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The Death Penalty in Louisiana

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Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#31

Post by blfr »

tP5n wrote: post #28
gadders wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So they wouldn't supply medication for assisted suicide either? Also, allowing people to opt out on supplying the drug on matters of conscience is a slippery slope. What about letting people opt-out of providing abortions? Or marrying gay couples? A case could made for people refusing to do these as matters of conscience as well.

No, it's not a slope. Gay marriage and the death penalty are two very different things and I can't believe I'm typing this out. There also numerous reasons to be against the death penalty but not abortions, but something tells me I'd rather not have this discussion here and now [1]. [1] for what it's worth, an example not related but relevant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9770221

They're not very different if you believe that personal ethical beliefs can be used as a justification to not provide a service.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#32

Post by DanBC »

tokenadult wrote: post #11
sschueller wrote: post #9

Why does the US use a complex 3 injection cocktail? In countries where assisted suicide is legal people just swallow a pill and go peacefully to sleep. Yet in the US there is this "crisis" of not being abel to source the injections needed. Pets are also put down very easily with a single injection which makes them go to sleep and the heart beats slower and slower until it stops in a few minutes.

Yet in the US there is this "crisis" of not being abel to source the injections needed. Many medical doctors (persons with legal authority to prescribe drugs) and pharmacists (persons with legal authority to dispense drugs) object to capital punishment, and thus will not supply prisons with drugs that have the sole purpose of killing someone.

The other problem with sourcing is the manufacturers refusing to sell medications for use in execution.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/19/death-penalty-b...

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#33

Post by Jtsummers »

gadders wrote: post #16
tokenadult wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yet in the US there is this "crisis" of not being abel to source the injections needed. Many medical doctors (persons with legal authority to prescribe drugs) and pharmacists (persons with legal authority to dispense drugs) object to capital punishment, and thus will not supply prisons with drugs that have the sole purpose of killing someone.

So they wouldn't supply medication for assisted suicide either? Also, allowing people to opt out on supplying the drug on matters of conscience is a slippery slope. What about letting people opt-out of providing abortions? Or marrying gay couples? A case could made for people refusing to do these as matters of conscience as well.

> What about letting people opt-out of providing abortions? Or marrying gay couples? A case could made for people refusing to do these as matters of conscience as well.

They already can to both your examples. No doctor (excepting, perhaps, military doctors stationed overseas, or so I've been told but not confirmed) can be forced to perform an abortion. Similarly, no member of the clergy is forced to marry gay couples. The only people required to do so, now, would be state officials (justice of the peace) whose job it is to perform weddings and who work for the public (rather than being part of a private, though religious, practice).

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#34

Post by Jtsummers »

sageabilly wrote: post #13

"Cox does not believe that the death penalty works as a deterrent, but he says that it is justified as revenge." That is so, so fucked up. An attorney, someone whose job it is to impartially argue the law, equally to everyone, saying "Yeah you know, we kill people FOR REVENGE ." Not even, you know, hey if we have the death penalty it'll maybe make people think twice about committing a serious crime, but straight up s…

DA, not judge. But yes, it's fucked up.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#35

Post by pjc50 »

Shivetya wrote: post #17

The death penalty isn't the problem and never has. There are far too many people who have no place in society and there is zero benefit to society to continue their existence. That being said, abuse by the legal system of those who cannot afford to defend themselves properly has gone on for far too long and its not just a Southern thing. From the bail bond market to the plea bargain junket of Federal Courts, justice…

There are far too many people who have no place in society and there is zero benefit to society to continue their existence

That's the sort of rhetoric that normally preceeds genocides.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#36

Post by geographomics »

gadders wrote: post #16
tokenadult wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yet in the US there is this "crisis" of not being abel to source the injections needed. Many medical doctors (persons with legal authority to prescribe drugs) and pharmacists (persons with legal authority to dispense drugs) object to capital punishment, and thus will not supply prisons with drugs that have the sole purpose of killing someone.

So they wouldn't supply medication for assisted suicide either? Also, allowing people to opt out on supplying the drug on matters of conscience is a slippery slope. What about letting people opt-out of providing abortions? Or marrying gay couples? A case could made for people refusing to do these as matters of conscience as well.

Same drugs but with different intent. Assisted suicide is a compassionate medical treatment for end stage incurable diseases, with full consent of the person being treated. Execution by the state is a coercive, non-medical procedure that deliberately causes harm.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#37

Post by DanBC »

seivan wrote: post #23
ablation wrote: post #14

No matter how many times I read about the death penalty in America, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it still exists, that the powers that be kill their own citizens in such a way. It's so incredibly horrifying to me that it almost becomes an abstract concept, but then you read an article like this and - guilty or innocent - the true human cost and all that associated suffering comes right back to you.

What do you suggest in regards for money being spent on containing people who have zero chance on rehabilitation? Sweden can't afford cancer medication for certain people, but has no issues containing violent sadists. http://www.svd.se/effektiv-cancermedicin-anvands-inte http://www.sydsvenskan.se/skane/hon-fick-ny-cancermedicin-ut... Some people in the middle east tortured children, women and committed other atrociti…

The death penalty is more expensive than life in prison.

If the US didn't imprison so many people they'd easily be able to afford to house the actually violent criminals.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#38

Post by ikeboy »

scrrr wrote: post #30
ablation wrote: post #14

No matter how many times I read about the death penalty in America, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it still exists, that the powers that be kill their own citizens in such a way. It's so incredibly horrifying to me that it almost becomes an abstract concept, but then you read an article like this and - guilty or innocent - the true human cost and all that associated suffering comes right back to you.

Having the death penalty also seems to be a very un-Christian thing. Relevant, if a large portion of the population define themselves as Christians.

That was addressed in the article, though.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#39

Post by DanBC »

Justsignedup wrote: post #20
Shivetya wrote: post #17

The death penalty isn't the problem and never has. There are far too many people who have no place in society and there is zero benefit to society to continue their existence. That being said, abuse by the legal system of those who cannot afford to defend themselves properly has gone on for far too long and its not just a Southern thing. From the bail bond market to the plea bargain junket of Federal Courts, justice…

The death penalty is a problem: - it never really acts as a deterrent - often the person on death row is basically in solitary confinement. So even if they are released, they are released crazy - the penalty is quite final. there is no appealing afterwards - it is mostly about revenge - ripe with abuse

A lot more expensive than just keeping people in prison.

Re: The Death Penalty in Louisiana

#40

Post by happyscrappy »

tP5n wrote: post #28
gadders wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So they wouldn't supply medication for assisted suicide either? Also, allowing people to opt out on supplying the drug on matters of conscience is a slippery slope. What about letting people opt-out of providing abortions? Or marrying gay couples? A case could made for people refusing to do these as matters of conscience as well.

No, it's not a slope. Gay marriage and the death penalty are two very different things and I can't believe I'm typing this out. There also numerous reasons to be against the death penalty but not abortions, but something tells me I'd rather not have this discussion here and now [1]. [1] for what it's worth, an example not related but relevant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9770221

>I'd rather not have this discussion here and now

Yes, because you want politics on HN, but only the politics you agree with. All political articles should be flagged.

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