This episodes main story is about the death penalty in general, and lethal injections more specifically. Full disclosure, I happen to be against the death penalty myself, but a part of me can understand why victims of horrific crimes could potentially want this punishment on the table. What I can't understand is what is the focus of this episode; the outdated and occasionally cruel way in which the death penalty is administered.
There are largely two methods of state execution used today: lethal injection and the electric chair. This episode focuses on the absolute horrors that can accompany the former if it is not done properly and the rationalizations being used by states to continue the process.
What I find acutely distressing is the fact that inexpensive, easy to administer, and most importantly painless options like inert (nitrogen, helium, etc.) gas exist and could be readily obtained, but for the bureaucratic red tape. This causes states to continue utilizing methods that could be considered a form of state-sponsored torture, or to put it in constitutional terms cruel and unusual punishment.
I will say that this is one area where I disagreed with the show, as Oliver mentions inert gas in passing, but only says "there are problems with that" but fails to elaborate and lumps it in with other methods that have more obvious drawbacks. Since he is obviously taking a hard, uncompromising stand on the issue, my strong suspicion here is that he's glossing over these ideas because he doesn't want to present any method as even potentially suitable, but does want viewers to believe he has ruled these methods out for reasons similar to those for lethal injections. I disagree with that not because I support capital punishment but because I don't think we can have an honest discussion about important topics like this with deliberate half-truths.
I hope one day that if people hear about the ugly reality of capital punishment via shows like this one, that we can end capital punishment all together. Or, if we feel as a society that we still need it, that we can at least switch to a more humane way of things. Great, if disturbing, episode.
There are largely two methods of state execution used today: lethal injection and the electric chair. This episode focuses on the absolute horrors that can accompany the former if it is not done properly and the rationalizations being used by states to continue the process.
What I find acutely distressing is the fact that inexpensive, easy to administer, and most importantly painless options like inert (nitrogen, helium, etc.) gas exist and could be readily obtained, but for the bureaucratic red tape. This causes states to continue utilizing methods that could be considered a form of state-sponsored torture, or to put it in constitutional terms cruel and unusual punishment.
I will say that this is one area where I disagreed with the show, as Oliver mentions inert gas in passing, but only says "there are problems with that" but fails to elaborate and lumps it in with other methods that have more obvious drawbacks. Since he is obviously taking a hard, uncompromising stand on the issue, my strong suspicion here is that he's glossing over these ideas because he doesn't want to present any method as even potentially suitable, but does want viewers to believe he has ruled these methods out for reasons similar to those for lethal injections. I disagree with that not because I support capital punishment but because I don't think we can have an honest discussion about important topics like this with deliberate half-truths.
I hope one day that if people hear about the ugly reality of capital punishment via shows like this one, that we can end capital punishment all together. Or, if we feel as a society that we still need it, that we can at least switch to a more humane way of things. Great, if disturbing, episode.
