In the 21st century, criminal offenses have become the order of the day. In order to counter crime, United States of America has implemented various forms of execution. These forms of execution range from hanging, gas chamber, beheading, electrocution, as well as firing squad. Perhaps, most of these have raised a lot of concern on how inhumane, brutal, cruel, and unusual among people. Most activists term this forms inhuman; therefore, in 1977 the United States government adopted lethal injection to be an alternative method of execution as it was seen to be human.
New York practitioners advocated the course of carrying out lethal injection; this was Julius Bleyer in 1888. The health practitioner considered the course to be cost-effective, but it was declined. Lethal injection refers to a practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of toxic drugs, to conquer with the ultimate goal of asserting instantaneous death on convicts. The logic behind lethal injection is capital condemnation, as well as euthanasia. Currently in U.S, lethal injection is most favored as a form of death penalty (Sorensen & Pilgrim, 2006). Lethal injection in the world may perhaps be far from humane, but it is the most favored method of carrying out death penalty in United States.
Just like any other forms of capital punishments there are many reasons raised against lethal injection. Certainly, one of the reasons against lethal injection is that it does not reduce ant pain. University of Miami carried out a research that revealed that there is a possibility that convicts and other victims of lethal injection could be suffocating to death, in their conscious state. Hence, lethal injection does not eliminate pain, but rather causing severe pain to victims in a conscious condition. The study is conclusively shows that drugs used for lethal injection did not act in the way it was expected, terming the form inhumane. The anesthesia in some situations wears off, in the course of lethal injection causing inhumane pain to the victim.
Lobby groups in United States believe lethal injections are abnormal and cruel. They term lethal injection has inhuman because it affects the psychological and emotional effects to the victim. Actually, it inflicts unaccounted distress to victims, but realistically a remedial issue. Based on ethical issues, approximately 12 states in United States are against lethal injection. Hence, it has been suspended because it does not comply with the ethical issues of society (Sorensen & Pilgrim, 2006).
Economically, lethal injection leads to lose of money if a victim protests against the course. This is because many resources have been used to counter the allegations. In fact, many victims argue that lethal injection is inhumane, yet all other courses of death penalty have an ultimate universal end. Death should be painless; hence, no course of execution should be painful. For example, some of the drugs used prevent victims to express physical pain. Nevertheless, in real sense, they are undergoing some pain; the drugs include pancuronium bromide (Lippman, 2010).
Lethal injection is also inhuman because the entire process of administering it is flawed. Arguably, the individuals carrying out euthanasia in execution arena lack expertise. Therefore, the degree of inducing unconsciousness among the victims is increased. In support of the argument, the inventor of lethal injection Jay Chapman admitted that they were idiots because they did not put into consideration the issue (Lippman, 2010). Generally, lethal injection does not serve the purpose of punishment. Punishments are meant to change criminals to be good people in society, lethal injection kills making it inhumane.
On the other hand, most of the people in United States support the implementation of death penalty through lethal injection. Most of the victims argue that, the result of lethal injection is death just like any other course of capital punishment. Therefore, its debate on how humane it is does not make any sense (Mandley, 2011). Capital punishment should be abolished rather than discussing how humane it the penalty is. The designing of lethal injection eliminate the physical disturbing images of the victims. This is because the relatives of the victim do not see any form of disturbing images.
In United States, adoption of lethal injection is justified by the law. U.S under declaration rests on the administration of the state. For example, in the year 2008, U.S federal government supports lethal injection, not engaging with any opposition cases. The laws in United States support capital punishment; hence, individuals facing death row recommend lethal injection. In support of the government, some individuals believe that the criminal offenders facing dead row should feel the pain, directly proportions to the pain felt by the victim (Mandley, 2011)
Conclusively, majority of the people in United States support the use of lethal injection in the course of capital punishment. The federal bureaus state contrasted to the practice, to other forms of execution, supporting lethal injection as humane and legal. However, many individuals in United States recommend specialized experts, who should undergo perfect training to ensure perfect injections. The trained health practitioners will assist in reducing the pain, which most advocating against lethal injection base their argument. Generally, the arguments for and against lethal injection will continue to be debated in United States and the whole world.
References
Sorensen, J., & Pilgrim, R. (2006). Lethal Injection: Capital Punishment in Texas during the
Modern Era. Texas: University of Texas press.
Mandley, E. (2011). Capital Punishment in America: A Balanced Examination. London: Jones &
Bartlett Press.
Lippman, M. (2010). Criminal Procedure. California: Sage.
