Last Meals...are the really needed?

I came across an article in the Washington Post by Eva Rodriguez that really struck something in me. Eva makes the argument that Texas revoking the traditional last meal for men before they are put to death is an awful idea. She explains that they made the decision after a inmate (Brewer, abused and murdered a man and dragged him down a road attatched to his truck) ordered two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat lover’s pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts...all of which sat there and were not eaten. This obviously irked a few Texas officials, who then pressed for the change in the system. Rodriguez explains that state officials shouldn't be surprised by these actions  from someone who murders another person. And further explains that we have become numb to inhumane things such as the the death penalty and not giving someone one last meal before doing so. Texas puts so many to death that it has become routine and mundane. Rodriguez believes we as a nation not just Texas should be concerned with this and make an effort to rise above what is wrong and reinstate the last meal, while also really focusing on how many we are giving the death penalty as well....

While I agree with Rodriguez that the last meal should be given, I don't think we should order that much food for one person...I'm sorry but the amount of food Brewer ordered is ridiculous....we are to treat them with a certain amount of humane behavior but we are not supposed to cater to inmates who have murdered someone. And yes, I do believe the death penalty is inhumane thing...make that person spend the rest of their life in prison because we should not be able to take a life of somone after we are punishing them for doing the same thing. Overall, Rodriguez is correct, we do need to make sure we rise above what these type of people do because we are supposed to be better than someone that can take another persons life and sleep in peace at night. We should be able to give a last meal to someone that is about to face death, but it shouldn't be a buffet line for one. And while in the article it says that Texas is not cutting it due to tax dollars, I think yes...the amont of food ordered should also be taken into account because of the tax dollars being spent. So go ahead and throw them a bone and give them a steak dinner before taking their life. It's the humane thing to do in a very inhumane situation.