Extra Credit Blog

The title of this article is "Supreme Court Justices hotly debate the use of a lethal injection drug". Basically what is behind this article is the Supreme Court took place in a fiery debate over using a lethal injection drug on inmates. The justices’ had some angry words to say that appeared to reflect a deepening divide over the death penalty itself. 
In the article it states, "The justices were considering a challenge brought by death-row inmates in Oklahoma, who allege that the use of a sedative called midazolam has resulted in troubling executions that violate the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Problematic executions in Oklahoma and elsewhere have captured national headlines since early last year". This has been a debate that has sparked a riot in our nation. People claim that the use of a lethal injection is unconstitutional. All of the justices have their own personal opinion on the matter, and not all agree. This makes it very tricky. Elena Kagen stated, "Oklahoma could not prove that its use of midazolam would render inmates properly unconscious so they would not feel the effects of the potassium chloride, which causes death — “being burned alive from the inside” as she described it". An inmate in
Oklahoma who, after receiving the injection to be executed, writhed in pain from the injection is what drew attention back to the matter. This particular section of the article sparked my attention, "In Oklahoma, when state officials could no longer obtain the drug they used to rely on, they turned to the drug midazolam. This particular drug was used in three problematic executions last year, turning it into a focal point for debates about lethal injections. The most high-profile of these was Oklahoma’s bungled attempt to execute convicted murderer Clayton Lockett. He kicked, grimaced and survived for 43 minutes after the execution began. He eventually died after officials had already halted the process, and a state investigation blamed the bungled procedure on the manner in which the execution team inserted the needle. Midazolam was also used last year in the execution of an Arizona inmate who gasped and snorted and took nearly two hours to die, as well as the lethal injection of an Ohio inmate who gasped and choked before dying after nearly half an hour". 
In my opinion, I do not agree with a lethal injection. It is not an okay or humane way to die. To me, it does not matter how bad of a person you are or the extent of the crime you have committed. I believe spending the rest of your life behind bars is a far worse punishment than an injection that kills you. With the injection, you suffer a few minutes of pain and then its over. Rotting in jail with the rest of your life, in a dark cold cell confined to solitude is what scum bags deserve. 

The Fed

In my own personal opinion, I believe that the Federal Reserve is an asset to this country. An asset is defined as a useful or valuable thing, and that is what the Federal Reserve is. "One of the main functions of the Federal Reserve System is to moderate the peaks and valleys caused by the so called free market of the banks. In good times, banks readily lend money, which increases the money supply thus fueling inflation. In recessions, banks tighten up the credit therefore contracting the money supply causing the economy to spiral down deeper into recession. The Fed, by controlling the reserve requirement for banks, and the interest rates charged to the banks, can keep both situations from becoming extreme" (The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve System). "Unlike other federal systems which are mainly controlled by the government and its officials, the US Federal Reserve is a separate body and functions independently from the government. The federal system does not rely on the appropriations given by Congress but operates using its own earnings. This process somehow limits the political influences into the system. The primary function of the system is to create monetary policies that will help achieve the overall goals of the fiscal policies of the President and Congress. It also contributes to the safety and soundness of the financial system. It is the Board’s sole responsibility to set the requirements for depository institutions and approve changes in discount rates proposed by the directors of the Reserve Banks" (The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve System). The Federal Reserve was made to satisfy the need for a more consistent and organized banking system which would uplift economic situations of the U.S. along with organizing its monetary matters into a more coherent system, which in turn would uphold the rights of consumers and their businesses ratifications of the Federal Reserve act. Having this type of power, the Federal Reserve System gains control over the interest rates being implemented among State or local Banks as well as to how much money these banks would be retaining as a reserve in their respective domain. Because of this, the Federal Reserve System actually regulates the United States of America in its local and national banks. "Today, the Federal Reserve's responsibilities fall into four general areas: Conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing money and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of full employment and stable prices, supervising and regulating banks and other important financial institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers and maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in Financial Market s, providing certain financial services to the U.S. government, U.S. financial institutions, and foreign official institutions, and playing a major role in operating and overseeing the nation's payments systems" (The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve System). 

Works Cited: "The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve System." Subject Money. N.p., n.d. Web.