Texas, today some Americans sure wishing it really was “a whole other country.”

Starting today, Americans who travel aboard are sure to be wishing that the state of Texas were a whole other country. For any American accused of committing a crime in a foreign country, the danger increased yesterday. The freedom to contact the America Consulates may not be as ensured as it has been in the past because of Texas’ repeated violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Our President came out looking like he has not control over Texas when it comes to agreements reach by the federal government on international law. The federal legislature is responsible for fixing this issue before Texas sentences another foreign national to death in violation of international laws which as a country we gave our word we would follow.

Conservative Republicans worked very hard to put Constitutional Originalists on the highest court in the land, The U.S. Supreme Court. Their success has resulted in a major reduction in the safety of the American people. Conservative activists justices have in the recent past question past precedent on everything from women’s rights to the right to privacy. They have repeatedly sided with large corporate interests over those of the American people. Their views as Constitutional Originalists are that the wording of the U.S. Constitution should only relate to the meaning understood in 1789. At that time in our country’s history women were looked upon as property, children worked long hard days in unsafe working conditions, and African Americans were slaves.

New Mexicans need to be only too conscious of these trends because we have a republican governor. She appoints republicans to the bench in this state after close door meetings to decide the nominees by what hopefully amounts to a bipartisan committee. We need to make sure that our local courts stay progressive in their views of the law. We want judges that know that bonds are not a form of punishment because someone accused of a crime is not guilty until proven innocent. Clearly, the state carries the burden to prove someone guilty before the state can punish a defendant. We do not want to see junk science used in our courtrooms. We want judges who protect women’s rights, labor union rights, the rights of the poor, and the rights of minorities. We do not want to see republicans appointed to the courts by this governor reelected to those seats in the future, so the voting public needs to work hard to let everyone know who those judges are in this state. As the voting public, we must not support the people the governor appoints to the state bench because we understand the threat to our local freedoms for fair and balanced justice.

Now is the time to remove sitting republican judges to prevent them from moving into higher positions within our court system. Our Second Judicial District Court system has very few sitting republican judges but thanks to the conservative news media, we are now learning who they are, and what their changes are of the governor awarding them higher positions. Democrats need to understand that our duty and responsibility is preventing the reelected to the bench of these individual. Since republicans have started this war on our constitutional rights, it is up to the democratic voting public to finish it once and for all.

Texas’ Love of the Uncivilized Death Penalty May Cost Americans Aboard

“It shocks the conscience and sense of justice of the people.” by Justice Marshall. Execution in another country of an American without that person’s freedom to contact the American Consulate surely would shock the American public. Assigning the case to the equivalent of an ineffective corrupt public defender likely would further shock Americans. Americans seeing unproven (junk) science used to convict the American would think it inexcusable. Americans executed after denial of every possible defense for the crimes committed in another country would cause public outcries of anger. Knowing the American Consulate could have provided highly skilled lawyers to defend that person would result in further anger. Therefore, why would we do the same to a foreign national in this country? We all know that the world follows our lead on these issues.

To no one’s surprise, Texas is attempting once again to violate the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The State of Texas tied, convicted and sentenced to death a Mexican National by name of Humberto Leal for the crime of rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. He is due to be executed tomorrow. The man has no prior criminal history. He also suffers from brain damage and childhood sexual abuse. President Obama asked the Texas Governor to stay the execution for the time being until the issues surrounding the case are worked out but he unreasonable refused. The Bush Administration even asked for judicial review of the case along with the international community, but the Texas government flat out refused the request.

Clearly, Texas is running amok with the love of executions. Texas will violate international law tomorrow unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in to stay the execution and the results may force Americans to pay the consequences for their uncivilized actions in the future. The world will see America as barbaric and uncivilized.