Papua New Guinea Acts to Repeal Sorcery Law After Strife
written by: Matt Siegel
date published: 29 May 2013
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summary of article: Papua New Guinea's government made the decision to repeal their Sorcery Act of 1971, which criminalized the practice of sorcery and recognized the accusation of sorcery as a defense in murder cases. Papua New Guinea decided to reinstate the death penalty in certain specific situations to help stop an increase in violence against people accused of practicing black magic. Amnesty International praised Papua New Guinea for the repeal of the Sorcery Act but were uneasy about the reintroduction of the death penalty.
thoughts/emotions/observations: Papua New Guinea's repeal of the Sorcery Act was appropriate; the repeal may protect more innocent people. The death penalty was reinstated because Prime Minister Peter O'Neill felt like it would be the best way to combat violence in the country, but the reinstatement has allowed ambivalent feelings to surface. It's necessary to protect victimized people in a country, but it should be done in a way that pleases the majority.
article's relation to politics: The death penalty is a controversial topic in politics. Governments enforce it as a form of punishment for people who commit harsh crimes and tend to believe it works as a deterrence; some citizens agree with the death penalty. There are groups and individuals who are against the death penalty like Amnesty International, an organization which protects human rights, who do not believe in taking away the life of another human being.
written by: Matt Siegel
date published: 29 May 2013
click here to read this article
summary of article: Papua New Guinea's government made the decision to repeal their Sorcery Act of 1971, which criminalized the practice of sorcery and recognized the accusation of sorcery as a defense in murder cases. Papua New Guinea decided to reinstate the death penalty in certain specific situations to help stop an increase in violence against people accused of practicing black magic. Amnesty International praised Papua New Guinea for the repeal of the Sorcery Act but were uneasy about the reintroduction of the death penalty.
thoughts/emotions/observations: Papua New Guinea's repeal of the Sorcery Act was appropriate; the repeal may protect more innocent people. The death penalty was reinstated because Prime Minister Peter O'Neill felt like it would be the best way to combat violence in the country, but the reinstatement has allowed ambivalent feelings to surface. It's necessary to protect victimized people in a country, but it should be done in a way that pleases the majority.
article's relation to politics: The death penalty is a controversial topic in politics. Governments enforce it as a form of punishment for people who commit harsh crimes and tend to believe it works as a deterrence; some citizens agree with the death penalty. There are groups and individuals who are against the death penalty like Amnesty International, an organization which protects human rights, who do not believe in taking away the life of another human being.