The Role of Physicians in Executions. Can We Get Real?

Is there any reason whatsoever to involve doctors or nurses in executions? The December 27th St Petersberg Florida Times reports that the state of Florida has botched an execution and Governor Bush is trying to figure out what to do next. Whether you are pro or anti death-penalty (I am anti) there is no need to involve a doctor in killing prisoners. A trained executioner can do the job and ought to. There is no reason to lend the moral authority of medicine to state mandated killing.
- Arthur Caplan

He Had a Conscientious Objection to the Penis

My colleague Eric Feldman of Penn Law school tells me that when he was in Istanbul last week there was a story in the local paper about a nurse who said that his religious beliefs led him to refuse to help administer a testicular scan because he did not want to touch the patient's penis. Seems that there wasn't another available nurse, the scan was long delayed, and the patient died from testicular cancer. Ok all those in favor of respecting health care provider conscientious objection--weigh in please!
- Arthur Caplan