(Source: Virgin.com)
It was very sad to hear about the eight people executed by firing squad by the Indonesian government, including two Australians.
The death penalty is cruel. People who traffic drugs may be desperate, reckless, foolish, greedy or a combination of all of these things, but they are still people. And killing people is barbaric.
The evidence has shown that the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. Drugs are a problem in many countries, but executing drug mules and distributors misses the broader perspective that drugs are a social problem caused by supply and demand.
The people who traffic drugs don’t control the supply. They are caught in the middle of a larger game and killing them won’t put an end to the drug trade. It also does nothing to improve public health, educate young people or rehabilitate drug addicts.
#IStandForMercy