Politics: who needs ethics?
As an update to this post on whether KY Governor Ernie Fletcher could ethically give an okay for the death penalty, Ernie has spoken: Fry the Bastard!
Here's what Fletcher’s General Counsel John Roach said in a written statement:
Any honest reading of the guidelines of the American Medical Association makes clear that the physician prohibition pertains only to the administration of the lethal means of execution. In addition, Kentucky law only restricts physician involvement ‘in the conduct of an execution.’ By signing a death warrant, in no way is Governor Ernie Fletcher participating in the conduct of an execution.Way to dodge the bullet, Ernie. We know LEGALLY you can do what you're doing. We were asking if ETHICALLY you could, since you're a doctor. And I'm pretty sure that bold print is an ethical pipe dream. So, by giving the order to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, Truman wasn't participating in the end of World War II? By giving the order to go to war on Iraq, Bush wasn't participating in the Iraq War? And by signing a death warrant, Governor Fletcher isn't participating in the conduct of an execution? Right. Any 'honest' reading should be changed to any 'legalistic' reading.
1 comment:
I am guessing that Governor Fletcher is also pro-life (in the abortion sense) as well. He should therefore have no ethical dilemma in letting Roe vs. Wade stand as it is, since he is not the one performing abortions.
Anti-abortion but pro-death penality (and pro-war, anti-government programs that help the underclasses, anti-universal health care, etc) really get my panties in a bunch. Come on people - if we are all as religious as we say we are, aren't we suppossed to leave the judgement of the worth of people's lives up to God? Aren't we suppossed to protect life at ALL stages? I guess not - the religious right would rather push for a Constitutional Amenment condeming the practices of people in our society than push for laws that might actually protect life. But that's okay - moral George is leading us (a man personally responsible for signing 152 death penalty orders, many to mentally retarded persons - but their lives don't count as life) and will save us from the baby killers, and suppress the rights of those dirty homos. Man I'm pissed today!
~Steve
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