Subject: Consensus on execution: Larry, I applaud the majority of the Supreme Court justices for deciding to bar the execution of people who committed crimes as juveniles. This is definitely a positive move away from some of the barbaric practices of our government that have been exposed in the last year, even as we impugn other nations on human-rights abuses. I am baffled by the claim by the dissenting justices that a national consensus against juvenile executions does not exist. In reference to the fact that 20 of 38 death penalty states allow executing defendants under age 18, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, “Words have no meaning if the views of less than 50 percent of death-penalty states can constitute a national consensus.” Our nation consists of 50 states (not 38). 12 of which do not support the death penalty at all. That means 60 percent of states do not allow execution of minors. If 51 percent of voters define a mandate, 60 percent of states can easily be a national consensus. Lisa

RESPONSE: And Scalia is the guy that most of the bigoted ultra right wing base of the Republican Party want to see elevated to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. These are of course the base of the "compassionate" wing of the Republican party that oppose death for a few zygote cells but have no problem vigorously supporting the death of a 14 year old minority child. Well, at least with the recent decision outlawing the death penalty for children the blood hungry "compassionate" base will still be able to look forward to the execution of the poor and minorities.