The One-Drug Death Penalty

Here's the two sentence summary:

Ohio is proposing to switch to using only one drug in lethal injections, instead of the 'industry' standard of three drugs -- one for unconsciousness, one for paralysis, one to stop the heart. Ohio's new formula will do the job in one dose.

Tough one. I am not solid on the death penalty -- but I'm not sold on banning it.

Ohio is trying to make things easier all around in the process of carrying out the death penalty. They had a "cruel & unusual" situation using the three drug approach during an attempt to execute a convicted child killer in September. For the first time in the history of lethal injections, Ohio's governor ordered the execution stopped after two hours of repeated needle sticking. (They couldn't find a usable vein.) Now the guy is back on Death Row, and his lawyers are arguing that his stay of execution should become permanent because the Constitution protects citizens, and criminals, against 'cruel & unusual punishment.' Which, of course, death penalty opponents say is the exact nature of lethal injection, anyway.

So. OK. Ohio has a good idea. Though, it strikes me that the one-injection penalty is like putting down an animal. It's like euthanasia. Hmm...When my yellow Lab is too old to comfortably live in this world anymore, I'll probably put her "to sleep" too. It sure won't be a punishment. I'll probably give her a last meal; probably a nice walk, if she can still walk. She won't know what hit her, though even just driving by the vet's office makes her skittish. And Bridey hasn't hurt a single person in her life. She deserves a sweet ending.

One injection, eh? Sweet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/us/14ohio.html