'Old Sparky' is back in Tennessee

[bobabode]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/m...lectric-chair/

The electric chair is back.

[Ike Bana]

One thing going on with executions these days is that many of the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture drugs suitable for such applications (particularly European companies) won't sell if the product will be used for executions. US corrections systems are running out of options that are medically appropriate. So...back to old sparky, perhaps.

[Tom Joad]

My biggest concern with Capital punishment is that I think it's too easy for a poor black dude who is innocent to get railroaded.

In fact I think we should have a moratorium on executions for blacks until enough white have been executed to even out the numbers in proportion to the population.

Then, from that point on executions shall only be allowed as long as the proportion of whites being executed is kept inline with the proportion of blacks being executed.

As for method, once guilt is established for certain, and the above proportionality criteria has been met, I don't care how they get it done.

For particularly heinous crimes I'm OK with getting Medieval on their asses.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

My biggest concern with Capital punishment is that I think it's too easy for a poor black dude who is innocent to get railroaded.

But once guilt is established for certain I don't care how they get it done.

For particularly heinous crimes I'm OK with getting Medieval on their asses.

I remember years ago F. Lee Bailey talking about how the system we have is too adversarial and thus not much about justice...more about legal winners and losers. He felt the British system had many more protections for the accused in capital cases. Of course the Brits abolished the death penalty in murder cases in 1965, even with a better system. Why? Because mistakes happen, even in the best system...and the Brits didn't want to risk a mistake in a captial murder case, that they couldn't take back.

Obviously, in most states in this country the majority doesn't give a shit if it can't be taken back. What we usually hear is...oh he was a bad guy, he got what he deserved. This country is fucked in so many ways.