Archive for

2015



The Divine Mystery of Mercy

Currently in the Catholic Church, no theme rings louder than the theme of mercy.

On December 8th, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Peter, and in doing so, inaugurated the Catholic Church into an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Occurring every 25 or 50 years in the Catholic tradition, Jubilees are years designated for a time to reflect on the forgiveness of sins. However, this year is an “extraordinary” Year of Mercy, illustrating a discernible need for the declaration of mercy. Cathedrals have thrown open their doors as a symbolic gesture of mercy, including several in Tennessee.

But what is the deeper meaning behind this distinctive declaration? The Pope offers insight in his proclamation of mercy “Misericordiae Vultus”: “We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy…In short, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us.”1

In a world steeped in terror, torn by ideological divides, and encapsulated with atrocities evoking fear, anger, and hatred, we do not exactly find mercy in surplus. But why should we be concerned with mercy in the midst of this turmoil, and more specifically, within a justice system where mercy often seems a rarity?

Our troubled context, though seemingly void of mercy, in fact cries out for it. Mercy is the only antidote to the violence around us. Even and perhaps especially in the midst of the heartbreak, we experience those moments of mercy that take our breath away.

In June, a young man murdered 9 people in a church in Charleston fueled by an ideology of hate. Words fail to articulate the horror of this act, but when the families addressed the suspect, something remarkable happened: “I forgive you,” said the daughter of victim Ethel Lace. “You took something really precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you and have mercy on your soul. It hurts me, it hurts a lot of people but God forgives you and I forgive you.’’2

Other family members shared similar remarks, echoing notes of mercy in the midst of profound violation and loss.

For those of us who have not faced such a tragedy, it remains impossible to comprehend the anguish, but perhaps even more difficult to understand a response of mercy. These surviving family members made a choice. They chose to be merciful. Other surviving family members of murder victims in our own communities have done the same. They have acted with love towards those who have caused unspeakable harm, even though they may not have felt loving. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

During this Jubilee, may we too find a way into the divine mystery of mercy, in our own lives and in our hurting world.

Sam Turpen

Intern, TADP

photo credit: www.cisanewsafrica.com

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

The Unveil. Stepping Into The Reality of Tennessee’s Death Penalty.

Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

                                                                                    James Baldwin

“Criminals get what they deserve.” Simple. This brief statement sufficed for a white kid with a comfortable life growing up in the suburbs of Birmingham. The statement served as an indication of how much thought I put into the matter of the criminal justice system, and the somber truth is that my life, for a time, never really asked for more investigation. No further inquiry was required beyond the media’s portrayal of criminals and their trials, or the legal material of my senior year level U.S. government class. The blurry lens of my privileged life molded my perception of the system and those incarcerated within.

Nothing much changed until a few years later, where I attended an informative event held on the campus of my university with the simple intention of extra credit. The speaker, Ray Krone, spoke of his wrongful imprisonment and death sentence for a crime he did not commit. Besides personal testimony, the presentation included other concerns the current death penalty system raises, and let’s just say my faulty perception of our institutions of “justice” became slightly less opaque that evening. “Criminals get what they deserve”, no longer became a valid statement for my take on the criminal justice system.

Fast forward a few years later and here I am, serving with the very same organization (TADP of course) that pulled a little of the veil off my eyes. Even though I have only been with this organization for a few months, I learn more and more about this issue each day. Perhaps the most valuable insight that has come to my attention is the tragic inattention given to the brokenness of our state’s death penalty.

So, what is so broken about it”? TADP works to bring to light many of the actualities we uncover when we look into the reality of Tennessee’s system of capital punishment. While many more concerns exist, here’s just a peak of what I’ve learned:

Tennessee has executed 6 people since 1977, while its current death row sits at 73.

A study conducted on capital sentencing in Tennessee found that defendants with white victims were 3.15 times more likely to receive the death penalty than defendants with black victims.

Almost no one on Tennessee’s death row could afford his/her own defense.

By examining available data, death penalty trials cost an average of 48% more than the average costs of trials in which life imprisonment is sought. (2004 Tennessee’s Comptroller’s Report) 

Forty percent of Tennessee’s death row comes from Shelby County, while half of the counties in the state have never sought the death penalty.

Over 150 people nationwide have been freed after evidence of their innocence emerged, including three in Tennessee.

 For those who are not directly affected by the death penalty, there is a natural propensity to assume that our ideals of the system and its reality are one in the same. Without investigation, without peeling back the thick layer of our own assumptions and looking into the actuality, we don’t confront what needs to be confronted. If it wasn’t for the happenstance of that one evening in Maryville, Tennessee, I could have continued to live without awareness of the grave problems of this institution, free from the sober and unfortunate reality.

Let’s start living in the real world. It’s time to face reality. It’s time to unveil.

Samuel Turpen

Intern, TADP

photo from FreeGreatPicture.com

 

 

 

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile malfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be so dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Evangelical group changes course on capital punishment

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) represents over 45,000 churches in 40 different denominations, or roughly 10 million Christians in America. While evangelical Christians have no one centralized body who speaks for them or their beliefs, the NAE has long been an active participant in civil discourse within America. For this reason, the NAE’s recent decision to alter their resolution on capital punishment is significant.

The NAE’s pro-capital punishment stance had remained largely unchanged for forty years, offering a scant six sentences in 1973 advocating for a restored death penalty. For this reason, the NAE’s softened stance shows not only tremendous growth among evangelicals on the issue, but the potential for finding even more common ground on the need for repeal in the coming years.

The nine-paragraph statement devotes two paragraphs to laying out the pro-death penalty position according to one set of biblical standards and political vision of criminal justice. However, five paragraphs were devoted to the myriad problems within the capital punishment system, as well as a theological counter to the pro-death penalty position. By and large, the NAE’s statement is a balanced one, yet this is a welcome change, given that six sentences (composing the previous statement) is an inadequate treatment of a serious policy issue. In this way, the National Association of Evangelicals not only joins the conversation of broader criminal justice reform in a serious way, but it also shows a deep understanding of the issues at stake. This is certainly encouraging news. Furthermore, the statement shows that evangelicals – like all religious or political organizations – are not monolithic and should continue to be welcomed into the conversation.

TADP will also continue this conversation next month at the Christian Community Development Association annual meeting in Memphis, where many NAE member churches will be present.

Check out the NAE statement here.

(Photosource: www.Christianpost.com)

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile malfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Time Is Running Out for Richard Glossip

Tomorrow Oklahoma will execute Richard Glossip unless Governor Mary Fallin issues a temporary stay of his execution.  Not only does Glossip’s execution introduce the specter of  another possibly torturous death with the problematic drug midazolam still in the mix, but his conviction itself is far from solid, primarily based on the testimony of his co-defendant, Justin Sneed, who actually committed the murder.

In an article published by Slate, Robert Smith and Ben Cohen provide deeper insight into the disturbing twists and turns in this case, including excerpts from the interrogation of Justin Sneed and his shifting versions of the murder of Barry Van Treese.

I served as a guest lecturer today in a class at a local university, discussing the mounting problems with and growing concerns about the death penalty in Tennessee and nationwide.  I mentioned Glossip’s case and that without the Governor’s intervention, he will likely be executed tomorrow based on the word of a man who was caught and trying to save his own life by pointing the finger at Glossip.

One of the students asked, “Can someone get the death penalty without physical evidence?” It seems outlandish given all we know about the issues leading to wrongful convictions–faulty eyewitness identification, coerced confessions, bad deal making with co-defendants and jailhouse snitches–contributing factors leading to 155 convictions and later exonerations of those who spent years on death row before evidence of their innocence was considered.  Given the sheer number of exonerations and the untold number of those who have already been executed for crimes that they did not commit, one would think that at a minimum the state would need to present compelling physical evidence connecting someone directly to a murder in order for death to be on the table. But that is not the case.

Please consider signing the petition  or calling  Governor Mary Fallin (405-521-2015) asking her to stay the execution of Richard Glossip so that evidence of his  innocence can be considered before it is too late. Time is running out.

 

 

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

TADP now in Knoxville!

TADP is on the move.

In mid-July, Justin Phillips, our associate director, moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, expanding our reach throughout the state. Phillips, like executive director Stacy Rector, hails from West Tennessee and had been working from Nashville. Everyone involved with Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is excited about the opportunity to expand into East Tennessee for several reasons:

  • Both the current governor and lieutenant governor are East TN natives
  • Two exonerees, Ray Krone and Paul House, makes their homes in East TN
  • TADP has long-established relationships with several local universities, including the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UT), Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, and others.
  • Several churches and non-profits have hosted TADP in past years and now the possibility exists to develop more regular partnerships.

Through TADP, Phillips will be present for the University of Tennessee Black Lives Matter Teach-in (9/21); an inaugural gathering at the Community Law Office (10/5); and a panel discussion on the death penalty later that month, also at UT. More events will follow!

If you live in East Tennessee, and you would like more information about TADP or potentially for Justin Phillips to present to your organization, please do not hesitate to contact him at Justin@tennesseedeathpenalty.org

(Photosource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/madeline-rogero/mayors-challenge-knoxvill_b_2711183.html)

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

More Evidence of the Death Penalty’s Failure

Yesterday Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s death penalty is unconstitutional. In the case before Connecticut’s highest court, a death row inmate argued that he should not be executed because he was sentenced to death prior to repeal of the death penalty in Connecticut in 2012. Repeal of the death penalty in that state was not retroactive, leaving 11 men on death row.

In a 4-3 ruling, the Connecticut court ruled for the inmate but went on to indict the larger death penalty system. Associate Justice Richard Palmer wrote for the majority that the death penalty in Connecticut, “no longer comports with contemporary standards of decency and no longer serves any legitimate penological purpose.” Justice Palmer also raised the issue of racial and other biases that are inherent in the system and believes that any execution in Connecticut “would violate the state constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.”

The Connecticut ruling reflects the same concerns raised in the dissents of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Breyer and Ginsburg in the recent Glossip v. Gross ruling. Though the Glossip case focused on a specific lethal injection protocol, the justices raised questions about the constitutionality of the death penalty system itself.

At the center of the Glossip case is Richard Glossip, an inmate on Oklahoma’s death row who came within one day of execution in January. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling, a September 16th execution date has now been set for Glossip, though there are growing concerns that he did not commit the crime for which he received the death sentence.

Richard Glossip was convicted after Justin Sneed, the man who confessed to the actual murder, claimed that Glossip hired him to do it—despite a lack of evidence to support that claim. Sneed received a life sentence in a medium-security prison for his testimony against Glossip, testimony that spared Sneed the death penalty but sent Glossip to death row. You can read more about this case here, and sign the petition to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin requesting a stay of execution so that Glossip’s attorneys can gather and present evidence of his innocence to the court.

The fact that the very case that the U.S. Supreme Court relied on to determine that a particular lethal injection protocol is constitutional may also represent a case of an innocent man sentenced to death speaks volumes about the utter failure of this system. Increasingly the public, legislatures, and the courts are in agreement that this system cannot be trusted and does not meet constitutional standards.

Again I ask the question: why are we spending so much time, energy, and resources to maintain a system that is this broken and failing to ensure justice for anyone? Currently in Tennessee, we cannot seem to staff our prisons or pay our correctional officers fairly, but we maintain a death penalty system that costs Tennesseans millions of dollars a year and for what? Our prisons would be far safer if our resources went to pay our correctional officers fairly while our communities would be safer by spending our resources to better support efforts that reduce violent crime and keep people out of prison in the first place.

Photo from RYOT 

 

 

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile malfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

A Tennessee Student Reflects on the Death Penalty

Justice. We all know the term. We apply it to a variety of scenarios and, more importantly, claim it as a foundational principle of the US court system. But what exactly is justice? Does it mean that the state should seek the harshest punishment possible for a crime, even when evidence may be called into question? Does it mean that a crime in one state merits a death sentence while the same crime in another state gets a lesser punishment? None of these scenarios fit with our intrinsic view of justice, but they are happening all too frequently in our courts. The difficult truth is that our quest for justice through the use of the death penalty often targets the poor, the uneducated, and those suffering from mental illness, while putting victims’ families through decades of agonized waiting on a sentence that may never be carried out.

I am a 21-year-old college student who knew little about the criminal justice system growing up in Tennessee. I heard the occasional death penalty story on the news, but it never hit home. I had no personal connection and therefore very little emotional investment in this policy. If the death penalty was considered a fair and reasonable form of punishment which provided closure to victims’ families, who was I to protest?

As I became increasingly critical of political and social issues, I decided to take a closer look. The more I studied the criminal justice system in the United States, the more I was left with a deep sense of discomfort and concern. Were we as Americans properly educating ourselves on the harsh reality of the system? Were we aware of the subjectivity and systematic racism that occurs on a regular basis in the application of the death penalty? Stories of botched executions and cruel confinement in solitary cells played over and over in my head. So too did stories of victims’ families who endured a decades long process of appeals, forced to relive the very crime for which they sought closure. I was left asking, where is our compassion? Where is our forgiveness? Where is our belief that every human life has value? How does more violence help to support families of victims?

The troublesome reality is that only 1 out of every 100 murderers is sentenced to death, and these offenders are not always the “worst of the worst.” Approximately 90% of those on death row were financially unable to hire attorneys to represent them. They reality is that 155 people have been released from death row after evidence of their wrongful convictions emerged, casting doubt on the assumption that our current system is exhaustive and without flaw. The reality is that death penalty cases cost far more than comparable non-capital cases, in large part because of the high profile nature of capital trials. The reality is that 80% of death row inmates were convicted for killing white victims, while only 50% of homicide victims are white. The reality is that this system is broken. The death penalty is a failed policy that has a tendency to hurt all those involved, adding deeper pain to scenarios already fraught with violence, loss, and heartbreak.

Here lies the fundamental question: Why does the death penalty matter to YOU? You may be someone who has never personally encountered this policy and likely never will. Why should you care? The truth is that the more we stand complacent, the more we are playing into a system that is inherently flawed. Our country’s death penalty is costly, unevenly applied, and inhumane. It can traumatize not only the inmate’s family but the victim’s family as well. I have learned from victims’ families that while “closure” is elusive, there can be legal finality. However such finality is rarely, if ever, provided in the death penalty system. Families of victims are instead often subjected to multiple appeals, waiting years for a sentence that may ultimately change or never be carried out. We live in a nation that claims to be a human rights champion, yet the death penalty shows little concern for the ultimate worth of a human life.

It is important for all of us to think critically about the system. Seek out the truth, write to your legislators, and take action on one of the most pressing social issues our nation faces. Let us take a stand for justice by first remembering what it means to show compassion.

Dr. Martin Luther King wrote beautifully about loving others in the midst of darkness, and these words are fundamental to the way we should view the death penalty and our responsibility to speak up against it.

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.

Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.

Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.

Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.

In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

  • Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sarah Ellis

Intern, TADP

Photo from www.catholiclane.com

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual claim among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile disfunction can be the symptom a strong soundness problem such as heart trouble. Albeit the erectile disfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying health conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile disfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

Glossip v. Gross

The Supreme Court ruled on Glossip v. Gross (Monday, June 29), in a 5-4 vote, allowing Oklahoma to proceed with their lethal injection protocol that includes the drug midazolam.

While on its surface the ruling might be seen as a setback, it  does little more than set Oklahoma right back to where it was this time last year, following the troubling execution of Clayton Lockett, who died of a heart attack 45 minutes after the execution process began.

Midazolam, the drug in question, remains a chemical that was involved in three botched executions in 2014 while the death penalty system itself remains fraught with the possibility of executing the innocent; remains an ineffective response to murder victims’ family members; continues to cost taxpayers millions more than the alternatives; and despite the protestations of Justice Scalia, does not deter violent crime within society.

Monday’s ruling was significant, though, due to the dissenting opinions registered. Justice Sotomayor offered the court’s minority opinion, yet it was Justice Breyer’s dissent that drew the lion’s share of the media’s attention as he said that the death penalty “now likely constitutes a legally prohibited ‘cruel and unusual punishmen[t].’” Justice Ginsburg joined Breyer in this assessment, giving more public attention to the overall issue of capital punishment versus what might have simply been a less publicized lethal injection ruling.  Their dissents reopen the question of the death penalty’s constitutionality, thus drawing a hard line between those who simply want to examine the system by piecemeal, and those who are capable of recognizing the likelihood for egregious errors within a massive and unjust process.

Photosource: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual complaint among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile malfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as soul trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile dysfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very much dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile dysfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

The Beginning of the End?

Within hours of the seismic event out of Nebraska – the legislature’s override of the governor’s veto of death penalty repeal – the media seized upon a long-known truth among the death penalty movement: Conservatives will vote to end capital punishment.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow exemplified the shock likely held by many media outlets that this moment was both curious and unexpected. Nebraska, however, could prove to be the norm, as bipartisan sponsorship of a repeal bill (with many more conservative co-sponsors) breezed through three rounds of voting, before enduring a tense override debate and vote. With previous vote counts north of 30 yays – the necessary vote to maintain a veto-proof majority – the final count of 30-19 provided more than a legislative session’s worth of drama in two hours of debate and statements.

Yesterday’s surprise is today’s reality as Nebraska is the nineteenth state to repeal the death penalty in the United States. Perhaps more fittingly for tomorrow is that Nebraska is the first conservative state in forty years to repeal, and all signs point to this novelty wearing off as other conservative states will follow suit. Time magazine’s latest cover story raises the thought on everyone’s mind: Is this the beginning of the end? It just might be, and if it is we will remember that it began with Nebraska.

Photo source: NY Times

 

Fairly, there are numerous aspects you would like to think about medications. All discount medicaments save money, but few online drugstores offer better deals than other online drugstores. There isn’t anything you can’t order online anymore. Remedies like Deltasone ordinarily is used to treat diseases such as eye problems. Glucocorticoids naturally occurring steroids, which are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. There are varied drugs for every conditions. Cialis is a remedy prescribed to treat many illnesses. What do you already know about long term side effects of cialis? What consumers talk about how long does it take for cialis to take effect? A general sexual appeal among men is the erectile dysfunction. Sexual problems mostly signal deeper problems: low libido or erectile malfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Albeit the erectile dysfunction itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning symptoms of other underlying soundness conditions that can be very dangerous. Unfortunately nearly all over-the-counter medicines have sometimes dangerous aftereffects, from muscle aches to death. If you buy any erectile malfunction medicaments like Cialis, check with a physician that they are sure to take with your other drugs. Do not take unwanted medications. Take Cialis to your local chemist’s shop which will dispose of them for you.

We have been here before

The details of every botched execution are terrible. From the death-gasps of the condemned to the panicked reactions of the corrections personnel, the calamitous moment where a crucial error has occurred reveals not simply a procedural mistake. Instead, what is displayed is also a symbolic revealing of the death penalty’s inherent flaws. Simply put, taking a life – even under the most controlled of circumstances – is fraught with the possibility of horrific consequences.

Considering such a possibility each and every time an execution is performed, it is astounding that states such as Tennessee have adopted methods like electrocution as viable alternatives in light of the recent lethal injection protocol challenges. On May 6, Tennessee’s State Supreme Court heard a case brought by death row inmates challenging the state’s use of the electric chair should pentobarbital not be available for lethal injections. All of these procedures were ultimately set in motion by the legislature’s decision in April 2014 to bring back this shelved method of execution.

This turn of events should call to memory a horror story from 25 years ago on May 4, 1990, when Florida inmate Jesse Tafero’s electrocution did not follow protocol: Tafero’s head caught on fire at the first jolt of electricity due to an improper sponge that was used as a replacement. Tafero died in agony, essentially burned alive. The same fate awaited Pedro Medina in 1997, seven years later, as his electrocution went awry as well.

These bizarre anniversaries should serve as a reminder that society has tried everything to prop up the death penalty system. It would seem that we do not learn from our mistakes, turning time and again to methods of executions that will fail to do what legislators promise it does for society. Until such time that we learn these lessons, the gruesome show will go on, and we will remember more regretful anniversaries with every passing year that we maintain the death penalty.

(Photosource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Tafero)

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