Tuesday, December 28, 2004

FOXNews.com - Politics - Kentucky Governor's Execution Order Draws Fire

This doctor is in trouble because people are alleging that signing death warrants as governor violates the tenets of the hippocratic oath to which he is pledged as a physician. The governor says that he's just doing his duty as governor. I believe both sides are right. It is reasonable for certain classes of people to relinquish their right to the performance of certain acts when they undertake other duties. The judge or other law enforcer who agrees to follow the law in his rulings doesn't rule contrary to the law when he finds the law unjust, rather he resigns the bench. This is because he is pledged to uphold the law. The military chaplain agrees to not bear arms to preserve access and immunity as a noncombatant under the laws of war, though he does not believe bearing arms is morally wrong. If, in extremis, he finds it neccesary to take up arms, he loses his clerical immunity. The physician is pledged to uphold life above other ends and therefore shouldn't participate in its deliberate taking. If the governor believes it is neccesary for him to take up governance of this sort, he must resign his license. If he views his practice of medicine vocationally, he must resign his governorship and allow someone to take over who can execute the laws.

No comments: