death penalty

The greatest crime since World War II has been U.S. foreign policy.
— Former US Attorney General, Ramsey Clark, 1927 – Present

Profits up in California: The average profit per patient has grown steadily. The combination of more patients and far greater profit per patient has pushed overall inflation-adjusted profit up more than tenfold.

The Dissenting Judge,  frail,  old,  overwhelmed,  bored with data,  welcomed the coming of Plantman.
“You are fortunate, Plantman.  Your life is lived tending fruits of the earth.  I am beset with human cares. . . “
“You look tired,” Plantman said.

At last Plantman was led to the vault of The Accused. The walls and door were three feet thick, but the vault was air-conditioned, lest The Accused succumb before The City could legally VOID him. The Official punched the key-code and the door yawned open, revealing a cot, a toilet, and a small table which held The Accused’s beloved African Violet, “Rose.”

It would be easy to make a list of 10 bad things—wars, government shut-down, drone attacks, lack of progress on immigrant rights, lousy health-care reform. But it’s also been a year of extraordinary activism: whistleblowers, DREAMers, Walmart workers, peacemakers, gay rights advocates, garment workers. As the year ends, let’s pay tribute to the good things their efforts have wrought.

Lunch break.  Plantman attended an open session of The City Legislature, his attention tuned to The Senator, whose office he would tend after his break.

As Plantman waited in the lobby for a CGC Official to lead him to his next task, he was approached by a Lobbyist pitching Dereliction Deterrent Technologies (DDT),  a subsidiary of Tree of Knowledge Incorporated (TKI).
The Lobbyist pitched the products of DDT to The Lawmakers, who would have to choose a method of execution concomitant with the values of The City.
The Lobbyist spoke in earnest, as if Plantman were a Lawmaker himself.

Plantman, working abundant foliage in the Office of the Prosecutor, suffered the Prosecutor’s draft oration, which the Prosecutor practiced, without the least self-consciousness or awareness of Plantman’s presence — or so it seemed — pacing back and forth before his closet mirror.

Inside The City Government Complex (CGC), The Accused languished in his vault. His Last Request:  to see his beloved African Violet, Rose, tended by Plantman.
This request created a host of difficulties. Officials were bound to honor the request, but none would allow Plantman to enter the CGC without tending their plants too. Long day ahead. Plantman arrived early, before protesters gathered for and against the execution of the Accused. Rhetoric, megaphones, home-made signs.

Oh, drats, someone in my family line, in Scotland, sent me this link as an example of, paraphrasing, great American stick-to-it gumption, superiority and bad-ass imperialism.
Quote: “No wonder the Iranians want this ship (aircraft carrier) out of the Persian Gulf. This is a great example of United States of America technology, teamwork and strength in action.  Hang on for the ride!”
Yep, this is the export of America, North America, that is — a nuclear powered, $4.5 billion dollar junk-killing-droning-child-wedding party-bombing-human death toll creator.