A different perspective on the Death Penalty!

I found this while reading The Age and thought I would post it here. All I ask is that you read the article in full.

Listen to the executioners before you opt for executions

A FEW weeks ago, I talked to a man called Ron McAndrew. He spoke about the death penalty, but from quite a different perspective than either Kevin Rudd or John Howard.

You see, McAndrew had served as the warden of Florida State Prison. He'd actually executed people - and it had changed his life forever.

*snip*

"When we turned on the electricity to kill this guy," he said, "flames shot out from under the helmet. We burned his head - badly. There was steam going down the side of his face, coming out of his eyes and his nose burned as well. It was horrifying. The chamber filled up with smoke. We could hardly see each other . . . but you could still smell the burning flesh."

*snip*

Let's put it like this: if the execution of even the wickedest man still traumatises the people who carry it out, what about the society that condones it?

Link: The Age: Listen to the executioners before you opt for executions

Now as you all know I am against the death penalty in any form. There won't be any changing that for me. As you also know it took a lot of work from someone once close to me to make me see the light. But what you don't know is, I have heard many times the horror stories from with in the execution chamber, and out of everything told to me, it was those horror stories I had read on the Internet and elsewhere that truly persuaded me to change my opinion.

And like the Author of this Op Ed says, before you opt for the DP perhaps you too should talk to those who will be carrying out the states orders.