Death Penalty (Shoddy British products)

[Mr Plod]

I was perusing the pages of the Independent newspaper the other day whislt noshing on my cereal and the following article appealed to my somewhat warped sense of humour.

Apparently, in Arizona, USA, some murdering scumbag, had been languishing on deathrow since 1989, having been convicted of first degree murder. He had apparently strangled a chap during an armed robbery, whilst he was on the run from prison where he had been incarcerated after his conviction for a previous second degree murder.

The State of Arizona finally decided to execute him by lethal injection in November 2010.

Anyhoo his lawyers successfully put forward an objection that the lethal drug of choice, Sodium Thiopental, had been supplied by a British Company and had not been approved for use in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration.

In other words it had not been passed as being fit for human consumption. Er, It's "Lethal" ergo it defo is'nt fit for human consumption I would have thought.

A judge agreed to postpone the execution. The US Supreme Court thought otherwise and he was despatched forthwith to hell by "Lethal Injection" on 26 October 2010, using drugs supplied by an unspecified supplier, purportedly a "third world supplier" (we just can't compete with these damnable far east sweatshops).

Of course Sodium Thiopental is just part of a cocktail of drugs administered to the prisoner and is an anaesthetic used to render the prisoner unconcious. The next in the cocktail administered is Pancuronium Bromide which causes paralysis, then Potassium Chloride is administered to stop the heart.

Much more merciful than the horrible fate meted out to his victims. And defo preferable to a shot in the electric chair.

So there you have it. Fact is stranger than fiction right enough.

[ionnsaigh]

I found the description, Murdering Scumbag slightly off putting. Then again I would imagine that, dehumanising the enemy, helps to morally justify, such barbaric treatment. What did the American armed forces, call the Koreans and Vietnamese soldiers, ( Kooks ) or something of that nature. Easier to kill a Kook or a Murdering Scumbag, than say an enemy combatant or felon. ( if you catch my drift )

As a former police officer, I would imagine that you are aware that most murders are committed, in the heat of the moment. Yes, some will commit a planned premeditated murder. The best example you give, is the absolutely horrendous description of the drugs used, both in cold calculation, and in the name of Justice.

Why on the one hand, if you find murder so morally offensive, yet paradoxically on the other, demand murder as retribution, disguised in the cloak of justice ? The death penalty and a civilised society, are incompatible. What we have here in Scotland, is far more preferred, than an uglier American counterpart.

As far as the Death Penalty acting as a deterrent, recent events in Arizona clearly indicate that this is not the case.

[EMDEE]

Here is a list of the countries with which the good ol' US of A is aligning itself by its grotesque retention of the death penalty. The US does its international image no favours by being out of line with most civilised countries. Over the years we have had many examples to give us little enough faith in our own judicial system, never mind the US system.

And the USA is such a deeply religious country too.


• Afghanistan
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belize
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Chad
• China (People's Republic)
• Comoros
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guyana
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Korea, North
• Korea, South
• Kuwait
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Libya
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Mongolia
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palestinian Authority
• Qatar
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• United States
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe


http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html

Incidentally, Ionns, is the word you are looking for "Gooks"?

[bill]

I think you wil find Emdee that it is not the USA as a whole,but certain states that still have the death penalty .

And the USA is such a deeply religious country too.

If as you say the USA is such a religous country,does not the bible say............."life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand"

As stated in the thread below "Shorter sentences for Murder,my view remains the same.Yes there should be shorter sentences for murder..3 MONTHS FROM DATE OF SENTENCING TO DATE OF EXECUTION!



viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3580&hilit=capital+punishment

[EileenH]

You are right - an eye for an eye. If there is no doubt that a person has committed murder then I think they should face the same fate. Maybe that would make them think twice about doing it. Let's face it, prison life in this country isn't exactly a punishment as such. Some of them have it better than they might outside of prison. I know of someone who was in prison and had his ps2 and tv etc. Mobile phones are used and the family have their weekly visit. Mr plod, in my opinion, used the right expression.

[ionnsaigh]

I think you wil find Emdee that it is not the USA as a whole,but certain states that still have the death penalty .

Well if you can compare state for state, do the states with the penalty - have lower murder rates ?

You are right - an eye for an eye.

One must remember that the Bible is a collection of books. The New Testament was written 80 years after the death of the last Apostle. So one must take into account the accuracy, in a time when both knowledge and fact, were in their infancy, and superstition reigned supreme. I think the eye for an eye parable, has been misinterpreted, from one that stresses equality in trade, to an act of revenge. Surely one of the main tenants of biblical teaching, is to be found in the Ten Commandments. Thou Shalt Not Kill How do you as a Christian ? overcome this central component.
If you find the act of murder so morally distasteful, how can you allow for it, other than by dressing it up, and falsely justifying killing, with the old Hebrew measurement for corn exchange ?

[weetoonboy]

You are right - an eye for an eye.

The same bible in which Moses orders his men to kill all the Males "But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves (Num. 31: 18)." ie - Rape the little bitches.

Well if the bible says so, it must be alright then.

Christianity is a fancy word for Hypocrisy.

[Mod8]

Amended the thread heading for relevance and as Bill stated there was another similar thread to this which is worth a read:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3580

[EileenH]

I didn't make any quotes from the bible, having never read it. I simply said an eye for an eye. Don't really see the need for anyone to start making these quotes. The thread is simply an opinion on how murderers should be treated.

[EMDEE]

I didn't make any quotes from the bible, having never read it. I simply said an eye for an eye. Don't really see the need for anyone to start making these quotes. The thread is simply an opinion on how murderers should be treated.

Trouble is, this itself is a biblical quote, and it is the usual one that is trotted out by those who are pro-capital punishment, ignoring the fact that it is an Old Testament quotation and fails to take into account the wider view of Christianity. Besides,if we really wanted to live by the Old Testament, for starters, we would all be queueing up to get circumcised. Can't see that happening!!!!

[Isa]

Mahatma Ghandi

"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind"

[gizmo]

[Besides,if we really wanted to live by the Old Testament, for starters, we would all be queueing up to get circumcised. Can't see that happening!!!!

I would suggest there would only be about half of us in the queue

[ionnsaigh]

Women get circumcised also....

[gizmo]

Maybe in Weegieland. Not in the Toon.

[Mr Plod]

The happy ending is that the bad guy "got the good news", circumcised or otherwise.