In case you missed it. 7-2 says lethal injection is ok. Along with most of you around here, I think execution by any means is an abhorrent embarrassment to this country.
Still, if we’re going to have lethal injection (and it looks like we will for the forseeable future) and if we want to see if it is a painful method of execution (or if we want to see how often it is botched) why not simply leave out the pancuronium bromide – the paralytic? After all, it seems to me the only reason it is administered is to eliminate any chance that observers will see the results of any pain the final drug may inflict.
I’m not a doctor (and, by the way, neither are the people who administer lethal injections), so I don’t know if there are any other reasons for the use of pancuronium bromide. But if lethal injection doesn’t cause pain, then there is no need for it, right?
Just a thought.