[LINK] NYT: Snowden is a whistleblower and should be offered a plea to return home

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

On 2/01/2014 2:30 PM, Fernando Cassia wrote:
> Great, well researched editorial with lots of links
> http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/opinion/edward-snowden-whistle-blower.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Demonstrates that Law is not the same as Justice.

 From the Law Report this week on Radio National

"The US now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Our 
prison population has grown from about 300,000 in 1972 to 2.3 million 
today. We have an additional 5 million people on probation and parole. 
We have five per cent of the world’s population and 25 per cent of the 
world’s incarcerated population, so they are the highest rates on the 
planet."

This quote is from a report called "Children jailed for life in US"
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/brian-stevenson/5147612

"Imagine committing a crime as a child and being locked up in an adult 
prison for the rest of your life with no prospect of release.

This is the case for over 2,000 children convicted of homicide offences 
across the United States.

Last year a human rights lawyer successfully argued in the United States 
Supreme Court that the mandatory sentencing laws responsible for the 
indefinite detention of children are unconstitutional."


Is it any wonder that many Americans do not trust their government? On 
the other hand, maybe they get the democracy they deserve. I hope 
Australia deserves and gets better.


-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Sydney Australia
email: brd at iimetro.com.au
web:   www.drbrd.com
web:   www.problemsfirst.com
Blog:  www.problemsfirst.com/blog