I completely understand why murder victims' families and friends would want to kill the person who heinously took their loved ones away. If someone harmed my son, husband, siblings, parents...hey, if someone shot my dog...I'd want revenge.
Still, how can we tell the world that killing is wrong, then punish the guilty by killing them? I'm still wondering how I'm going to explain this to my son someday when he's "old enough to understand." I'm 34, and I sure don't get it.
Compounding my confusion is the latest death-row saga, as California's oldest condemned inmate was given a lethal injection overnight. I'm trying to figure out the moral of this tale.
Just the first of many observations I've made from this:
Our country does not allow physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who want to take control of their destiny before their illness rots away their withering bodies and leaves them to suffer in an agonizing, pain-searing earthly purgatory before passing.*
However, because we so value the "sanctity of life," if you're a feeble, elderly condemned man and begin to pass away naturally, we'll revive you...so that we may stick lethal poisons in your system and have the pleasure of killing you ourselves -- twice if we have to.
Welcome to America.
(*The U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled in favor of allowing states to decide whether to enact legislation allowing physician-assisted suicide, upholding the wishes of Oregon voters.)
Still, how can we tell the world that killing is wrong, then punish the guilty by killing them? I'm still wondering how I'm going to explain this to my son someday when he's "old enough to understand." I'm 34, and I sure don't get it.
Compounding my confusion is the latest death-row saga, as California's oldest condemned inmate was given a lethal injection overnight. I'm trying to figure out the moral of this tale.
Death row elder needed 2 injections
Wednesday, January 18, 2006; Posted: 9:48 a.m. EST (14:48 GMT)
SAN QUENTIN, California (AP) -- With the help of four big prison guards, Clarence Ray Allen shuffled from his wheelchair to a gurney inside San Quentin's death chamber early Tuesday, a day after his 76th birthday. Despite the fact he had suffered a heart attack only months before, the barrel-chested prisoner's heart proved strong right to the end: Doctors had to administer a second shot of potassium chloride to stop it. Allen had asked prison authorities to let him die if he went into cardiac arrest before his execution, a request prison officials said they would not honor.
"At no point are we not going to value the sanctity of life," said prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon. "We would resuscitate him," then execute him.
Just the first of many observations I've made from this:
Our country does not allow physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who want to take control of their destiny before their illness rots away their withering bodies and leaves them to suffer in an agonizing, pain-searing earthly purgatory before passing.*
However, because we so value the "sanctity of life," if you're a feeble, elderly condemned man and begin to pass away naturally, we'll revive you...so that we may stick lethal poisons in your system and have the pleasure of killing you ourselves -- twice if we have to.
Welcome to America.
(*The U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled in favor of allowing states to decide whether to enact legislation allowing physician-assisted suicide, upholding the wishes of Oregon voters.)
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