2008 Woodie Awards
Lethal injection ruling confirms societal right
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: OpEd Page
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to allow the use of lethal injection as a means of execution-bad news for Ralph Baze and Thomas C. Bowling. These men were appealing to overturn a Kentucky court's decision to go through with their executions on the basis of the procedure violating the Eighth Amendment. The amendment reads: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." It was the opinion of the two convicted murderers, and their legal teams, that the three-step procedure was in violation of this constitutional tenet.
The process involves using a sedation agent, a paralysis agent and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart. However the problem lies with barbiturate used to sedate-if it fails there would be silent pain in the final protocol. This "pain" has never been observed in an execution, a point dismissed away by the fact that the prisoners are paralyzed before death, thus preventing any observation of such intolerable pain.
Now is the time to acquaint you with these two upstanding gentlemen. Baze is convicted of killing a sheriff and a deputy who were trying to serve him with a warrant. Bowling is convicted of killing a couple after getting into an accident with them in a parking lot. I can't imagine why these men don't deserve a pain free death. That's sarcasm-if you missed it.
Now, while the Supreme Court ruled in a seven-to-two decision to allow the use of this style of execution, most had comments to add to their consenting opinions. These comments bring to light the controversy of the morality and legality of capital punishment. You can feel most of the justices itching to set a precedent in this matter, with most preaching to abolish this practice. I can't say I agree.
First is a reason of practicality. We simply do not have the amount of prisons to keep every murderer locked up for life and store all the rest of the felons. It is also just not fiscally possible. The amount of tax dollars required to keep them interred, fed and clothed will be extravagantly more money than most people, including me, are willing to spend. I am not going to be financially responsible to pay for people who would just as soon kill me than look at me. How do these people that deplore the death penalty expect any normal person to care about the life of a murderer? It's completely illogical, but what else is new with people these days?
The process involves using a sedation agent, a paralysis agent and finally potassium chloride to stop the heart. However the problem lies with barbiturate used to sedate-if it fails there would be silent pain in the final protocol. This "pain" has never been observed in an execution, a point dismissed away by the fact that the prisoners are paralyzed before death, thus preventing any observation of such intolerable pain.
Now is the time to acquaint you with these two upstanding gentlemen. Baze is convicted of killing a sheriff and a deputy who were trying to serve him with a warrant. Bowling is convicted of killing a couple after getting into an accident with them in a parking lot. I can't imagine why these men don't deserve a pain free death. That's sarcasm-if you missed it.
Now, while the Supreme Court ruled in a seven-to-two decision to allow the use of this style of execution, most had comments to add to their consenting opinions. These comments bring to light the controversy of the morality and legality of capital punishment. You can feel most of the justices itching to set a precedent in this matter, with most preaching to abolish this practice. I can't say I agree.
First is a reason of practicality. We simply do not have the amount of prisons to keep every murderer locked up for life and store all the rest of the felons. It is also just not fiscally possible. The amount of tax dollars required to keep them interred, fed and clothed will be extravagantly more money than most people, including me, are willing to spend. I am not going to be financially responsible to pay for people who would just as soon kill me than look at me. How do these people that deplore the death penalty expect any normal person to care about the life of a murderer? It's completely illogical, but what else is new with people these days?
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