Firing Squad or Lethal Injection?

[Katy Lied]

Ronnie Lee Gardner is one of the final death row inmates able to make a choice between dying by firing squad or lethal injection. Utah has since changed the law and everybody has to use lethal injection in future. Gardner has chosen the bullet, and has started a 48 hour fast for spiritual reasons. He is scheduled to die tomorrow night.

I've always thought that I'd rather die by firing squad, with my feet in the dirt and a breeze blowing through my hair. Back to the earth from when I sprang, and all that romantic nonsense. I wouldnt want anyone to miss, so give them each two bullets.

Besides, new studies show that lethal injection may be more protracted than you think, with the inmate paralyzed and unable to breath, asphyxiating to death. According to the Trib, one prisoner allowed a doctor to monitor his heart when he went before the firing squad. It went from 70 to over 180 right before the fire command, and all activity ceased in 1.5 seconds after the shot.

[Indy Coug]

That scene from Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

[Clark Addison]

Besides, new studies show that lethal injection may be more protracted than you think, with the inmate paralyzed and unable to breath, asphyxiating to death.

My impression was that most of the "studies" that found this were funded or influenced by anti-death penalty groups hoping to argue that lethal injection was cruel and/or unusual. I may be wrong on that, though.

[RC Vikings]

Can we add in bed with a woman half my age from a heart attack? The other two don't sound fun at all.

[RobinFinderson]

My impression was that most of the "studies" that found this were funded or influenced by anti-death penalty groups hoping to argue that lethal injection was cruel and/or unusual. I may be wrong on that, though.

Even if they were funded by the Quakers, if the science is right, it doesn't matter. No need to put the word "studies" in quotes like that unless you want to present evidence to show that the studies are suspect.

[Clark Addison]

Even if they were funded by the Quakers, if the science is right, it doesn't matter. No need to put the word "studies" in quotes like that unless you want to present evidence to show that the studies are suspect.

I didn't mean to imply anything. FWIW, I am in the anti-death penalty camp, although I don't know if the cause is best served by arguing that any possible execution method is hideously painful. I used the quotes because I don't know if there are actual scientific studies, or just testimony by paid hacks. I am willing to be educated on this.

[RobinFinderson]

I didn't mean to imply anything. FWIW, I am in the anti-death penalty camp, although I don't know if the cause is best served by arguing that any possible execution method is hideously painful. I used the quotes because I don't know if there are actual scientific studies, or just testimony by paid hacks. I am willing to be educated on this.

There is a decent review of the evidence presented by both sides in the Wikipedia article on lethal injection:

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection"]Lethal injection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Map_of_US_lethal_injection_usage.svg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Map_of_US_lethal_injection_usage.svg/250px-Map_of_US_lethal_injection_usage.svg.png"@@AMEPARA M@@commons/thumb/9/9d/Map_of_US_lethal_injection_usage.svg/250px-Map_of_US_lethal_injection_usage.svg.png[/ame]

[Sleeping in EQ]

That scene from Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

There's style in going out that way.

[The Fourth Nephite]

I would hate to suffocate. I'll take the bullets.

Besides, it's a more manly way to go.

[wuapinmon]

I didn't mean to imply anything. FWIW, I am in the anti-death penalty camp, although I don't know if the cause is best served by arguing that any possible execution method is hideously painful.

I would imagine that death hurts, regardless of the method. To me, the prohibition is against "cruel AND unusual" punishment." If the method of execution is designed to inflict unnecessary pain in the accomplishing of death, then I'm 100% opposed to it, but the killing of a human is going to require some pain, and if we're going to keep the death penalty, we should keep that in mind.

I think the guillotine should be used, or hanging, or a massive dose of barbiturates. Those all seem designed to kill the person without making suffering before death a purposeful segment of the execution process.

[Clark Addison]

I would imagine that death hurts, regardless of the method. To me, the prohibition is against "cruel AND unusual" punishment." If the method of execution is designed to inflict unnecessary pain in the accomplishing of death, then I'm 100% opposed to it, but the killing of a human is going to require some pain, and if we're going to keep the death penalty, we should keep that in mind.

I think the guillotine should be used, or hanging, or a massive dose of barbiturates. Those all seem designed to kill the person without making suffering before death a purposeful segment of the execution process.

One problem is that there is also a desire to not just make the execution more humane, but also to make the executions look more humane and "clean". These desires sometimes come into conflict. For example, you could easily execute someone with no (physical) pain by rigging up a helmet with several small explosives. You detonate the explosives, and the head is basically vaporized. To the witnesses, though, it seems horribly barbaric. A gunshot to the base of the skull is similar. It is pretty humane (for an execution method), but people don't like it.

[wuapinmon]

One problem is that there is also a desire to not just make the execution more humane, but also to make the executions look more humane and "clean". These desires sometimes come into conflict. For example, you could easily execute someone with no (physical) pain by rigging up a helmet with several small explosives. You detonate the explosives, and the head is basically vaporized. To the witnesses, though, it seems horribly barbaric. A gunshot to the base of the skull is similar. It is pretty humane (for an execution method), but people don't like it.

I wonder how Americans would feel about the Japanese death row system. Apparently, it breeds insanity, as they don't tell an inmate that they will be executed until the morning of the execution, so they live life thinking that each day might be their last.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8247319.stm

[FN Phat]

I wonder how Americans would feel about the Japanese death row system. Apparently, it breeds insanity, as they don't tell an inmate that they will be executed until the morning of the execution, so they live life thinking that each die might be their last.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8247319.stm

That is what I am talking about!

[Katy Lied]

live life thinking that each die might be their last.

I guess there is a disconnect between the romanticism and the actuality of this statement.

I'd recommend against hanging- too much risk of something going wrong.


I was disappointed to find that Utahs firing squad execution takes place indoors. I thought part of the folklore was that your blood had to spill into the ground.

[FN Phat]

I was disappointed to find that Utahs firing squad execution takes place indoors. I thought part of the folklore was that your blood had to spill into the ground.

Agreed.