The “cruel and unusual punishment” part of the Constitution is one of my least favorite parts.
I understand that torturing people as part of an investigation is a bad idea — quality of the information may be lacking. So that’s bad.
But actual punishment? For people convicted of a crime? Whip them, hang them in public, use them as an unpleasant object lesson for others in their community.
I have no problem with that at all.
I have a much bigger problem with the long-term warehousing of people who will never contribute to society.
cruel and unusual punishment
I believe they meant no Middle Ages torture deaths, not common executions like hanging. Now the nay-sayers say any death that is uncomfortable to the executed or those viewing it is bad.
I read of a military execution in Ft Laramie back in the 1850s or so.
The condemned soldier was to be hanged but they did it differently. They put a crossbar on a tall pole like a weigh scale. One side had heavy weights on it and propped up. The other side had a rope and a noose around the condemned man’s neck.
When the brace under the weights was removed, it dropped and the condemned man flew through the air like cracking a whip and his neck was broken when he hit the end of his rope.
I see nothing wrong with it.