Wednesday 10 September 2014

How do you kill a human being?

Well, if it's America's death rows you're talking about, the answer is, with difficulty.

There have been endless articles/discussions about whether or not the inmates suffer when subjected to the lethal injection; one man recently took two hours to die. Two whole hours. It takes a rare kind of genius to extend final suffering for that length of time. Burning at the stake might have been quicker.

And yet anyone who has ever had an anaesthetic knows that long before the patient has counted up to ten, he's out for the count. After that, a prisoner could be executed by any means the executing state chose. Moreover, anaesthetic drugs are widely available, used in all hospitals. Vets use them, too.  I saw my horse being humanely put down within seconds, and a horse is a lot bigger than a human being.

Is the object to further punish someone who may already have been in solitary confinement half a lifetime (in Texas, anyway)? I'm beginning to think it might be. Whatever the reason, with this kind of barbaric treatment  (putting aside the years and years of solitary misery already endured by some prisoners), a country that allows it cannot ever credibly condemn human rights abuse in other countries.

I'm thinking today of "my" prisoner, whose birthday it is next week. I cannot wish him a happy birthday; just the ability to endure. Until, of course, it's his turn.

21 comments:

  1. Like you, I cannot understand why a 'lethal injection' should not be instantaneous. As you rightly say, a Vet' would probably do the job in seconds.

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  2. My husband often says the same, Frances - so inhumane in this day and age.

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    1. Rosemary, they had to give up on one guy, after hours trying to get e needle in his vein!

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    2. Should have flown him to Hartlepool. Left him on a street. They would have hung him for them.
      Folk in Hartlepool are proud of hanging a monkey. It looked a bit like them but couldn't speak like them.
      I don't go near the place.

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  3. I don't understand it either, Frances x

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  4. Every civilised country would kill humanely (and thus almost instantly). The US does not. Ergo the US is not a civilised country (although many of it's inhabitants may well be). That says it all given the US's record.
    No right-minded person could understand.

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    1. I totally agree (although a lot depends on the individual states).

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    2. Thou shall not kill.


      Unless someone really is annoying then it's manslaughter. Or womenslaughter.

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  5. You're absolutely right. I've said the same thing myself. It doesn't make a lick of sense to "experiment" with all those mystery drug combinations, when they already know about anesthetics and gentle methods of euthanization.

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  6. What I don't understand is how it can still be going on. How can the US interfere in other country's barbaric ways and yet act as they do.

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    Replies
    1. Maggie, many Americans have no idea what goes on.

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    2. They watch Fox News. It bears no relation to what is going on. It does have over groomed presenters and is good for a laugh.

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  7. Many Americans are intelligent and humane. Unfortunately they are outnumbered by the inhumane, the religious bigots, the sadists and the just plain stupid.
    Texas, and the mid-western states are awful places full of illiterate ignoramuses. The eastern states are fine.
    The fact that Americans could put G. W. Bush in charge of the country when any civilised nation wouldn't let him loose with a potato peeler says it all.

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    1. Well. - if rather energetically - said, Adrian!

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    2. I need an editor.
      'when any civilised nation'
      should read.
      ' When any civilised household.'

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  8. It's always puzzled me too, Frances.
    Adrian's comment about GWB made me laugh.

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    1. Thanks, Keith. I rely on Adrian for lively comments!

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    2. It's not a laughing matter.

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    3. Arian, you're remarkably active today. Have you been at those mushrooms again?

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