Executions by race

[packman]

Be honest, did you expect something different? Posting DOES NOT make any judgment in regard to reasons for executions, or injustices it may represent.

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[matt819]

1. Hmmm. . .

Frankly, I did expect something different.

Context and link would be helpful.

Why the apparent spike in 1999? Breakdown by state might be interesting as well. Or, the same graph showing only Texas, only Florida, and everywhere else. Or Texas and Florida, and then everywhere else.

On the one hand, the issue of capital punishment is complex, especially when you look at DNA exonerations of death row inmates, race, and the like. Or the issue on nytimes.com this morning about a woman to be executed on Monday but who has, by all appearances, really turned her life around in prison.

On the other hand, the issue is extremely simple. It's barbaric and should be stopped.

[rock]

2. Those are absolute counts

And not percentages or rates per 1000. So I cannot draw any conclusion (though I would guess the number of whites in the population is dominant - but could be wrong).

[Lurks Often]

3. One should always look at BOTh the rate and overall number

Looking at only one and not the other can lead to false conclusions, the following link is sortable by both number and rate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate#By_country

The United States at 4.7 by rate, is 111th worldwide, the island of St. Kitts and Nevis has a murder rate of roughly 8 times the U.S. and is 10th worldwide, but only had 18 murders.