A conversation in a Panhandle Waffle House may lead to a barbaric change in Florida's death penalty policy. After meeting with constituents, Rep. Brad Drake, a Republican from Eucheeanna, has introduced a bill that would do away with using lethal injections for the death penalty. Instead he'd like to see electrocution or firing squads used as the state's method of execution. Well, actually if he had his way he'd just throw inmates off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Manuel Valle, the recently executed murderer of a Coral Gables police officer, had his execution delayed several times before facing lethal injection. His lawyers had filed several appeals based on the controversial drug used in lethal injections in Florida.
So, here's how Drake came to the conclusion that we need to bring back firing squads according to The Florida Current:
In a Waffle House in DeFuniak Springs, Drake said he heard a constituent say, "'You know, they ought to just put them in the electric chair or line them up in front of a firing squad.'" After a conversation with the person, Drake, 36, said he decided to file the bill.Under the bill, electrocution would be reinstated as the main means of execution in Florida, but death row inmates would have the option of facing a firing squad.
"There shouldn't be anything controversial about a .45-caliber bullet. If it were up to me we would just throw them off the Sunshine Skyway bridge and be done with it," Drake said.
Though, Old Sparky, the state's electric chair, was retired after incidents in which inmates were left alive, and once even started a fire on an inmate's face. However, Drake isn't worried.
"In the words of Humphrey Bogart, 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.' I am so tired of being humane to inhumane people," the Baptist lawmaker told The Current.
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