Categories: just-life
Date: 05 September 2005 16:26:29
Now I am a great fan of the NBC tv programme, The West Wing, set in the White House and following President Bartlet and the people who work there. over the weekend I watch the episode "Take This Sabbeth Day". In which, The President has to decided whether to commute the death sentance of a prisoner who is due to be executed 12.01am Monday morning.
During the show we hear several arguments against it. The Communtications Director gets a sermon how 'Vengance isn't Jewish' from his Rabbi, and both a Quaker and a Catholic Priest advise tostay he execution.
At the end of the episode, P.Bartlet is sitting in the Oval Office with his childhood priest who tells this story.......
One day, a man heard on the radio that a flood was coming and it was advised that everyone should evacuate. But he decided to stay. "I am a Christian," he said, "God will protect me."
Well, the rain cam and the water rose. A neighbour came passed in a boat and offered to take the man away to safety.
"It's ok," the man said, "God will look after me."
The water levels rose and the man had to sit on the roof of his house. An helicopter came and offered to take him to safety.
"Don't worry about me," he called out, "I'm a Christian, God will look after me."
The water levels rose more still and the man drowned.
When he arrived at the Pearly Gates he asked for an audience with God to ask him a question, whenthis was granted he asked;
"I was a good Christian, I believed in you, why did you not save me?"
God replied, "I sent you a radio warning, a man in a boat and a helicopter, why are you here??"
likewise, President Bartlet had been sent a Rabbi, a Priest and a Quaker, and yet he didn't stay the exectution.
Now I am on the whole against Capital Punishment, but I can accept the fact the a high percentage of Americans are not, and that under American law it is possible for some one to be executed. However, I am concerned about the methods used. The Death Penalty Information Center shows that the humane of the five used is in fact hanging..... and that's only any good if it's done right. (and is only used by two states and only three times since 1976)
Botched Executions (from the same site) shows that there are many things, all of them wrong, that can and do go wrong, mainly with elecrocution and leathal injection. Animals are put down more humanely than these prisoners. It's a disgrace, especially when you consider that in today's mordern world, if we're going to execute people, we can't executed then quickly and painlessly.
Why use several chemicals and injections for the LEathal Injection when you could simply overdose them with Morphine?? A drug that would simply put them to sleep and then kill them??
When places like Iran can execute people qucikly and mercifully with beheading why does the States (land of the free) insist on causing as much pain as possible???
It makes no sense to me!!!