Tennessee Execution Raises Alarming Questions About Lethal Injection Protocol and Pain

The recent execution of Byron Black in Tennessee has ignited a storm of scrutiny over the state's lethal injection protocol, spotlighting troubling evidence that challenges official claims of a humane, pain-free process.How Can We Accept States’ Assurances When the Evidence Contradicts Them?Black, convicted decades ago for the tragic murders of his girlfriend and her two daughters, was reportedly heard saying “I’m hurting so bad” during his execution—a haunting admission that cannot be dismissed as mere anecdote. While Tennessee officials insisted their lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, would ensure swift unconsciousness and eliminate suffering within seconds, multiple eyewitness accounts from media witnesses...