UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinksy sheds a lot of tears over the pain and suffering executed murderers may experience when they are executed by lethal injection. In today's Orange County Register he gives four examples. Unfortunately, Chemerinksy gives no mention whatsoever to the pain and suffering experienced by their victims. Here is what Chemerinksy didn’t tell the reader:
1 Clayton Lockett (not Lockhart). He and his accomplices kidnapped 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman, beat her and tied her up while they dug her grave before Warner shot her in cold blood with a shotgun.
2 Joseph Randolph Wood III shot and murdered his ex-girlfriend Debra Dietz in cold blood after first killing her father, Eugene Dietz.
3 Dennis McGuire- McGuire was executed for the rape and murder of Joy Stewart, who was 30 weeks pregnant. McGuire stabbed his victim and slashed her throat.
4 Charles Warner. Warner was convicted of beating to death 11 month old Arienna Waller after repeatedly sexually abusing her.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/04/life_of_inmate_who_raped_murde.html
As to some witnesses hearing Warner saying, “My body is on fire,” don’t you think all of the witnesses would have heard him SCREAMING, “My body is on fire”?
And Chemerinsky tells us that the drug sodium thiopental, used to render the inmate unconscious, is no longer made in the US and the Europeans will not export it to us. As if science has come to a screeching halt. There must be something out there that will induce unconsciousness.
Of course, this could all be avoided if we went back to other forms of execution that would not be “botched‘. But Chemerinsky wants all executions halted because after all, Europe and other advanced countries don’t do it. So what? Given what is going on today in their societies (like France), they might want to reconsider.
Which reminds me. Isn't the guillotine guaranteed to produce instant death?
"Hey Pierre. I think my head fell off, Old Chap. Do you see it?"
"You're killing me, Erwin."
(No pun intended.)
In an effort believed by many to be an attempt to delay, or even stop, further executions, prior to saying that his body was "on fire" after the execution started, it was fairly widely reported that Warner said something to the effect "It feels like acid" or "It feels like poison" even before the lethal drugs began to be administered. So, believe him if you will.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just don't get it. I personally have had several different procedures/operations where I have been sedated to various degrees. At NO time did I ever experience any pain or discomfort, before, during, or after, save for the very minor "bee-sting" when stuck to start the IV.
Much ado about nothing. I am sure I would be viewed as extremist if I should recommend that perhaps we could use a massive dose of heroin, fentanyl, etc., which would give them the ride of their lives before they expire.
If we can use pot medicinally, looks to me like we can similarly use opiates for executions. Nothing cruel/unusual that I can see about shooting executees up with exactly the same medications, with the exception of heroin, which are used in hospitals thousands of times every day.
I still remember waking up on the operating table when I was 5 years old and had my tonsils taken out.
ReplyDeleteIts time to stop trying to make executions "humane," which only makes them worse (starting with the well-intentioned efforts of Dr. Joseph Guillotine), and just give the condemned a choice between hanging and firing squad. I mean, if I were going to be executed, I hope it would be in Utah.
ReplyDeleteWell, whadda ya know!!! Siarlys has apparently found one of those acorns two days in a row!!! Kinda scary, no??
ReplyDeleteMight upset your entire world view elwood. Maybe people respond to different criteria, standards, and conflicts than you ever dreamed of!
ReplyDelete