Obama???
If he is to be blamed, please state the law that allows him to stop the execution. I can’t find it. My understanding is that this was a state execution and the President has no legal authority to be involved.
I understand being moderate. But blaming anyone for everything that goes wrong in the world is not moderate. It’s insane.
I’m sure that all the Nobel recipients do things that are not worthy of the prize.
O.M.G. How on earth is this a stain on Obama? It was a STATE issue. He would have been seen as overreaching if he had. Only the moronic could assign ANY responsibility to Obama. Clearly, Davis should not have been executed, but where the hell is this sudden need for every ill in this country and others to be blamed on Obama come from?
You’re right, DJ, but foreign countries won’t differentiate between the Feds and the states any more than we do when things happen in their countries.
Also, shame on the Nobel for giving Obama the Peace Prize for no reason other than “he’s not George Bush”. Now they’re whining because they acted prematurely. :rolls eyes:
Hah! Could you imagine the reaction from the right if Obama had tried to intervene on this particular excecution? Racial discourse would have reached a new low. Oh wait, I forgot, there is no racism in this country… especially on the right. My bad.
To JSpencer: I’ll get out my ruler and slap your wrist for getting that wrong and believing there is no racism in this country. But if you’re not white, then I’ll just have to throw you in jail for treason.
A life prison term-hell, any long-term imprisonment is still going to have impacts just as irreversible-in some ways worse, because there will always be that doubt over whether the formerly-convicted was, in fact guilty and managed to skate somehow.
Punishment is punishment is punishment, the real offense is that a man should be imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, on the word of two people one of whom is a better suspect for the crime, no evidence, and a gullible jury culled from the dregs of those who couldn’t find a way to be elsewhere.
The true injustice, is that defense and prosecution attorneys seek out the most incurious, unintelligent, gullible and malleable people that they can, the least skeptical folk they can stuff in the jury box-to make their jobs easier…and we, the people, let them do it.
You’re a lot more likely to have false convictions, when the jury is stuffed with the malleable and gullible, than with the hostile and skeptical.