Argumentative Essay On Lethal Injections
From back-to-back executions, rescheduling executions, to death penalty states hoarding drugs, drug companies blocking the use of their products for lethal injections, and Arizona allowing death row inmates to bring their own execution drugs, 2017 has seen increased scrutiny on the humaneness of lethal injections. While physician participation in executions is nothing new, in light of recent news events, it is essential to revisit the ethics of physician involvement in lethal injections.
On April 24th, 2017, it was reported that “the Arkansas Department of Correction leveraged its medical director’s medical license [to acquire] vecuronium bromide, a muscle relaxant.”
While physicians have autonomy to decide whether they will participate …show more content…
Contrary to the argument formed by proponents, physician participation does not reduce the suffering of the condemned inmate. “To date, lethal injection proponents have not sought to verify the claim that a doctor makes any difference at all…lethal injection, as presently practiced, is an impersonation of medicine populated by real doctors who don’t acknowledge deception.” Participation calls into question the relationship between the state and the physician, and the relationship between physicians and society. When the state promotes using the expertise and the power of physicians for its own purposes, physicians must take a stand. In part, society allows medicine to be a profession because of self-regulation and establishing consequences for not adhering to rules, policies or the code of ethics. A code, which is violated when physicians participate in lethal injection. Let us not be blind to the reality of lethal injection.
Physicians in favor of lethal injection wish to make the process painless. But, the reality is that botched executions occur even when physicians participate. Having a physician present does not guarantee that no problems will occur, this happened in the case of Clayton Lockett, who suffered a hideous botched lethal injection. His death occurred 43 minutes after sedation. The botched execution rate for lethal injection is 7.12%, the highest among all other methods for death (i.e., hanging, electrocution, lethal gas, firing
On April 24th, 2017, it was reported that “the Arkansas Department of Correction leveraged its medical director’s medical license [to acquire] vecuronium bromide, a muscle relaxant.”
While physicians have autonomy to decide whether they will participate …show more content…
Contrary to the argument formed by proponents, physician participation does not reduce the suffering of the condemned inmate. “To date, lethal injection proponents have not sought to verify the claim that a doctor makes any difference at all…lethal injection, as presently practiced, is an impersonation of medicine populated by real doctors who don’t acknowledge deception.” Participation calls into question the relationship between the state and the physician, and the relationship between physicians and society. When the state promotes using the expertise and the power of physicians for its own purposes, physicians must take a stand. In part, society allows medicine to be a profession because of self-regulation and establishing consequences for not adhering to rules, policies or the code of ethics. A code, which is violated when physicians participate in lethal injection. Let us not be blind to the reality of lethal injection.
Physicians in favor of lethal injection wish to make the process painless. But, the reality is that botched executions occur even when physicians participate. Having a physician present does not guarantee that no problems will occur, this happened in the case of Clayton Lockett, who suffered a hideous botched lethal injection. His death occurred 43 minutes after sedation. The botched execution rate for lethal injection is 7.12%, the highest among all other methods for death (i.e., hanging, electrocution, lethal gas, firing