{"id":5921,"date":"2022-09-19T08:25:41","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=5921"},"modified":"2023-07-13T11:24:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T15:24:22","slug":"how-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2022\/09\/19\/how-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"How Dead?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

 New Technique<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The state of Alabama is preparing a new method of execution.  It\u2019s called nitrogen hypoxia.   It\u2019s actually pretty simple, especially when compared to the lethal injection method.  Lethal injection involves first a drug to \u201cknock out\u201d the inmate, then a second injection to cause heart failure.  It\u2019s been a difficult mix, especially because the companies that manufacture the drugs refuse to cooperate in this \u201coff book\u201d use.  They might be acting out of conscience, but just as likely out of fear of liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nitrogen hypoxia is straight-forward.\u00a0\u00a0The inmate is fitted with a mask, and the mask is filled with 100% nitrogen, instead of the normal 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen mix that makes up our normal atmosphere.\u00a0Supposedly, the inmate will \u201cquietly pass out\u201d, then ultimately die from lack of oxygen (NBC<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s supposed to be a \u201cpeaceful\u201d death, that doesn\u2019t run afoul of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.\u00a0\u00a0 And Alabama wants to “try it out”, perhaps as soon as the day after tomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peaceful Deaths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The hypoxia plan is supposed to lead to a “peaceful death”. That was also the electric chair plan and the hanging by the neck after dropping through a scaffold plan.\u00a0\u00a0And so was the lethal injection plan.\u00a0\u00a0And all of these plans proved to be problematic.\u00a0\u00a0Those damn inmates just don\u2019t die the way they are supposed to.\u00a0\u00a0They struggle for life<\/a>, even unconscious.\u00a0\u00a0The heave and they moan, they open their eyes and they kick.\u00a0\u00a0Losing life is like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People failed to die in the electric chair, and they have to be electrocuted again and again.\u00a0\u00a0Necks don\u2019t break on the fall through the scaffold, and they kick and struggle as they strangle for minutes at the end of the rope.\u00a0\u00a0And the chemicals just don\u2019t seem to work as they are supposed to.\u00a0\u00a0One of the biggest problems with that \u2013 the \u201cexecution teams\u201d don\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing. They can’t find a vein to put an IV in, and end up doing “cut downs”. \u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s because most knowledgeable medical personnel won\u2019t have anything to do with killing someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other sure-fire methods to kill someone.  Firing squads generally work.  But it puts the burden of homicide (killing someone) on the members of the squad.  Beheading works, the old European method (the chopping block), the French mechanized method (guillotine), or the Japanese samurai method (a single swing with a Katana).  But history is replete with botched executions, from Mary Queen of Scots on.  And there\u2019s that blood problem \u2013 so much blood.  Hard to argue that it\u2019s not cruel, or unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Gas in a Hurry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But Alabama is so anxious to carry out the death penalty, they are willing to \u201cgive it a try”.  Will it work –  Probably.  Will it be cruel and unusual \u2013 well definitely unusual as it will be the first time.  By the way, animal rights advocates oppose the use of hypoxia as a means of euthanizing dogs \u2013 it\u2019s too cruel (HSUS<\/a>).  But Alabama is moving ahead with it anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which brings us to the real question:  why does the state of Alabama, or any state, feel such a strong obligation to kill people?  We already know that the death penalty is racially biased, more expensive than just keeping someone in prison for life, and doesn\u2019t serve as a deterrent to crime (deathpenaltyinfo.org<\/a>).    And, of course, sometimes we (society) kill innocent people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The death penalty is about retribution, pay-backs if you will, for the crime committed.\u00a0\u00a0It is vengeance in a Biblical sense.\u00a0\u00a0And that vengeance is very politically satisfying for a majority of the population, with 6 out of 10 Americans in favor of the death penalty in some form (Pew<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0So it’s a political position that a majority supports.\u00a0\u00a0Even though it\u2019s not a deterrent,\u00a0 more expensive,\u00a0and violates the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.\u00a0\u00a0(And before we get into the whole, \u201c\u2026well the Founding fathers used the death penalty, so it must be OK thing\u2026\u201d; keep in mind that those\u00a0\u00a0same Fathers also enslaved people, denied the citizenship of women, and slaughtered Native Americans).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alabama is finding a new way to kill.  But  states should get out of the business of killing all together.  Want to punish someone, to wreak vengeance on them?  Put them in jail for life, no parole.  It\u2019s cheaper, and it takes the blood off of the hands of the executioners, and all of the folks they represent \u2013 the citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 New Technique The state of Alabama is preparing a new method of execution.  It\u2019s called nitrogen hypoxia.   It\u2019s actually pretty simple, especially when compared to the lethal injection method.  Lethal injection involves first a drug to \u201cknock out\u201d the inmate, then a second injection to cause heart failure.  It\u2019s been a difficult mix, especially because the companies that manufacture … Continue reading “How Dead?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Dead? : Our America - Essays on Politics and American Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alabama is anxious to use the death penalty. they've found a new way to "get the job done". 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