Humane Executions

In recent months there have been challenges to lethal injection as a manner of execution. Most challenges have come from convicted criminals sentenced to such executions. The challenges ignore the fact the Constitution does not prohibit uncomfortable punishments nor does it require pain free punishments. The Eighth Amendment reads, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

To understand where those who wrote and ratified the Constitution and its amendments were coming from we must understand common punishment of their time.

Common punishments at the time were stocks, branding, hanging, and "hang draw and quarter." Nonviolent crimes may have resulted in the convicted criminal being locked head and hands or feet in stocks for public humiliation and a little mistreatment by the public. Those convicted of capital crimes were usually either branded or hanged by the neck until they were dead. A second conviction for a capital crime of a branded person resulted in hanging, no questions asked. For especially heinous crimes or crimes such as treason the punishment was the hang draw and quarter. In this punishment, you were hanged until very nearly dead; then you were disemboweled and your private parts cut off, all while you were still conscious. A good executioner could do it very quickly, so that you did not die too early. The person being executed would then be pulled apart with four horses tied to his extremities, so as to execute him.

Now, compare that with lethal injection and the uncomfortable “prick” of a needle.

If we make "humane" the guiding principle for executions and require that executions be performed humanely I have a suggestion.

The Humane Slaughter Act of 1958 requires livestock, prior to being killed, be rendered insensible to pain, stunned into unconsciousness by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective. Congress found that the use of humane methods prevents needless suffering. Thus we have the congressional approval of the use of the "captive bolt gun" to stun the animal into unconsciousness.

The captive bolt gun could be used to stun the convicted subject being executed making them insensible to pain or unconscious. The bolt is a heavy rod made of non-rusting alloys, such as stainless steel (there is no danger of the subject catching any cruel or unusual illnesses or rashes etc). The bolt is propelled forward by the discharge of a blank round, which is ignited by a firing pin (actuated by a trigger pull).

Being struck in the forehead and rendered insensible to pain the subject can then be safely and painlessly executed in any manner defined by the law. This will ensure a humane AND Constitutional execution.

If you do not believe this to be humane you might want to give up eating beef, pork, and lamb because in all probability this is how they get to your table.

China Preparing

I have read and am re-reading a book titled China Wars that describes how China is getting cozy with various countries in South America. Middle East and on the African Continent and we cannot respond because China owns so much of our national debt. If they were to call the loans it would destroy the financial markets of the United States. Many if not all of the weapons used against the United States in Somalia during the Clinton administration were from China. The Chinese keep us on edge by threatening to make Taiwan part of China again which would require the United States to become militarily involved due to our long standing promise to defend Taiwan against such a move. They are also inhabiting a series of islands leading up to China and will eventually be able to control ships going to Japan and other neighboring countries in times of disagreement.

It also explains how the Chinese copy and pirate just about everything made by companies who outsource their production to China. It is possible but takes a lot of work to survive in the United States without buying something made in China. It is nice to know Wal-Mart has the courage to confront the Chinese which is something the United States as a country cannot do anymore.

Maybe we should take a lesson from Wal-Mart's manual on employee relations with our migrant workers.

Below is a note found in the Washington Post....

At a factory in Shenzhen, China poor migrant workers assemble stereos supplied to Wal-Mart stores. Factory engineer Surely Huang says "the profit is really small...we have to constantly cut costs to satisfy Wal-Mart". Workers receive about $120 a month. A sign on the wall reminds them of their expendability in a nation with hundreds of millions of surplus workers: "If you don't work hard today, tomorrow you'll have to try hard to look for a job."

I wonder which Dale Carnegie class the Chinese missed....or misunderstood when they pirated the lesson material....

Higher Calling

Email to Gatlinburg City Commissioners and City Manager.....

City Commissioners and City Manager:

Today's (Tuesday October 16th) The Mountain Press has a front page article about a little boy preaching on the Parkway in Gatlinburg. If Gatlinburg does not already have one you might want to consider ordinances controlling such activities and limiting the using of microphones or any amplification systems.You might consider a Free Speech zone out of the way so as to not annoy the tourists and citizens.

We live in a multicultural society and what was at one time considered a Christian country is far from it today. Gatlinburg has enough folks from India and it is only a matter of time before they will want to preach their Hindu beliefs or there will be or are Muslims in Gatlinburg who will want to preach their beliefs. The groups could go on including White Supremacists or Black Power advocates, or Native American causes and on and on.

Cute only goes so far.....

Corporate America's Fantasy World

Corporate America management live in a fantasy land. They lie and mislead Wall Street analysts to benefit their stock. I mean their stock as in their shares and their bank account.

They claim to believe every month will be better than the current month. Constant growth is not realistic. People who claim such cannot be trusted.

Every company will cease to grow someday and when they stop they will have to be managed differently than when they were a growing and expanding company.

Sam Walton had an idea that has long since been copied by competitors. It is time for another idea.

Corporations cannot pay people so they live at or near poverty level and expect loyalty. You can not put unqualified people into management positions just because they of their gender or their race just to placate the public. If you doubt that look at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is passed its prime and new managment strategies and expectations must be developed.