Grisham on death penalty and ‘stupid’ movies
John Grisham has hit out at the United States over the death penalty.The bestselling author said today (Fri) no country had the right to execute humans.He told Austrian magazine News: “Thirty-eight (US) States still carry out the death sentence. ( ) Many verdicts based on DNA analyses are wrong. This system doesnt work. Death penalties cost millions. Almost all of the States executing it are broke.”He added: “The chemicals may only cost a few dollars, but all the trials are very expensive.”Grisham also criticised the film industry for “glorifying” murderers in “stupid movies like Natural Born Killers.”The 55-year-old said: “Thats part of our culture which is full of violence.”Speaking about his political views, the writer said he was still gutted that Hillary Clinton did not win the Democratic primaries.The Jonesboro-born author said: “(US President Barack) Obama is doing a decent job, but not a great one. I was very disappointed by his decision to send more soldiers to Afghanistan. He was against this war before he became president.”Grisham said Obama would not be re-elected if he failed to get the USA out of Afghanistan and Iraq and if the countrys economy failed to recover significantly.Asked what he thinks about ex-US President George W. Bushs reluctance of overruling death sentences, the former lawyer said: “He stuck to the law. He had the power to stop every execution though but didnt do so. He backed the death penalty. He might be a killer from a moral point of view.”Grisham denied he hoped to make the world a better place by writing. He explained: “I havent got such demands. A book can change no one. But it might make people think.”