Thursday, March 17, 2011

Is "Old Sparky" Coming Back?

Might happen, as one of the execution drugs, sodium thiopental is now unavailable in the United States. Georgia directly imported some from a garage lab in the UK, which resulted in a raid by the DEA.

So the states are switching to pentobarbital, which is mainly used to euthanize animals. There is one company that makes it in the U.S., and the company is not happy with the drug being used in executions, especially since they are a subsidiary of a Danish company, so look for them to eventually stop production once the pressure on them builds.

Which may end up making it more difficult for your vet to put down your ailing pet. But hey, a price must be paid for Texas and the other states to continue executing people.

6 comments:

  1. I don't see the point, as hanging is a mature technology, and was perfected by the Brits by 1845. Or the Russian method--single shot to the head. All of this other folderol is to make it palatable--if you have to gussie it up enough to make death palatable, you're lying to yourself.

    And if it makes you that uncomfortable, then don't do it.

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  2. A good hemp rope works every time and if the occasional head rips off, so be it. Let the public see what is being done in their name. And forget about paying someone else to do it, make it the governors job. How many governors have the balls to actually spring the trap?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Montag--AFAIK, only one did that, from NY at the turn of the last century, I think it was Grover Cleveland. I concur. If you're gonna do it, own it. Or go home.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Montag, I remember reading of one execution where the convict put on about 40lbs between the time they weighed him (to determine the drop distance) and when they hung him. So his head came off. But can you imagine what it would have been like in Texas if Bush got to kick open the trap? On the other hand, he'd have probably stayed as governor.

    William, agreed. "Humane execution" is an oxymoron.

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  5. Some years back when Oregon had a referendum to bring back the death penalty I was approached by a petitioner who was in favor of it. I proposed that I was all for it, provided that they selected the executioner from the registered voters with no opt out allowed. The person was horrified.

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  6. William - Grover Cleveland sprung the trap when he was Sheriff of Erie County on the premise that he should know what he was asking someone else to do. The records show he did one other execution.

    ReplyDelete

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