Another failed injection. Another inmate failed to be put down. I am writing about an article in The Canton Repository titled "Kasich: Changes not needed," on Nov. 20, 2017. This article is very important not only to Ohio, but to the United States as a whole. Clearly, lethal injection has its deficiencies; something needs to change.

This article is important because it serves to show the failure of lethal injection in Ohio, having failed twice in the past 10 years. Two of the three modern lethal injection failures in United States' history have occurred in Ohio. Apart from the possibility of the injection failing, the injections may not be as peaceful and humane as they're said to be. In 2014, it took Dennis McGuire 10 minutes to die. Yet, Ohio hasn't made any changes and continues to take risks by using injection. When it works, it works, but quite frankly it could be a hit or miss. The partial possibility of success doesn't quite cut it when you look at the Eighth Amendment, and the protection it offers from cruel or unusual punishment. Moreover, when the injection does not work, that is essentially a mock execution. A mock execution is widely considered to be cruel and unusual punishment, again violating the Eighth Amendment. In addition, during November 2017, the medical team assigned to execute Alva Campbell could not locate a vein in which to insert the injection. This is another case of cruel or unusual punishment.

I stand on two points about this issue. One being that a different form of execution need be imposed. I also believe that the screening before the execution should be better, as to ensure that the team finds the vein. We cannot continue to put people at the mercy of the of the injection; whether it works, fails, or takes minutes after minutes to work. That violates a basic principle upon which this country was founded. Something needs to change.

JAKE HUMBERT, JACKSON TOWNSHIP