Apr 16 2008
Use of Lethal Injection Upheld
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The US Supreme Court has upheld the use of lethal injection as a means of execution for prisoners. Two Kentucky inmates challenged the use of lethal injection, citing it as cruel and unusual punishment, which has resulted in executions, nationwide, being put on hold while the court reviewed the case. The court rejected the case by a vote of 7 to 2 however.
Now, if only they would do something about inmates sitting on death row for years (sometimes even decades) before finally getting executed.
States began using the three-drug method in 1978 as an alternative to historic methods of execution such as electrocution.
However, in recent years there have been botched lethal injection executions in Florida and California, in which inmates took up to 30 minutes to die.
A 2005 study also sparked controversy by suggesting the amount of sedation given might not be enough to stop the inmate feeling the painful effects of the other drugs - but would prevent him crying out.
I can understand the concern over their deaths not being quick which essentially results in the prisoner being “tortured” to death. (I confess that a part of me thinks they probably deserve it, but that’s for another time.) However, when it comes to execution, it seems that lethal injection is actually the most “humane” method to date. Death by electrocution, is messy, painful, and takes a long time to be sure the prisoner is dead. Firing squad, also does not ensure that death will come quickly. Unless one of the shooters hits a vital spot, say the heart, there is no guarantee that the prisoner will die quickly and not in severe pain. Hanging/strangulation, again, not necessarily quick either. Unless the neck snaps immediately, they’re going to hanging there for a bit.
Frankly, I can’t help but to wonder if this was really just another attempt to have execution eliminated entirely.
4 Responses to “Use of Lethal Injection Upheld”
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If you do the crime, you gotta pay with the time. In the instances of death penalties, rather than being so concerned with the criminal’s suffering we ought to be more concerned with the pain and suffering inflicted on the innocent victim(s) and their loved ones. Their blood cries out for justice, and a civil society metes it out judiciously.
I, for one, don’t believe in the death penalty. Death is too good for these people - I think they should rot and be miserable, but I can see where that wouldn’t be beneficial to the tax payers. I’d rather see them get the electric chair than lethal injection - At least with the electric chair, as soon as the circuit is complete, the body is killed. There’s no room for error.
What you see on television isn’t always real. The electric chair isn’t like in Sin City - Your body can’t live through an electric current of that magnitude.
im sure it was another attempt to put an end to the death penalty but at least that will never happen. if they are all worried about a quick death, then they should just behead them. quick and to the point
~Mike
Using death penalty for convicts’ execution has already been a big issue to so many countries. I guess it will remain that way for we all have our own values and morals that we cling on to. There are also several things that influence us, especially in such sensitive topics.