The Indiana attorney general is fighting to keep secret the identities of the doctor and prison employees who will execute Norman Timberlake, assuming all the appeals fail. I sincerely doubt if it's for the reason given:
Executions are carried out under substantial stress, the state's motion says, and employees and doctors might not take part if their involvement is known."Individuals opposed to the death penalty . . . pose no less danger to those involved in executions than some abortion foes pose to persons and property involved in abortions."
There have been documented accounts of abortion foes taking it out on abortion providers, but I can't remember a single incident of a death-penalty opponent going on a killing spree. They just don't seem the type, do they? A more likely explanation is that the state's executioners just don't want to be known as that, because they know everyone else will consider it creepy and start avoiding them.
Comments
Imagine the cocktail party conversation:
Fellow with drink in hand, addressing beautiful, dark-eyed woman: 'Hey there - how ya doin'?'
beautiful, dark-eyed woman: 'pretty well - but it was a killer day at the office, today'
fwdih: 'Really? It was for me, too - I lost a big sale and my boss screamed at me. What's YOUR horror story?'
bdew: "We blew a fuse, and old sparky only delivered half the amperage to our 'customer', so he survived the first several surges. I had to throw the switch four times before he bought the farm - and we couldn't find his eyeballs. You wouldn't believe the paperwork we have to do when something like that happens'
fwdih (gulping his own drink): 'ahhhhhh...hmmmmmm. Boy - there's Hank Smith over there - excuse me'
bdew: 'what's your name?'
fwdih: (after grabbing another drink from off an end table, and gulping it down - while moving rapidly away from the beautiful dark eyed woman) 'Yes! Right! Hey Hank! Don't I owe you 50 bucks?
Highly recommended movie -- one of the best in recent years -- about executioners: "Monster's Ball" with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry.
Well, with Halle Berry, it has to be good. I'll check it out!
Say - totally off-topic - but this article made me laugh until my eyes watered
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16668590/
"Git 'er done", indeed!!
Bravo!