1. Citation: Van Dellen, Richard G. “Ethics of capital punishment.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 83, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 118+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A173515554/AONE?u=cuny_nytc&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=b0c77f8c. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.
  • Summary: In this Letter Richard Van Dellen discusses the phycology aspect, as well as the ethics/moral drainage that physicians have to experience while being the ones responsible for deaths regarding the sentencings resulting in capital punishment.  According to Van Dellen human life should be appraised with deep and extreme reverence, further more delving into the involvement of mental health and the extremes of the physician’s job while reinforcing the important of the human life comes this quote, “The law of capital punishment while pretending to support this reverence, does in fact tend to destroy it.” Essentially introducing ethics or lack thereof, of capital punishment, its intended purpose, and what it actually achieves/accomplishes making us as a society no better, by introducing and contributing to the countless violence.
  • Reflection: I think the letter introduces an opinion from someone directly connected to the topic as Van Dellen reinforces the importance of human life as well as building and expanding upon the idea of a safer world by concluding his letter with a very simple proposal/solution. The passion behind his research and asks provide the reader with further insight onto said importance and delicacy of human life.
  • Rhetorical analysis: Van Dellen’s degree on immunology and medicine probably further contribute to his passion and knowledge on the topic. He uses emotion and a plethora of direct quotes in order to appropriately communicate his thoughts on the matter.  Through the use of the emotions and the quotes Van Dellen is effective in conveying the mental anguish of the physician, and the United States fighting fire with fire by even having such a punishment in place .
  • Purpose analysis : I believe the letter was written the with intent of raising some sort of awareness contributing to the ideology and vision for the United States and its future.  The mental health of physician’s seems to be overlooked while the expectations for the job only seems to grow.  
  • Key quote : He cites a study that individuals on execution teams use “selective moral disengagement,” “dehumanization,” and other psychological mechanisms to protect themselves. We dehumanize the condemned in order to kill them. In the process we dehumanize ourselves. Our society becomes a little less concerned and more numb about killing.”  The quote introduces the concern and the original question I posed regarding to the level of morality and mental anguish that can go into the process of having to live with yourself as the one responsible for deaths of inmates.  The idea of dehumanization is introduced, as not only physicians having to dehumanize themselves but having to dehumanize the PEOPLE they are responsible for killing in order to live with themselves post completion of said execution.

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