Thiopental Sodium Shortage May Delay Executions in AZ

[Godot showed up]

http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2010/05/thiopental-sodium-shortage-may-delay-executions-in-az.html?=features

A shortage in thiopental sodium, the drug used in lethal injection procedures may put executions in Arizona on hold a while longer.

Executions were set to resume after three years and a period of legal wrestling over an acceptable method of lethal injection, but a worldwide shortage of thiopental sodium may cause delay, the Arizona Republic reports.

Hospira, the sole U.S. company that manufactures thiopental sodium does not expect more of the product to be manufactured and available until July 1 and September 30.

In Arizona, official execution procedure requires that drugs for execution are not ordered until the death warrant is received.

The drug is an anesthetic and also administered during Caesarean sections  and animal euthanasia.

I've never understood what's wrong with a properly executed, ah ha ha, hanging. When it's done right, it's as instantaneous as it gets; equivalent to pithing an animal prior to dissection. I emphasize: when it's done right. In a modern setting, that shouldn't be too difficult.

For that matter, so's the guillotine, although we've never used that (excellent) method in the United States.

Not that I'm particularly interested in mercy toward those who've committed capital offenses and then have been sentenced to die. I've always favored the Brazen Bull, myself. Marvelous ideas, the ancient Greeks had (not doing too well today, though).

[LC EFA]

I've never understood what's wrong with a properly executed, ah ha ha, hanging. When it's done right, it's as instantaneous as it gets; equivalent to pithing an animal prior to dissection. I emphasize: when it's done right. In a modern setting, that shouldn't be too difficult.

For that matter, so's the guillotine, although we've never used that (excellent) method in the United States.

Not that I'm particularly interested in mercy toward those who've committed capital offenses and then have been sentenced to die. I've always favored the Brazen Bull, myself. Marvelous ideas, the ancient Greeks had (not doing too well today, though).

Bonus is you can reuse the rope and the guillotine.
 
How's THAT for recycling !

[rich_t]

Bullets are still available right?

[vesta111]

Bullets are still available right?

I hear that being Keel Hauled was once used, same as being Drawn and Quartered.

Being buried alive and burnt at the stake worked well.

Could take the dudes, dress them in a $700.00 suit with a few thousand dollars worth of gold chains and turn them loose in a drug neighborhood.

[Randy]

Battery acid works in a pinch....jus' sayin'

[vesta111]

Battery acid works in a pinch....jus' sayin'

You talking about the folks back in the 1980's that murdered people by cutting battery acid into Heron.?

[DefiantSix]

I hear that being Keel Hauled was once used, same as being Drawn and Quartered.

Ummm, vesta?  Ma'am?  Being keel hauled was a punishment that the offender was intended - at least theoretically - to survive.  Do you even know what it is, ma'am?

I'm with Godot and LC EFA, by the way; Ace Hardware is having a sale on rope.  No shortages there.

[thundley4]

Ummm, vesta?  Ma'am?  Being keel hauled was a punishment that the offender was intended - at least theoretically - to survive.  Do you even know what it is, ma'am?

I'm with Godot and LC EFA, by the way; Ace Hardware is having a sale on rope.  No shortages there.

I always understood that keel hauling meant being dragged under a ship from one side to the other.  I don't think many would have survived that.

[DefiantSix]

I always understood that keel hauling meant being dragged under a ship from one side to the other.  I don't think many would have survived that.

Essentially.  The offender would be stripped to the waist, tossed overboard and dragged by a rope attached to his hands and feet down the length of the keel, allowing the barnicles that had accumulated on the ship's hull to tear at the man's back, if he was pulled quickly; if pulled slowly, the weight of his body might allow him to avoid the worst of the marine growth along the keel.  It was most notably used as a form of corporal punishment in the Dutch Navy until the early 1600s.  The length of most ships was not enough at that time for the practice of keelhauling to be regularly lethal in nature.

[LC EFA]

I always understood that keel hauling meant being dragged under a ship from one side to the other.  I don't think many would have survived that.

For some reason I don't know the specifics of; cuts that come from coral, oysters, barnacles and the like tend to get inflamed and infected fairly easily.

[rich_t]

Essentially.  The offender would be stripped to the waist, tossed overboard and dragged by a rope attached to his hands and feet down the length of the keel, allowing the barnicles that had accumulated on the ship's hull to tear at the man's back, if he was pulled quickly; if pulled slowly, the weight of his body might allow him to avoid the worst of the marine growth along the keel.  It was most notably used as a form of corporal punishment in the Dutch Navy until the early 1600s.  The length of most ships was not enough at that time for the practice of keelhauling to be regularly lethal in nature.

That is my understanding as well.

[vesta111]

For some reason I don't know the specifics of; cuts that come from coral, oysters, barnacles and the like tend to get inflamed and infected fairly easily.

We as kids would run the tide.  There was a very large culvert that went from the river into the marsh land on the other side of the road.

When the tide went out we would grab a piece of lumber and ride through the culvert.   The inside of the culvert was covered with barnacles, if we misjudged the tide we would hit the top or sides of the culvert.  A full moon tide was wild as the water was twice as fast as usual.

At times we would come out of the culvert bleeding like we had been filleted.

Hurt, you betcha, the salt in the water made the pain worse. We never got infections from the slice and dice game, we put Honey on our wounds and waited a few hours before going home, our mothers would have freaked out had they any idea what we were doing.

The only time I got an infection was when one day we were out stomping about on the mud flats and I stepped on a razor clam.  I had to get antibiotics as my foot ballooned up really nasty.

[LC EFA]

We as kids would run the tide.  There was a very large culvert that went from the river into the marsh land on the other side of the road.

...

I grew up visiting the Great Barrier Reef and assorted coastal Islands. I'm also a mad keen fisherman. Coral / Rocks / Marine growth.

You do the math.