Trump Is Putting the Machinery of Death Into Overdrive
After 17 years without a federal execution in the United States, the Trump administration has gone on what can only be called a killing spree.
by Clint Smith
Jan 15, 2021
4 minutes
The first time I stood in an execution chamber, what I remember most was the stillness of the room. In November 2018, I visited Angola prison in Louisiana, and saw where the state injected prisoners with a cocktail that rendered them unconscious, paralyzed their muscles, discontinued their breathing, and stopped their hearts.
The table was long and blue, its leather upholstery covering a thin layer of foam padding. There were seven discolored brown-and-blue straps that stretched across its width, each of them locked and pulled tight. At the foot of the table were two shackles, silver metal glimmering under the fluorescent lights.
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