Arizona must stop psychological torture of its death row inmates
Jun 27, 2016, 4:58 PM
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
So Arizona has eliminated the use of sleeping medications used in executions. The state’s supply expired on May 31.
Now let’s be real — medical expiration dates? I have pain medicines in the cabinet that expired two years ago and still get the job done.
Anyway.
The state has two other options, but can’t seem to get their hands on any of the supply, so all executions are on hold. Indefinitely.
Let me be clear: I am a huge fan of the death penalty. I believe it serves its purpose.
There are people in this world that we choose to remove from society and a handful of those are so bad that we don’t even want them breathing the same air that we enjoy. THAT’S what executions are for.
Now, let’s get to the bottom of Arizona’s execution pause: Cruel and unusual punishment.
We can ditch the unusual part because we have been executing criminals since we became a nation.
That leaves us with cruel. The hard fact is this, death hurts. It is not designed to be comfortable.
I have no problem with there being a bit of pain while someone is executed. I’m sure their victims didn’t get the same respect.
But there is an element of cruel and unusual going on here in Arizona, and it needs to end now!
I don’t hold a lot of sympathy for death row inmates and I don’t think that executions are cruel and unusual. However, I do think that psychological torture of an inmate is cruel and unusual.
Isn’t this what we are looking at here?
Imagine you are on death row and scheduled for execution. The state tells you that you won’t be executed today because a legal fight, but it might be over tomorrow. Then we’ll kill you.
Nope, not over tomorrow. Maybe next week. Then we’ll kill you.
Hey, the state might get rid of executions all together. But if not, we’ll kill you then for sure.
Oh, and by the way, about the sleeping medication we give you before we stop your heart? It might not work.
Even I have a problem with this kind of nonsense! The state and its attorneys better get this right and soon. There is no need to subject anyone to that kind of torture.
