Discussion for article #225577
Yes, Surratt was guilty too and deserved her fate.
For about $600 in lumber, you’ve got a pretty good way to terminate a convicted person’s life. Almost anyone could build a working gallows from studying the photo here. So, if we assume that capital punishment is warranted in some cases, why not bring back death by hanging?
Why not make them walk the plank? It would make for much better viewing on the TV.
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Ropes break.
Not everyone’s neck breaks instantly.
There is NO full-proof (fool-proof) way to kill a human being.
Probably the best way would be firing squad (like that judge suggested).
25 or so sharp-shooters, with only 10 shooting real bullets, nobody knowing who has the real ammo.
Proof of my comment. Two convicted conspirators of Lincoln’s assassination:
“Herold and Powell struggled for nearly five minutes, strangling to death.”
If you want instant, painless death, go with a 20% solution of Heroin. Junkies who have ODed are generally found with the needles still stuck in their veins. While I’m not really in favor of capital punishment, if you’re going to do it, don’t screw it up.
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Old age. Old age is the best, most certain way. And as a bonus, I don’t have to contribute to the irrational ritual of tax-payer sponsored murder.
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No one deserves to be murdered.
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This makes me feel ill as does the other photo I saw on TPM of the man being strapped into the electric chair. I can’t look at the empty despair in the face of a condemned person without putting myself in their place. Putting myself in their place makes me want to abolish the death penalty.
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Interestingly, the shooter was never brought to justice.
OK What about when you put a pet to sleep? I don’t understand why you cannot do the same with a human being. Lethal injection does not seem to be the same as putting a pet to sleep. I am ignorant on this. Just asking a question.
I disagree with that statement. You must live a sheltered life. There are plenty of people in the world that deserve to be murdered past and present. Did Hitler deserve to be murdered? I’d say he did. Did Stalin? I’d say yes he did. Have you ever read about Stalin’s death? Witnesses say he was basically hexing people as he died on his death bed. Did Caligula deserve to be murdered. He was and I’d say he deserved it.
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4 people out of 2000 years doesn’t build a very strong case, in my opinion. Texas could do that in a month and never look back to see if the punishment suited the crime.
But are you certain that you know the names and crimes of everyone that should be put to death in my name?
And, we have all been condemned to death! But, the executioner is fairly competent.
My last pet Golden Retriever was “put to sleep” by a trained vet. She first injected a muscle relaxant. When that hit, the dog looked up, laid his head back down, and was out cold. The next injection stopped his heart. He didn’t react at all, just stopped living. I don’t understand why the same protocol can’t be used if a human has to be “put to sleep”. But, my position is that we should just wait for old age to solve the problem.
Actually, that is not true. Addicts build up a resistance so it takes a lot to kill them. More importantly, heroine death is not fast, but slow as breathing becomes problematic. Quick deaths are because something was mixed in the heroin that killed them or the drug interaction did it. If the drug is 10% heroin and 90% other crap, the cause of death will likely read heroin overdose.
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The problem with a chemical solution – heroin or anything else – is a little matter of ethics, and not being able to find a pharmacy willing to sell the materials to make the death drug. (As Rachel Maddow has been harping on, all week.) However, over in China, they still have shooting terminations, and then they charge the family for the cost of the bullets.
I like the Chinese approach, frankly. I don’t think people should linger on death row for decades while lawyers squabble over technicalities. However, I do have a problem with out-of-control prosecution and the death of people who are wrongly accused. Perhaps we need a “grand jury simple majority vote” solution a fixed time after a person has been sentenced to death – 6 or 12 months. If evidence to overturn cannot be produced in that timeframe, that’s it; no more extensions.
Yes, but then I have to pay to support the murderer, sometimes for 50 years. Although I do think spending one’s life in prison is a form of acceptable torture.
If you want a painless death, don’t do the crime.
Then you can go on to die a painless death from old age.