Sunday 11 March 2012

I always think that it's a Good Day when I wake up in the morning.  The day I don't wake up will be a real bummer.  So today started as a Good Day.  In fact I suppose it's like the presumption of innocence in English Law (and many other legal codes) or a presumption of Original Sin.  How fragile they can all be.  The first thing I did (well it wasn't actually the first but I can't cope with inaccuracy of 'one of the first things I did') was take the bin liner out of the kitchen waste bin (trash can for those from the US who still use the old English).  As I tied the top the bottom split open.  'Irritating' was one word which flashed through my mind.  As, however, that's the worst thing that happened to me so far today I'm a very happy bunny.

In fact I've spent a lot of the day either reading blogs or writing comments.  In particular I read a post on Frances Garrood's blog entitled A Letter From Death Row.  Years ago when I was an idealistic youth I spoke very publicly against capital punishment (a principal I still hold to) so this was of immediate interest to me.  Two hours later I stopped reading about capital punishment in the US and thinking about the arguments I used back in those days and eventually commented on Frances's post.  

My day was going to be spent sorting photos from Art Deco Weekend and Northland and writing some posts but now I have to get some household chores attended to and cook dinner for the family who are returning from Gisborne this evening.  I've had the two oldest boys (17 and 15) for dinner for the last two nights.  What delightful company they are.

4 comments:

  1. I'm with you when it comes to capital punishment. Over here they seem to spend a lot of money on death row, but insist on having it anyway. It's all a bit barbaric to me. Oddly enough my grandfather was in the court in Scotland when the black cap was put on for the last time. He didn't like capital punishment either.

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    1. That makes me curious Cat. The last person sentenced to death in Scotland was Patrick McCarron in 1964 for shooting his wife. He hanged himself in prison in 1970.

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  2. In Sweden capital punishment hasn't been practiced since 1910, and was abolished in law for all crimes committed in peacetime in 1921 (extended to include wartime in 1975 but we haven't been involved in any declared war since 1814).

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    1. In England, Wales and Scotland the death penalty was legislated away for most offences in peacetime in 1965.

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