The death penalty in Ohio is looking increasingly precarious these days.

The quest to put convicted murderer Romell Broom to death continues to expose the flaws in the death penalty system.

Broom, who was brought to justice for raping and killing a 14-year-old Cleveland girl in 1984, may be a despicable excuse for a human being, but the death penalty as a solution seems to be faltering.

Months ago, Ohio officials had to delay Broom's execution when they couldn't find a suitable vein on his body to administer the lethal injection.

So Ohio lawmakers put out a call to doctors in the state to help them find a better way to put people to death. Unfortunately for state lawmakers, no doctors are answering.

Now, Ohio has had to put all executions on hold, because it can't develop an alternative method to put people to death.

In my view, there are lots of reasons the death penalty should be abolished - most dealing with the fact that too many innocent people are put in peril because they are of low intelligence or can't afford proper legal representation. And let's not forget that little reliable evidence exists to show that the death penalty reduces murder rates.

Doctors take an oath to preserve and protect life, so it should surprise no one that they aren't exactly beating down the doors of Ohio lawmakers to give them better ways to kill. I hope doctors in Ohio stick to their convictions and refuse to help the state continue the dirty business of state-sanctioned killing.