Ralph Baze and Thomas Bowling Jr. were sentenced to death for first degree murder more than fifteen years ago.
Yet both men still sit on Kentucky's death row, insisting they should be allowed to live. Why? Because according to them and their lawyers, Kentucky's lethal-injection method should be ruled unconstitutional because it poses "the risk of excruciating pain equivalent to torture."
But that's nonsense. Even one of those same attorneys agrees the lethal injection method is painless, if properly administered.
So what he's saying is, we have a perfectly acceptable procedure in place that should be eliminated because it could possibly cause pain if - against all odds -- someone bungles it.
I'm sorry, but if that becomes the standard for acceptable procedures, I'm pretty sure everything we do in America will grind to a halt.
And while I'm certainly not in favor of cruel and unusual punishment, I'm unaware of any requirement we have in place that a lawful execution must be completely painless.
I think capital punishment should be restricted only to cases where there's NO doubt - not just no REASONABLE doubt. But once that requirement has been met, the sentence should be carried out as soon as possible.
As long as the justice is sure, it should be equally swift.
I'm Bill Lamb and that's my Point of View.
