Nonfiction reading response

America, a place where people are still being executed for crimes. The death penalty is still a punishment in present day America. Some people think that the death penalty is pure torture while others think its ok. The author Patricia Smith of the article “To Kill or Not to Kill?” tell about how there are less executions in the present day. The present day executions use drugs to inject into a person but many drugs have gone wrong and killed people 30 minutes later or longer after they suffer severe pain. The author wants the reader to know about present day executions and how there aren’t as many executions as in the past.

One of the executions mentioned in the article was about a man name Clayton Lockett. Lockett shot a 19-year-old woman and buried her in 1999 but was sentenced to death. Last April when Lockett was injected with an untested drug that was suppose to paralyze and sedative but instead killed him of a heart attack 30 minutes later. Not like past executions (hangings, gas chambers, electric chairs, etc.) the drug failed and instead killed the victim 30 minutes later. The author wants the reader to see and think about how tortures present day executions can be. For example during those 30 minutes Lockett suffered before he died, he probably gasping for air and wobbling around in the bed he was strapped to. In addition the author want the reader to think how there are less executions in present day. This can show how tortures present day executions can be.

Another example of a present day execution was in Arizona this July. It took nearly 2 hours to execute Joseph R. Wood by lethal injection. A news reporter reported Wood took at least 640 gasp before he could die. Again this can show how dangerous and torturous present day executions can be. Another thing the author wants the reader to know is European manufactures refuse to sell the correct drug used for correct executions. This forced prisons to use untested drugs combinations and get drugs from compounding pharmacies. This can leave the reader thinking how dangerous present day executions can be. Both recent executions are great example on how present day executions can be considered dangerous or torturous.

The article made me think further about my opinion about how executions shouldn’t be aloud and more humane punishments should be aloud. This article made me think further about punishments and consequences. Connecting to life, if a child did something bad, their parents would punish them. The same thing happens with adults except adults may face consequences like jail. Compared to jail executions may seem a little too extreme. After reading this article I realized even adults can have consequences, even death.