Alabama Begs SCOTUS To Speed Up Executing People With Disabilities
The story from The Intercept reveals Alabama’s eagerness to make it easier to execute people with intellectual disabilities, pushing for the Supreme Court to overturn decisions that currently protect this vulnerable population. For the state of Alabama, this isn't just about justice; it's about making sure that the Supreme Court's 2002 Atkins v. Virginia ruling, which banned executing
intellectually disabled persons, doesn't get in the way of a perfectly good execution. We're talking less 'cruel and unusual punishment' and more 'get on with it already,' because who has time for lengthy legal battles when there are perfectly capable individuals ready to pull the lever? One might wonder if Alabama’s legislative zeal for state-sanctioned death applies equally to other pressing
issues, such as, say, its abysmal health care rankings or its ongoing efforts to keep access to reproductive care as difficult as possible. But no, the focus, it seems, is squarely on ensuring that intellectual disability isn't an 'unnecessary' impediment to the state's ultimate power. Apparently, the 'wisdom' of the state of Alabama is far superior to any pesky constitutional protections.