If South Dakota faces this one in August, I'll bet ol' sparky could come out of retirement

Here's an interesting development for South Dakota as we face our first criminal execution in decades.

It's been said that the first execution in nearly 60 years will take place in August, and would normally take place via lethal injection. But today, in an AP report, the president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists came out and said that anesthesiologists should not participate in such matters:
Doctors shouldn't help put inmates to death by lethal injection or work with the legal system to ensure condemned inmates feel no pain at execution, the president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists is telling his colleagues.

"The legal system has painted itself into this corner and it is not our obligation to get it out,'' Dr. Orin F. Guidry, president of the 40,000-member group, wrote in a message posted Friday on the organization's Web site.

Patients could lose trust in their doctors if they see them as executioners, he wrote. He also cited the American Medical Association's stance against doctors participating in executions.

Read it all here in the Minneapolis Star/Tribune. So, what would that leave that a court would not consider cruel and unusual punishment? An interesting dilemma that South Dakota could fine itself being an early test case on.

Comments

Anonymous said…
"Old sparky" is in the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Let's just hold the killing there. How's that for heritage?
Anonymous said…
It's real down-home South Dakota. Nothing is as enjoyable as something nasty happening to someone else.

Popular posts from this blog

Corson County information on Klaudt Rape Charges

A note from Benedict Ar... Sorry. A note from Stan Adelstein why he thinks you should vote Democrat this year.

It's about health, not potential promiscuity.