How to solve the problem? Abolish the death penalty.
Today is the day we should be grateful for the things we have. Actually, we should always be grateful for the things we have – but it´s likely just human´s nature that we aren´t. Of course, this day it´s different – it´s finally Thanksgiving while I´m writing this. For example, the annual Presidential Turkey Pardon is still a big happening, but trivializes the much-needed pardoning of human convicts. This symbolic act of mercy is somehow like a slap in the face for the condemned.
It isn´t even a secret that lots of federal states got a problem to kill their death row inmates timely accurate… Yes, I know – that sounds cruel. …and it´s my full intention… Why? Because I want that people notice that death row inmates are still human beings and a part of society – even though they´re isolated in prison. Far away from the public, accused of crimes that “require” the death penalty, they´re often quasi invisible for the „outside world“ – a dehumanization happened.
Most of the states still use a 3-drug combination for lethal injections to execute a prisoner. It´s all pretty known and was in the news the last months and weeks. …and isn´t that important to see the actual problem… Experts discuss how to execute humans humanely… Do you see the absurdity?
In the meantime, some states already switched to a single-drug method for executions. They also did because the European nations halted production since different drugs were used for this purpose. Now, it exist lots of new questions and even more answers. Some drugs weren´t tested yet… were never tested during an execution… Could the new drug be painful? Then it would violate the constitutional ban on “cruel and unusual” punishment…
The United States have often changed the way to execute death row inmates, but there were more changes in lethal injections in the last few years than all the years before. It´s a challenge for a land where still a part of the people wants to keep the death penalty – but it isn´t the whole nation that wants to keep it alive. Instead, the other part of Americans wants to keep life alive.
You cannot kill a human being humanely…and the death penalty is never justified. Times were an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth have space should be over. Naturally, appropriate punishment for criminal acts is needed. I empathize “appropriate”. We won´t make the world better if we kill a human being. It doesn´t matter whether the person is actually innocent or not. Happy Thanksgiving.
Nadine Blumensaat
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty