Stop the drug runners! On the death penalty and the fickleness of Tony

Before I get lambasted, I would like to make clear that I am against the death penalty. I think when a state starts saying it's OK for them to kill people in certain circumstances, it opens the possibility for many others to justify killing people for whatever reasons of their own. It's just a matter of the state saying "my reasons are better than your reasons". In all honesty, I am against the whole punishment model of crime and believe in reparation, reconciliation and rehabilitation and why is a whole other extensive discussion.

Despite this, however, I am struggling with the current popular movement against the execution of the Bali Nine guys. Sure, I don't think they should actually be killed. My problem is, why are we suddenly all up in arms about these guys? Texas killed 279 people between 2001 and 2014. Singapore killed 59 people for drug offences alone in the same time. Saudi Arabia executed 79 just last year and Amnesty International states that whilst information about death sentences is a state secret in China, it is thought they killed more people than the rest of the world combined. In the light of this, shouldn't we be a little more vigorous in our rejection of the death penalty worldwide? Or are we comfortable with the idea that it's only wrong when it happens to be some Australians involved? Or at least when they are on the receiving side. Did Australia complain when the Bali bombers were executed? No. In fact, they were tacitly supportive.

Then of course, we have Tony and Julie making appeals for clemency. Hang on, I thought the death penalty was supposed to deter people from committing crimes? So it's OK for Tony to lock 1000s of innocent people up indefinitely in appalling conditions as a deterrent to STOP THE BOATS, but it's not OK for another country, whose laws clearly state the consequence for drug dealing, to kill convicted drug runners when all they want to do is STOP THE DRUG RUNNERS??? Of course, Australia likes to couch their stance as saving lives at sea. So 1000s are locked up as a deterrent to people risking their lives at sea so they can instead risk their lives by staying at home. Ignoring the idea that punishment as deterrence is not actually all that effective, these people haven't even done anything to be punished for! Indonesia is concerned that they have 5 900 000 drug users and 50 deaths per day from drugs, not to mention being a focal point for drug trafficking. Indonesia sees their law as saving lives at home. Is the death penalty really reducing drug trafficking in Indonesia? Probably not. But that doesn't change that both countries are justifying the unjustifiable as protecting their country.

Latest athlete-model uncovered!

I was at the crag yesterday and had the privilege of shooting the latest up and coming climbing model. He's got great talent. Climbs 400 days per year. Spends 28/7 monitoring social media. Check out his slideshow below*.




Ok, so they look a bit ridiculous. Would they look any less ridiculous if I had shot a well known climbing hunk in this way? Say Chris Sharma? I don't think so. Try this as well for another idea of how images look when we shoot men in the same way as we shoot women.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3021444/the-hot-underwear-models-selling-this-motorcycle-are-not-what-you-would-expect




*With much appreciation to my gorgeous partner for the immense fun had creating those images.