Still waiting for America to join the civilized world.

A few days ago, I watched The Green Mile on AMC-- a decision I couldn't help wonder at, given the recent murder of a almost certainly innocent man by Georgia (why a recanting key witness-- let alone seven-- isn't an automatic mistrial, I will never understand). The wake of that execution brought a flood of stories, including one that stuck with me: a 16-year-old boy cried out "I'm not dying!" in the middle of his execution on the chair.

The scene in the movie where the guy literally fries horrified me more than pretty much anything else I've seen in a movie, and I'm a horror connoisseur. I think because those sorts of things actually happened.

This morning, I wake up to this: Florida GOP Rep. Wants To Bring Back Electrocution And Firing Squads: ‘I’m So Tired Of Being Humane’.

What a 33-year wait has to do with changing the execution method, Rep. Brad Drake never explains. Bringing back the electric chair doesn't make appeals go any faster. But the idea that the government-- which exists only to serve us, the constituents, and no other purpose-- shouldn't be humane literally makes me ill. Oh, I know. The government doesn't serve us. The government is full of small people with small, mean ideas. That doesn't change the fact that its original purpose was to make the will of the people possible.

I had to look him up. I've never heard of this guy, and yep, he's from Smallston, FL, like most of the really out-of-their-gourd GOP in this state. Brad Drake is a real charmer, too: he's a board member of "Hearts of Hope". But he'll happily prove himself heartless and break the commandment "thou shalt not kill" in a horrific manner because the accused doesn't deserve justice.

Seriously, this representative is nothing short of a menace to society, particularly given how many innocent people are executed. I'm... well I can't even say I'm somewhat sure such a bill wouldn't go through our Republican-ruled government, but I have hopes that the Republicans in our legislature find their humanity and go "uh, no." I am reasonably certain that the Cubans would stop firing squads (which are, arguably, more humane than lethal injection) because so many of them know people who died by firing squad.

I don't think I could live in a state that electrocutes people. Bad enough I live in a country with legalized murder.

Now brb, volunteering for the Innocence Project.