South Carolina Law Makes Death Row Inmates Pick: Firing Squad Or Electric Chair?

[Tamas]

I wrote "some".

Yes, and the question is, why do you have such certainty that some deserve to die "horrible" deaths.

It's my personal opinion, you are welcome to disagree with it.

[Tamas]

I understand what Tamas means: while we may think some people deserve to die, no one deserves to be an executioner.

Yes, thank you.

[Maladict]

I understand what Tamas means: while we may think some people deserve to die, no one deserves to be an executioner.

Yes, thank you.

I assume they would be volunteers, no?

[grumbler]

I am opposed to the death penalty on the grounds that I don't want the state to have the power to judicially kill people.  The argument that innocents may be executed is valid, but so is the argument that murderers who are not executed can escape or be released and kill again.

The Ledell Lee case is not a terribly good one for arguments against the death penalty.  He was convicted of two sexual assaults and charged (though not convicted via hung jury) in another murder.  Plus, the same DNA examination that found the other man's DNA also found it probable that the DNA in the blood taken from Lee's shoes belonged to the victim.  The Lee case probably is an excellent case for arguing that blacks face disproportionate punishments for a given crime, since there seemed to be nothing in the murder he was convicted of that would really support a charge of capital murder under Arkansas law.

[crazy canuck]

I wrote "some".

Yes, and the question is, why do you have such certainty that some deserve to die "horrible" deaths.

It's my personal opinion, you are welcome to disagree with it.

Sure, but the question is why do you hold that opinion. 

[Admiral Yi]

I would pick chair over firing squad.

[The Brain]

They are both fairly cool, it's not an easy choice for me. I have a feeling that firing squad might mean lower risk of prolonged suffering, but I don't know if that is correct. OTOH, riding the lightning.

Seems to me that it's sound for the state to be able to carry out its sentences. If the death penalty is bad then get rid of the death penalty. If it's not then find methods that actually work.

[fromtia]

Bludgeoning with hard back copies of Tucker Carlson's best selling books ought be the preferred method for State murders.

[grumbler]

Bludgeoning with hard back copies of Tucker Carlson's best selling books ought be the preferred method for State murders.

Or forcing the condemned to read Tucker Carlson until the condemned commits suicide.  Shouldn't take more than 200 pages or so.

Maybe that's against international conventions on torture, though.

[Berkut]

I understand what Tamas means: while we may think some people deserve to die, no one deserves to be an executioner.

Yeah - and that's my issue with it. I think even if we had 100% certainty it would be wrong.

I don't think it would be wrong, I just think it is ineffective and more trouble than it is worth.

And it makes us less humane.

But killing is not wrong, but it is almost always regrettable and to be avoided. Really, that applies to violence in general.

[Josquius]

Firing squad seems to offer the best opportunities to traumatise your killers.

But ja. The death penalty is dumb

[The Larch]

Firing squad seems to offer the best opportunities to traumatise your killers.

IIRC in firing squads a few of the people shooting are given blanks so they might have the mental consolation of maybe not having been them the ones that actually killed the executed person.

[Admiral Yi]

I would rather be one guy in a firing squad of many than one guy by myself sticking poison in a dude's arm.  That has got to be a creepy job.

[Valmy]

[The Larch]

I would rather be one guy in a firing squad of many than one guy by myself sticking poison in a dude's arm.  That has got to be a creepy job.

The process is a bit more complicated.