Another Messy Execution, Cruel and Unusual Punishment, California Style

The execution today in California of Stanley "Tookie" Williams provided another spectacle for the neocons and nearly brain dead of the world.

Whether or not Williams deserved execution, is really not the question, the manner in which this task was carried out certainly is.

Apparently California law requires that not one, but two IV lines must be inserted into the condemned prisoner to assure that death is certain. According to most news accounts the first line was inserted fairly quickly, while it took 10-12 minutes to find a vein to insert the second line. The condemned man endured this prodding,and no doubt extreme mental distress, from all accounts with tremendous dignity.

If this ineptitude and carelessness does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, this writer would certainly be interested in knowing what does.