Morals and Ethics

Death Penalty
By: Pedro Rico
http://phrico.weebly.com/
Have you ever been interested as to why the death penalty is such a controversial

topic? I think we all understand that one shouldnt kill, but why shouldnt you? I mean no

ones going to stop you, theyre just laws after all. However, if we live through a maxim

that I can kill, therefore everyone can kill, ends in self-defeat. Meaning that you also

give permission for anyone, to kill you; now is that the kind of world we want to live in?

Of course not, so why do we allow the institutions to do it? We know we cant commit

murder ourselves so weve given that task to the judicial system without ever thinking of

the consequences. In my report I will be talking about: where we are as a country and

the methods that we are currently using to kill our citizens.

Now at this moment the majority of americans favor the death penalty, however, in the

past 40 years there has been a significant drop in favorability and an increase

opposition. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in 2015, that reports less

support for the death penalty especially among democrats; in addition, to supporters

and opponents that see a risk of executing the innocent.

The support of the death penalty was much higher in 1996, which 78% Americans were

in favor while only 18% were opposed.1

The drop in support over the past two decades can be contributed to democrats; who

currently have a split opinion on the matter, with 40% in favor and 56% against the

1
Oliphant, Baxter Support for death penalty lowest in more than four decades. Pewresearch.org
death penalty. In 1996 democrats favored capital punishment by a wide margin (71% to

25%). Republican opinion on the death penalty hasnt changed much; 77% favor the

death penalty, down from 87% in 1996. As for independence there has been a drop

from 79% to 57% who are in favor of the death penalty.

As a nation we havent reached a moral consensus on the death penalty, what we do

know is that 63% of Americans believe that the death penalty is morally justified, in

contrast to the 31% who think it is morally wrong and with 6% who claims it depends or

dont know.

Breaking down the demographics we see that the share of women who favor the death

penalty has dropped since 2011 as for men their views have virtually gone unchanged.

There is also a wide racial difference that persist; while 6 out of 10 whites favor the

death penalty; compared to people of color who have a low favorability on it.

However, there does seem to be a general agreement in that there is a risk of executing

the innocent; or whether there are adequate safeguards in place. Majorities across

every demographic and partisan group see some risk that an innocent person will be

put to death, including 74% of blacks, and 70% each of whites and Hispanics.

This also includes Democrats independents and Republicans who say there is a risk of

executing an innocent person.

 Currently we have 32 states that practice the death penalty and 18 states2 have

abolished the death penalty. Well for the states that continue with the practice, theyve

adopted what they believe to be the most humane methods of killing their citizens3.

hanging has been legally practiced since the nation's birth; a lot of thought goes into it,

the rope cant be too short or strangulation could take up to 45 mins, too long and the

person would be decapitated the rope, which should be of an inch to 1 of an inch

in diameter, it must then be boiled and stretched to eliminate spring or coiling. The knot

should be lubricated with wax or soap "to ensure a smooth sliding action," according to

the 1969 U.S. Army manual. (The Corrections Professional, 1996 and Hillman, 1992)

Now, if the person has a strong neck this could lead to a slow asphyxiating death, if this

occurs the face becomes engorged, the tongue protrudes, the eyes pop, the body

defecates, and violent movements of the limbs occur. (The Corrections Professional,

1996 and Weisberg, 1991)

Next weve moved on to the Firing Squad: could be dated back to the American Civil

War (1861), at the current moment 3 states carry out this form of capital punishment

oklahoma, mississippi and utah. as an alternative or back up. Utahs 1960 execution

was known to be the last execution by firing squad for two decades until the ban on

capital punishment was lifted in 1976 and from there weve had 3 instances of the firing

squad being used and all of them were conducted in Utah.

2
32 states with the death penalty and 18 states with death penalty bans. ProCon.org
3
Descriptions of Execution Methods. Deathpenaltyinfo.org
The Electric Chair: Alfred P. Southwick wanted another method to kill citizens who

were facing death row, and conceived an idea that electricity could potentially be the

most humane way of killing someone rather than hanging them. He succeeded and this

mechanism is known to us as the electric chair, first jolt of electrical current is intended

to shut down the brain going unconscious or brain death, the second volt is to cause

fatal damage to vital organs death could also occur due to an overstimulated heart.

Gas Chambers: have been considered to be the most dangerous, most complicated,

and most expensive method of administering the death penalty. The person is placed

strapped into a chair within an airtight chamber, drops of potassium cyanide pellets fall

into a bath of sulfuric acid beneath the chair; which sets off a chemical reaction,

generating lethal hydrogen cyanide gas. The gas visible to the person strapped in the

chamber who is advised to take in several deep breaths to speed unconsciousness.

Often times there are convulsions and excessive drooling, there may also be urinating,

defecating and vomiting. 1983 Jimmy Lee Gray in Mississippi was executed by lethal

gas, he was found still alive gasping for air, he later died banging his head against a

steel pole in the gas chamber while reporters counted his moans.

Lethal Injection: has been adopted in all 32 states as the most humane method of

killing their citizens. First created in 1977 by a man named Jay Chapman. Lethal

Injection is a three drug cocktail, first stage is injecting the person with sodium
thiopental or pentobarbital (which is a drug used to euthanize animals), one of the two

drugs is supposed to render the person unconscious, which induces a hypoventilation

(or known as respiratory depression) which increases concentration of carbon dioxide

and respiratory acidosis (a condition which the lungs cannot remove enough of the

carbon dioxide, causing the ph in the blood and other bodily fluids to decrease making

them acidic). Now as a precautionary they administer a second drug called

pancuronium bromide that will paralyze the person; which would cause death of

asphyxiation and the final drug, Potassium Chloride which would cause death by

cardiac arrest.

At this time states have run out of the drug of Sodium Thiopental, due to the UK

embargo in 2010 and the drug company that supplied Pentobarbital implemented

restrictions on the use of drugs in capital punishment so by 2013 there were no more

drugs to be found. They soon found a new drug called midazolam and due to secrecy

many states refuse to disclose the procedure around an executions and information

about how/where they obtain the drugs.

However, midazolam was set to expire in April, of this year, so Arkansa rushed to

execute 8 men before April 17th. This particular drug has been known for several

botched executions due to the fact that it doesnt maintain anesthesia meaning they

experienced pain and suffering.

In August 25th 2017, Florida used a drug called Etomidate that was developed by

Johnson and Johnson and despite the company's protest they decided to use the

untested drug. 4 The controversial lethal injection formulas used may have subjected at

least one prisoner to an excruciating death equivalent to drowning.

Lethal injection has been called into question by pharmaceutical companies, claiming

that these drugs run antithetical to what they were created to do; which is to save lives.

Maya Foa, director of the international legal charity Reprieve has been working around

the globe with pharmaceutical companies in China, Pakistan, India, Europe, and of

course in America, with the global big giants such as Pfizer, McKesson, Johnson &

Johnson.5 In addition to the UK ban for the export of sodium thiopental in December

2010, the restrictions were based on the European Union Torture Regulation. From

December 21, 2011, the European Union trade restrictions to prevent the export of

certain medicinal products for capital punishment, stating the Union disapproves of

Capital punishment in all circumstances and works towards its universal abolition.

This eye for an eye, concept has made our world blind. Im not here to excuse

individuals whove committed murder/crime, but I am here to question our system that

practices it. How can we be a nation that condemns murder but condone our institutions

4
Despite protest from Johnson & Johnson, Florida executes man using untested drug cocktail.
Democracynow.com
5
New DNA evidence cited as Missouri Governor stays execution of prisoner Marcellus Williams.
democracynow.org
to commit the act. Weve contradicted ourselves, it's hypocrisy at its finest. Weve

allowed our emotions to blind us from the casualties of what brings about crime in the

first place, we allowed words like superpredator, or the Media to skew our

understanding of justice, all we see is the superficiality of a crime, the dehumanization

of people of color, weve become reactionists without even knowing it.

A good example of this is Bill Clinton 1994 The Omnibus Crime Bill6, the expansion of

the death penalty, "1994 crime bill expanded the death penalty for drug kingpins,

murderers of federal law enforcement officers, and nearly 60 additional categories of

violent felons." Not only did this bill provide 60 additional provisions as to what is

considered a violent felonies but this crime bill also exponentially increased the

incarceration rate in our country; which has led to many poor and people of color behind

bars feeding them to the for-profit prisons. Furthermore, allowing the state to practice

capital punishment puts all of our lives in danger; our judicial system isnt sympathetic

towards people of color, the poor, dissenters, or the most vulnerable of us, for if we

continue to give more power/faith to this system without ever questioning their

procedures the more likely well see that system be abused.

6
Lussenhop, Jessica Clinton crime bill: Why is it so controversial? bbc.com