The Sept. 30 capital punishment attempt against Christa Gail Pikeby the State of Tennessee is just one recent example of flaws in this process that, according to the experience of veterinarians, should be very straightforward.
Euthanasia, or the process of performing a “good death,” is one of the most common procedures veterinarians perform on all varieties of animals, from cats to lions. A successful one is, of course, the death of the animal. A good one, one by the books, is when the animal is peacefully and painlessly sedated and then given the final lethal injection of the drug pentobarbital.
Pentobarbitalcauses the functionality of the animal’s brain to cease, which then causes their heart to stop beating. The vast majority of euthanasias,
at least as performed by small animal veterinarians like myself, are some of the most peaceful and easy experiences with death anyone could hope for.
That's why I’ve never fully understood why capital punishment by lethal injection has been so inhumane.
How lethal injections become inhumane
The process of capital punishment by lethal injection is a bit more nuanced than animal euthanasia. For instance, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Medical Code of Ethics discourages physicians from participating in legally authorized executions, including by providing technical assistance, such as helping to find a vein. While the AMA code of ethics is merely guidance and voluntary standards, not laws, physicians may face stigma or professional consequences if participating in an execution.
Additionally, many pharmaceutical companies refuse to sell drugs to be used for executions. This means that state and federal corrections facilities must rely on compounded drugs, or be forced to source the drugs from questionable places.
Because of these issues, some commentators believe we should resort to firing squads, hangings or the electric chair. However, these arguments overlook a larger question: the moral injury inflicted upon the personnel carrying out the executions.
The cost of moral injury
Moral injury is the psychological distress experienced when individuals perform an act that goes against their moral beliefs or personal values.
It isn’t uncommon for veterinarians to struggle with moral injury – like when performing a euthanasia of “convenience" on an otherwise healthy animal, or one with a treatable illness. Or when a large group of animals need to be culled to prevent disease spread, such as during recent bird flu outbreaks.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, prison staff and personnel who contribute to the process of executions, even those that go well, suffer from psychological distress rooted in moral injury. Their symptoms range from insomnia and nightmares to suicidal ideations and substance abuse.
Whether you support capital punishment or oppose it, this cost deserves attention. If Tennessee chooses to carry out executions, it owes the people it asks to do the work real support: confidential counseling, protections for those who decline to participate and an honest accounting of the toll.
Voters and lawmakers should ask not only whether an execution is humane for the condemned, but what it does to the people we assign to carry it out.
Dr. Leslie Brooks is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She previously ran a house-call veterinary practice in Indiana and now works on education policy in Washington, D.C.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Christa Pike case shows hidden toll of capital punishment | Opinion
