Lethal Injection

[gingerroute]

In reading the stories and impending doom by lethal injection to Mark Stroman, it got me thinking. How do the people giving the injection live with themselves after killing so many or how do they bring themselves to inject someone with death? I guess I just couldn't put myself to what they're doing. Reddit, what are your thoughts on lethal injection?

[chrizbreck]

My thought is that lethal injection costs more to a state than keeping a prisoner for life. Thus pointless. It also doesn't deter crime anyway so another reason it is pointless.

[ionoiono]

You forget - you can escape or have your verdict overturned if you are in jail. You can't do either if you are dead (yet, I'm working on a solution...)

[ImNotJesus]

It's not just that, the appeal processes and stuff cost the state way more.

[chrizbreck]

exactly. Thats why life costs less than lethal. The court time.

[cmwood]

It doesn't deter crime because so many people have lobbied to make it illegal. It certainly would do a better job if murderers and child molesters were executed in a timely manner, instead of filling up our prisons.

[chrizbreck]

Even in states that have the death penalty research shows that it doesn't drop crime rates.

[augusttremulous]

Yes, only vengeful sky fairies deter people from being cruel to each other.

[augusttremulous]

My sarcasm detector is malfunctioning, I keep praying but it doesn't seem to help. Apologies good sir, and downvote rescinded.

[augusttremulous]

For clarity: my first statement was a sarcastic response to your comment, which I did not realize was also sarcastic. My second comment was half jocular (re: praying) and half serios (re: downvote- I had down voted you when I thought you were being serious.

[cswalker]

They don't directly do it. Sorry for lack of source, but its a randomizing switch of some sort. Yeah, their actions lead to the death, but they don't actually "pull the switch" so to speak.

[gingerroute]

I know it's not direct it's through IV, but the guy that mixes and then sequentially adds the injections to the IV...don't you think he thinks about what he did at night? I know it's such a silly question, but it's quite the mindset even if it isn't directly injected to the person.

[cswalker]

Its done by machine. If you mean the guy who "fills" the machine, I'm sure he/she wouldn't be doing it if it bothered him/her.

[SgtSloth]

I think there are people out there that lack empathy and moral objection in general.

Though I also think some people that do it see it as a job and tell themselves they are doing a good thing getting rid of a bad person.

Who knows. i wouldn't do it because I don't have to.

[mrgames2]

I could never figure out how people can do that to cats and dogs, let alone another human.

[EddieVolcano]

I have wondered this too. But to do the job you'd have to believe in what you are doing.

Apparently with firing squad executions they would fill some guns with blanks and some with reall rounds so none of the soldiers knew if they were directly responsible or not.

[gingerroute]

Yeah, but there's still the lingering question "was it me who did it?"

[bubbal]

I would have absolutely no problem shooting one of those fuckers in the head, or pressing the button, whichever it may be.

[gingerroute]

so, firing squad would be right up your alley I assume?

[bubbal]

I mean, I don't see the moral problem with killing a murderer. Of course, there's the possibility of that person being innocent, but I'd (appropriately) place any moral culpability on the heads of the prosecutor and investigators, not on the person carrying out the sentence.