Executions in the US--some statistics

As the end of the calendar year is (by convention) approaching, let us take a look at some numbers on the number of executions by death penalty in the US, the only western world country in the top 5 hit list for executions. Those countries are: China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the USA.

I collected some data from a prosecuting attorney's site, from the Texas Executions Information Center, and from the Death Penalty Information Center, and made a few plots. Here they are:

Executions were quite low before the 80s. At some point, they started picking up, and, in the 90s, they sky-rocketed. In the 00s they went down a bit.

Texas remains the champion, thanks, in part, the the Texas ex-governor (and then president of the US) George W Bush.

Some times, the wrong person is executed, as, for example, last year in Texas. In fact, the largest number of provably wrongful executions have taken place in Texas. (Not surprisingly, given the zeal they show in the subject of executions.) For a comparison, in the UK, a person called Timothy Evans was wrongfully executed in 1950. This played a major role in the abolishion of capital punishment in the UK in 1965. In the US, by comparison, wrongful executions have not caused any change in the law.

"Bush Candidacy Puts Focus on Executions" gives an account of what I mentioned above: the concern of people about Bush's zeal for executions. 


"A Role Model for Executions" talks about the executioner-to-be, G Scott of New Mexico who went to Texas to find out how to do his job. Scott said he came to Texas because he wanted to learn from the very best. Florida State Representative Chris Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat,claimed "They're [Texans] our role model for killing people,''

"A Closer Look at Five Cases That Resulted in Executions of Texas Inmates" describes five extroardinary execution cases. One wonders how many such cases actually exist.

I remember how impressed I was, about 10 years ago, when I learned that a single man, Charles Thomas O'Reilly, the Texas Executioner for 33 years, did not express any regret or remorse for leading 140 prisoners to their death. Here is an article from Huffington Post on this person.

Giovanni Battista Bugatti, the official executioner for the Pope from 1796 to 1865.

Gun statistics

Gun-related murder rates in the developed world  (source: Washington Post, "The U.S. has far more gun-related killings than any other developed country")

Guns in America (source: BBC News)

Gun homicides and gun ownership listed by country (source: The Guardian)

• Interactive map
• Get the data
• More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian

Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the US

And since we are touching the topic of guns, here are some facts about guns, taken from is a recent article from the Washington Post.

1. Shooting sprees are not rare in the United States. 
2. 15 of the 25 worst mass shootings in the last 50 years took place in the United States. In second place is Finland, with two entries.
3. [Wrong info]
4. Of the 11 deadliest shootings in the US, five have happened from 2007 onward.
5. America is an unusually violent country. But we're not as violent as we used to be.
6. The South is the most violent region in the United States.
7. Gun ownership in the United States is declining overall.
8. More guns tend to mean more homicide.
9. States with stricter gun control laws have fewer deaths from gun-related violence.
10. Gun control, in general, has not been politically popular.
11. But particular policies to control guns often are.
12. Shootings don't tend to substantially affect views on gun control.

Guns in churches

When George W Bush became governor of Texas, he allowed people to carry guns in churches to protect themselves from the devil. Back then I found it completely absurd. And still I do.

I decided to look around and see what's up with guns and churches in the US. Here are a few findings.

(This posting is for the benefit of many non-American friends, especially Swedes, who doubt it when I tell them that religion and guns go hand  in hand.)

 Pastor Urges His Flock to Bring Guns to Church (New York Times, June 2009)

This guy is a pastor for the New Bethel Church in Louisville, KY and is passionate about gun rights. He shoots regularly at the local firing range, and his sermon two weeks ago was on “God, Guns, Gospel and Geometry.” And on Saturday night, he is inviting his congregation of 150 and others to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to “celebrate our rights as Americans!” as a promotional flier for the “open carry celebration” puts it. Rest of the story here.

Ark. House OKs bill allowing guns in churches (Fox News, February 2009)

The Arkansas House on Wednesday approved a bill allowing concealed handguns in churches, despite hearing arguments that lawmakers should put their faith in God, not guns.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville, said she introduced the measure after a series of church shootings across the country. She said it would be up to each individual church whether to allow the concealed guns.
Pyle said at least 20 states have similar laws allowing churches to decide whether to permit concealed guns.
The rest of the story here.

Texas church offers firearms classes to defend against imaginary bands of Mexicans (AlterNet, December 2012)

The Times of London reports that several American  churches are now offering concealed firearms training in order to attract worshipers to their pews. One of these churches, Heights Baptist in San Angelo, Texas offers a particularly unusual reason why they are now training their parishioners to pack heat — in order to  prevent worship services from being disrupted by armed Mexicans: In Texas, where it’s legal to carry guns into any church without a specific no-firearms policy, Heights Baptist in remote San Angelo began offering concealed carry classes in June. The class was a response to security concerns among congregants. Pastor James Miller told NRA News:

“We’re about 150 miles from the border with Mexico and we’re very unsure about our insecure borders — about what’s coming into our cities.” 
“Personally, I feel more secure that should our worship time be interrupted by a life-threatening intrusion, that we would at least stand some kind of a chance in stopping either a mass killing or terrorizing experience.”
“Jesus advises his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword. He instructed his people to be prepared to defend themselves.” 

Story here.

Guns in church (Huffington Post: a keyword search)

Guns In Church, The Debate Over Armed Preachers Heats Up 
Want A Gun? Go To Church
The Gospel Of Guns: How Churches Use Firearms To Attract New Members 
Louisiana Moves To Allow Armed Worshippers

When I lived in Texas I was afraid of people carrying bibles. I used to think that a bible in one hand is accompanied by a  gun in the other. I don't think I was wrong.

A God's Undertaker, by John Lennox: a very brief review

I bought this book a few years ago, after the debate between John Lennox and Christopher Hitchens on the subject with the (rather silly) title "can atheism save Europe?", organized as part of the 2008 Edinburgh festival. I bought it because I found Lennox's arguments profoundly stupid, especially for someone who is professor of mathematics.

The most fundamental problem with the book is that Lennox cannot avoid "using" mathematics to "prove" that (his particular version of) god exists. Indeed, for most mathematicians, it will be clear, after scanning the book, that Lennox proves nothing. Rather, he takes the standpoint of a learned academic who tells the layman: "look, I'm a mathematician and know how to multiply numbers; therefore, when I tell you that the probability that the Universe appeared without design is 10^-40 then I know what I mean because I'm a professor of mathematics!"

This is the kind of arguments that Lennox uses. Although they can be dismissed immediately, they appear to be sophisticated to the layman, This is the only reason that Lennox appears eloquent. He disguises the same old tiresome arguments (e.g., god-of-the gaps) in "mathematics" and "science".

I pointed this out to Lennox twice, in person, but, of course, he can't reply. One of my questions was: "How come you chose to defend, support, and propagate the particular religion you speak about, i.e. your Northern Irish version of Christianity, and can't see that this is an event which is highly correlated with the fact that you grew up in Northern Ireland and that your parents had the same religion?" His reply was: "My parents were so liberal that gave me all sorts of books to read when I was little. They even gave me the Communist Manifesto. And I chose Christianity after studying lots of references."

Problem with this reply: Yes, you, say, were so enlightened and lucky, but can you say the same for everyone who adopts a religion? Can't you see the correlation between one's upbringing and one's religion? (Hint: examine the probabilities...)