One very obvious and odious form of State sanctioned killing you have overlooked Bill is that of the innocent in Australia....a real elephant in the room. The 100,000 innocent unborn children killed by abortion every year. In 2008 the State of Victoria sanctioned the most liberal abortion legislation in the world..abortion up to birth. Politicians exercising their consciences, denied doctors and nurses the right to exercise their consciences and opt out of the killing Imagine the outrage if an opponent of capital punishment was forced onto the rifle range to shoot the two tragic reformed drug smugglers in Indonesia recently. Thomas Jefferson believed the first responsibility of government was to protect human life. How many of them even knew this..one ignorant MP raised the spectre of "single girls having babies "...note not "single boys fathering babies" ..and how society could possibly deal with this. Surely it is up to Government to give a hand up to the more vulnerable in our society...what about public housing? Is the best an MP can do is to point a young woman in the direction of an abortion clinic instead of ensuring everyone had a right to roof over their head? What is parliament about if it is not about people?

I am not sure exactly what this author is saying, but I know it is nothing to do with abortion Denny. Maybe you could start your own sermon, sorry -thread- about that subject?

I agree that if our Government are so keen on saving the lives of convicted Australian criminals on death row in other countries, then surely they should not report our citizens going to other countries to fight with extremist groups?
Isn't that in effect signing their death warrant too?

Maybe they should just let these rogue travelers return to Australia and then try them in our courts here?

If you can't see the connection between the range of forms of State sanctioned killing addressed in this article and State sanctioned abortion..and lament the loss of 100,000 innocent human lives on top of the two young reformed Australian drug smugglers in Indonesia recently.....I can only suggest the problem lies within yourself Suseonline. All I am saying is, Don't forget the babies Bill, 100,000 of them a year!

Dear Denny,

Don't forget the impregnated women who for one reason or another would not want to go to term. They have rights also. As far as I am concerned the right of an adult pregnant woman to terminate her pregnancy should prevail over any right of the fetus.

david f

yes as usual deflect the 99% of babies murdered for convenience sake by blurring the tiny percentage killed because of rape or health reasons. Might make you feel better but does not change the truth. Thanks Denny for pointing out the obvious.

Dear runner,

Truth is apparently defined as what you agree with. Please cite any statistics to substantiate your statement that 99% of abortions are for convenience. It sounds like another statement which has no basis in fact. I don't think you care about pregnant women at all. Your sympathy seems to be reserved for fetuses regardless of the damage it might do to a woman to go to term.