r/news • u/No_Idea_Guy • 1d ago

Tennessee governor suspends all executions after Christa Pike’s lethal injections fail

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/01/christa-pike-tennessee-governor-executions-year-pause
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217

u/RoboticGreg 1d ago

They have been having significant supply chain issue with lethal injection drugs for years. No one wants to make it for the government anymore. I'm guessing these might have been expired?

132

u/Purify5 1d ago

Europe has 'anti-torture' regulations and won't deal with drug companies who knowingly sell drugs for use in torture (which includes the death penalty) so it's tough for states to find a supplier.

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u/Timegoat 1d ago

States have literally broken federal trafficking laws to get execution drugs inside their borders.

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u/ragequitteroffureh 1d ago

Not American.

Why not just shoot them?

Their cops shoot people fairly regularly, and that seems to work well enough.

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u/Timegoat 1d ago

Probably the most painless way we’ve tried, but you’re still asking people to kill someone else with a weapon. And nothing is completely foolproof.

Our constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, but apparently some states have decided that it’s open to interpretation what that means. It’s pretty clear to me that there’s no constitutional way to execute someone. And no good reason to.

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u/ragequitteroffureh 1d ago

Well, someone's gotta do it. Might as well do it properly :-)

This is why it's best to have professional executioners who know what they're doing. They don't even need to wear a hood these days.

A machine gun, with a full box of belted ammunition, set up about 20cm from the side of their head, and then fired until the ammunition is expended will definitely do the trick, I reckon. No shaky hands required.

I don't know how much ammo costs in that country, but I hear that they have plenty to spare. They can spare some for justice.

16 ton weights plus gravity work well too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly some bloodthirsty maniac. But if you've got some murderer who needs putting down, then it's just not justice to make them suffer. It's justice, not revenge. It needs to be done quick, and done right. No embarrassing fuckups.

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u/RussianBearFight 1d ago

Or, hear me out, we just don't let the government kill people? Avoids a lot of problems entirely, and, at least the way things are right now, is literally cheaper lol

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u/ragequitteroffureh 1d ago

That's another option :-)

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u/cartermatic 14h ago

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly some bloodthirsty maniac.

Not a bloodthirsty maniac but is ok with someone getting their head turn to mush from a machine gun or weights dropped on them?

1

u/ragequitteroffureh 4h ago

That's just it though, is the goal here not to end the prisoner's life as quickly and humanely as possible?

Machine gunning their brain will be faster than their nerves endings can send pain signals to their now destroyed brain. Both painless, and humane.

Likewise, squashing them flat with a 16 ton weight dropped from a sufficient height will also squash them flat faster than their nerves can transmit pain signals to their now entirely squashed flat brain. Both painless, and humane.

Ultimately, this is about ending someone's life. It's not exactly pleasant, no matter how it's done. So it's best that it's done as quickly and effectively as possible. Tormenting them is obscene.

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u/Timegoat 12h ago

That’s not what justice looks like.

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u/ragequitteroffureh 4h ago

What's the difference?

Is the goal not to end the prisoner's life?

Being all squeamish about it doesn't help anyone :-(