"It's not working. It's not working!" Barbarous Execution SHAMES Ohio

[Bluebear]

An execution team spent 25 minutes looking for a vein in Joseph Lewis Clark's arm.


Contact: Jonathan I. Groner, MD, 614-722-3919, 614-204-1824 cell, [e-mail]

OHIO, Jan. 25 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Today's execution of Joseph Lewis Clark, age 57, took nearly 90 minutes, making it one of the longest lethal injection executions in U.S history. The execution team struggled for 25 minutes to insert an intravenous line for the lethal injection, only to have Mr. Clark complain, "It's not working. It's not working" when the lethal chemicals began flowing. Prison officials then drew curtains and attempted to re-establish the intravenous line, while Mr. Clark could be heard "moaning and groaning" by witnesses. A new IV was established, the curtains were re-opened, and the drug infusion began again. Mr. Clark raised his head several times and breathed deeply before becoming still.

In response to this grisly execution, Jonathan I. Groner MD, national expert on lethal injection, commented: "The opaque curtain pulled across the execution chamber could not hide the fact that this man was tortured to death. Furthermore, the three drug injection used to extinguish his life is considered so inhumane that veterinarians are forbidden from using it in a similar fashion to euthanize animals.

"Today's execution demonstrates the terrible dilemma of lethal injection as medical charade. On the one hand, this 'medicalized' killing procedure, which uses IV tubing, anesthetic drugs, and other medical equipment, becomes torture in the hands of unqualified individuals. On the other hand, the involvement of medical professionals such as physicians and nurses in executions violates the fundamental ethics of these professions."

"No human, regardless of his or her crime, should be subjected to the torture that Mr. Clark faced. The barbarity of this execution is making news headlines around the world. I urge Ohio's political leaders to call for a moratorium on lethal injection immediately."

Dr. Groner is an associate professor of surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He has written and spoken extensively on lethal injection and the medicalization of capital punishment.



http://www.earnedmedia.org/cuadp0502.htm

[Patchuli]

1. This in a society

that made a circus out of "saving" a brain-dead woman is shameful. I don't know what that man did but no one deserves to go through that. If people are going to earn their (yuck) living putting others to death, they should be medically qualified. PERIOD.

[Nutmegger]

2. DEATH PENALTY FOR NO ONE!

I don't care what they did. We, as a society, are better than this.

[SoCalDem]

3. Shame on them.. Our vet managed to end the suffering of

our very large labrador without so much as a whimper.. just a relaxing, and a final breath.

While I sometimes think that lethal injection is too good for someoen who made their victim's last moment on earth , agony, if they are GOING to execute people, at least administer a general anesthesia and THEN the "chemicals"..

sheez.. are these people amateurs?

[sweetheart]

4. bring back the guillotine

At least the chemicals and the anethsesia arrive
at the same time, undeterred by the competence of
the trigger-man.

Or even easier, end state murder.

[SoCalDem]

6. Life without parole is a bigger punishment

By the time an execution actually happens, probably most of them are kind of glad to get it over with.

[Ammonium]

8. How about no

There can still be complications if the individual is not lined up right on the board. Louis 16's execution via guillotine was a grand screw up. The blade only got halfway through his spine and then the operators all had to sit on the blade to finish the job.

[Solo_in_MD]

7. Not surprising actually

The prisoner was a former drug user, presumptively IV drugs. That takes a major toll on the body, and veins get the worst of it. According to the reports, his vein collapsed, not uncommon occurrence when you put an IV into an IV drug user. Your lab's veins were most likely in much better shape.

I am intentionally not commenting on capital punishment in this post.

[leftofthedial]

5. Ohio is sinking below Texas in many ways

it seems

[sam sarrha]

9. there is no scientific proof Death is a Penalty..so it is cruel and unusual

however, the Death penalty is a 'Blood Sacrifice' when a politician promises to kill Prisoners in Custody for voter if elected.. especially when every research study done has proved the Death penalty not to be a deterrent to capital crime.. much to the contrary because the criminals tend to kill the witnesses in death penalty states.. it increases the incident of capital crime.