By this time tomorrow night, the state of South Carolina will have executed Calvin Shuler for the 1997 murder of James Brooks during an armed robbery. It will be the latest in a long string of revenge killings conducted in the name of justice. Sadly, most of these state-sponsored murders have been committed in the South. Rankings by state of the number of executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977 show that 10 out of the top 12 are in the South. Texas, the state that brought us the most blood-thirsty cowboy in US history, leads the pack.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the list looks like this:

TEXAS: 395
VIRGINIA: 98
OKLAHOMA: 84
MISSOURI: 66
FLORIDA: 64
NORTH CAROLINA: 43
GEORGIA: 39
SOUTH CAROLINA: 36
ALABAMA: 36
LOUISIANA: 27
ARKANSAS: 27
ARIZONA: 23

The numbers are even more frightening when measured against what’s happening in the rest of the world. Amnesty International reports:

* 129 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.
* Last year, 91 percent of executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and the United States.

Looks like our Cowboy in Chief may have more in common with his enemies than he might think.

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