Kill Em All Theres a reason Florida moved away from Old Sparky, its once-notorious electric chair, to lethal injections: to avoid cruel and unusual punishments. Truth be told, when Florida lawmakers went into special session nearly 15 years ago to pass a law allowing for lethal injections, the state faced repeal of capital punishment by the U.S. Supreme Court for its sole use of the electric chair, which was in possible violation of constitutional bans on cruel and unusual punishment. What happened in Oklahoma last week with the latest botched execution — with a scene so horrific execution staff closed a curtain to shield official civilian witnesses — proves lethal injections are vulnerable to the same cruel results and lingering legal and moral issues previously faced by the electric chair, not to mention the guillotine, hangmans noose and gas chambers that preceded it. And the Oklahoma incident serves as the latest evidence Florida remains on the wrong path with its own troubled death penalty system. State lawmakers can no longer shield their own eyes from compounding evidence that Florida should put a hold, even temporarily, on executions.
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 01:06:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015