Why did the US vote against banning the death penalty for gay people?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/10/03/why-did-the-us-vote-against-banning-the-death-penalty-for-gay-people/

The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to condemn the imposition of the death penalty for homosexuality – but the US voted against.

On Friday the United Nations body approved a motion opposing the use of the death penalty in an “arbitrarily or in a discriminatory manner”, including for homosexuality.

It called for the death penalty to be banned “as a as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations”, as well as criticising its use on minors, mentally ill people and pregnant women.

The UN motion marks the first time the Human Rights Council has condemned the death penalty for gay people.

[Doreen]

1. Because our country sucks or at least it is on its way to sucking.

[onenote]

2. Because of this provision:

2. Calls upon States that have not yet acceded to or ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of the death penalty to consider doing so;


The resolution in question did more than call for a ban on the death penalty in certain situations. Among other things, it called upon those countries that haven't acceded to or ratified the above-referenced "protocol" to consider doing so. The "protocol" in question, which was created in 1989, commits its members to the abolition of the death penalty within their borders. The US has never signed that protocol and there was zero chance it would sign a resolution that, in effect, called upon the US to do something it isn't going to agree to do -- abolish the death penalty. It didn't matter what else was in the resolution -- that language was a poison pill for the US.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. "to consider doing so." So, couldn't they "consider it" then refuse to ratify the protocol? nt

[onenote]

4. It would be odd to vote to urge ourselves to consider something we have no intention of doing

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. Oh right. That would be beneath us....

.

[onenote]

6. We've voted against a variety of UN resolutions relating to the death penalty

including several during the Obama administration. Not saying its right that we do so, just that it's not a surprise that we did so again.

[Madam45for2923]

7. Anyone who says that the 2 parties are the same is lying & has an agenda.

[spanone]

8. because a minority of voters voted for donald trump

and now the majority has to live with the insanity that is the donald trump administration