Merit-bound Alley

Covered at FSP and Delaware Watch.

I wonder where this leaves HB4, which Rep. Smith was supposed to bring back for another vote on March 13th-14th. HB4 states:

This Bill requires the annual Budget Bill and Bond Bill to be introduced no later than five (5) legislative days prior to June 30th. This Bill requires the Bond Bill to be introduced no later than three (3) legislative days prior to June 30nd. Any amendment would be introduced no later than June 27th for the Budget Bill or June 29th for the Bond Bill.

It would be a crying shame if all of Dave Burris’ work got the finger due to a career change.

This is a continuation of yesterdays post on the class action suit brought against the DoC regarding lethal injection.

I will apologize in advance, as this will not be a pleasant post, as it deals with the mechanics of killing someone. Some of you may take some comfort in the fact that it is the mechanics of killing convicted murderers and such. To those people, I say, “Fuck you.”

The State of Delaware uses the three drug method of lethal injection. This is the most common method in the US, and is used by the majority of the 38 states that allow the death penalty. The three drugs are:

Soduim Thiopental (pentothal) - a fast-acting barbiturate that is used in surgery as an anaesthetic. The surgical dose of pentothal is 3-5mg/kg of weight of the patient. A lethal injection dose is equal to 5 grams, 14 times the surgical dose. The larger dose is expected to cause unconsciousness in about 10 seconds and last up to 69 hours.

Pancuronium Bromide (pavulon) - induces paralysis. The lethal injection dose is 100mg, which in 15-30 seconds paralyzes all muscle function, including the lungs, causing asphyxiation.

Potassium Chloride - a dose of 100mEq for lethal injection affects the ability of the heart muscle to fire by depolarizing the muscle cells. The heart eventually stops in diastole.

So, there’s the tools of the grim trade. How do they do it, you ask? The condemned inmate is strapped to a gurney. Once secured, the executioner team places an IV into each arm, the second of which is a backup in case the first malfunctions. Once the IVs are in, a saline drip begins from a separate anteroom where the executioner is. Once this is going, the curtain covering the window from the witness box is pulled back. A quick note on witness to a Delaware Execution, courtesy of the DoC:

The Law presently requires the Department to have no more than 10 official witnesses present during an execution. To ensure that we have the required number, several other individuals are selected and asked to serve as alternate witnesses in the event an official witness does not show or is unable to serve. All witnesses must report to a designated location at least one hour in advance of the scheduled execution for briefing purposes. The designated location is confidential. Those who may be selected to serve as witnesses include arresting officers, and Federal Officers included in the case, Police Chiefs in the state or a designee, a representative from the Victims Rights Bureau and Criminal Justice professionals. The witnesses are separated from the person being executed by a glass window.

Other witnesses that may be invited are the media. The Department of Correction has guidelines that determine who serves as media witnesses and the logistics of allowing for media coverage of an execution. What is factored into the decision is: (1) the allotted space in the witness room and (2) what will allow for adequate coverage without overburdening security during this critical period.

At this time, the condemned has the opportunity to issue his or her final words. Then, at the word of the warden, assuming no stay of execution has been called in, the executioner starts administering the drugs in the order resented above, with a short flush of saline in between to clean the lines. About two minutes after the last drug is administered, a medical technician declares the inmate dead.

So, what could possibly be cruel and unusual about that?

Information for this post was was gathered from:

• Wikipedia
• How Stuff Works
• Delaware Department of Corrections

Liberalgeek over at DL linked to an interesting article about a lawsuit levied against the DoC citing that the method of lethal injection used to murder, I mean punish, Delawares worst is cruel and unusual. Of course, true to DNJ form, the article has next to no detail about the specifics of the plaintiffs case. For the first time ever, I’m curious about the form of lethal injection that we use to murd… punish (why do I keep doing that?) our prisoners.

I hope to have the time to take a deeper look into this and find some specifics on why this particular form of killing, rather than killing in general, is so cruel.

In the meantime, death row inmates, enjoy the fact that Delaware can’t punish… ah, fuck it… murder you quite yet.

Where were they 60 years ago?

We’ve heard the stories about teachers preaching and school-boards trying to vote Intelligent Design into the curriculum. Personally, I’m glad those teachers were released and ID was denied. A public school should never promote the ideas of any religion. However, it’s apparently tough for the Willow Hill elementary school in Glenside, PA to find a happy balance, and thus avoid a lawsuit.

It seems that a 4th grade boy wanted to dress up as Jesus last year for a school-sponsored Halloween party and parade, but was made to take off his costume because they didn’t want to promote a religion. The reason that the unnamed boy wanted to dress as Jesus was a simple protest against the pagan parts of Halloween, which last I looked, is ALL OF IT.

I love Halloween. I love everything about it: candy, costumes, bobbing for apples, parties, parades, tricks, teats, egging houses, and burning inner-city Detroit to the ground. I can’t relate to the protest of the boy and mom, but I can understand. However, if you really think, the protest has nothing to do with the issue at hand. I’ll repeat it; the protest has nothing to do with the issue at hand. What ever the motives of the parent and child are, this can be broken down into one thing: the school discriminated against a boy that chose a costume they didn’t like.

The principle contacted the mother with the reason for their action:

The legal suit declares that the boy’s mother was informed by the Willow Hill Principal Patricia Whitmore that he was violating a policy forbidding the promotion of religion. (link)

How does a child wearing a costume constitute the school promoting a religion? Does dressing up as a witch promote Wicca? A devil promote Satanism? A ghost promote… Ghostbuster worship? I killed the metaphor, but you get me. The boy was not preaching during class, he wasn’t handing out pamphlets, he was complying with the mandated school activity as best he could in order to not be singled out and smuggled away into the computer room with the other no-costume losers.

Of course, his plan failed, he got singled out worse than he could have imagined, left the school, and now his parents are suing. See where a lack of balance can get you?

Sidenote: The suit is being levied by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group based in Scottsdale, Arizona. One wonders why the ACLU is not all over this.

ALSO SEE: Mike Mahaffie has a few interesting things to say about this issue. Check it out!

Anyone who has read me from day one knows that my personal pet peeve in politics (pardon my alliteration) is negative campaigning. I really did have high hopes that Barack Obama would be able to avoid this fallacy popping up in his campaigning, but it seems that no matter how hard he may try, he has to rely on folks who may not have the same ideals.

Negative campaigning is so entrenched in todays politics that it has become a cliche, and no matter what the candidate may prefer, there are those working for the campaign that will open their mouths before thinking. It must be so hard to trust and rely on people when you’re a politician.

Queen Elizabeth II visited the White House on July 7th, 1976. In an address, she made reference to the United State’s first Ambassador to Britain, John Adams: “John Adams, America’s first Ambassador, said to my ancestor, King George III, that it was his desire to help with the restoration of ‘the old good nature and the old good humor between our peoples.’ That restoration has long been made, and the links of language, tradition, and personal contact have maintained it.”

Her Majesty’s statement shows a keen insight into diplomacy, especially coming out of a withered throwback from the Middle Ages. She’s telling us that the virtues of communication and understanding is what allowed two countries who briefly (in the grand scheme of things) were bitter enemies to commence and nurture diplomatic ties that continue to this day.

I think that understanding of a country is dependent on an understanding of it’s culture, it’s traditions, and it’s people and any interaction without that understanding is doomed to be fraught with problems. The continuing failure of the US’ diplomatic relations underscores what seems to be the core of this administrations diplomatic theory: say whatever you like, but we won’t listen unless you agree with us. The amazing hubris of our current diplomatic relations will have future students of diplomatic theory shaking their heads and chuckling in amazement.

It’s not just international relations that deserves scrutiny, either. Looks at the plight of the detainees in Gitmo who because of fairly devious planning are subject to being held with no rights for as long as this administration pleases.
Through it’s lack of understanding og the rights of these detainees, the administration can turn its back on them and in turn, turn their backs on the very spirit of our justice system: Innocent until proven guilty. Also, take a look at the constant struggle of the GLBT community to gain nothing more than equal rights in this country. The government and the religious right’s misunderstanding of their lives and their culture allows them to turn their backs on AMERICAN CITIZENS, people who are no different than anyone else.

Understanding your friends and your opponents only leads to wisdom and learned decisions. Ignorance is never bliss. Ignorance is a ridiculous mockery of everything the human race has struggled for, and only leads to confusion and inevitable destruction.

Where does that leave this administration and the vocal majority in the history books?

This is the face of an angel, taken no more than 10 minutes ago. To look at her is to see hope in the future and to fear future innocence lost. I see this face, and am reminded of my older daughter, who was the first new addition to my family and I feel heartened and tempered by it’s completion with Shannon.

This is the face of an alien bio-machine, who at the time of this picture was busy shitting through her third diaper in 15 minutes. 5 minutes after this photo was taken, this face will be screaming bloody murder while pissing through two changing pads and one change of clothes as I try to maneuver a wet-wipe through what seems to have become four arms and three sets of legs, which have spontaneously grown for the sole purpose of keeping said wet-wipe away from her crap and piss-stained ass. The face of an angel? No, but I love the little ankle-biter anyways.

I have to, it’s the law.

Let’s hear it for editing!

UPDATE: Looks like the editor still has a job, since it seems that the error has been corrected.

Shannon Elise Madjeski was born on Sunday at 9:40AM. At birth, she weighed 7lbs 6oz, and measured at 19 inches. Both mommy and baby are fine and now at home. Stay tuned as I post some exhaution-fueled birth stories full of ew and goo!