Posted on 12/16/2006 6:41:03 PM PST by doug from upland
Firing Squad
Firing squad still remains a method of execution in Idaho, although lethal injection as an alternative method is allowed. The most recent execution by this method was that of John Albert Taylor. By his own choosing, Taylor was executed by firing squad in Utah on January 26, 1996. For execution by this method, the inmate is typically bound to a chair with leather straps across his waist and head, in front of an oval-shaped canvas wall. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the inmate's blood. A black hood is pulled over the inmate's head. A doctor locates the inmate's heart with a stethoscope and pins a circular white cloth target over it. Standing in an enclosure 20 feet away, five shooters are armed with .30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds. One of the shooters is given blank rounds. Each of the shooters aims his rifle through a slot in the canvas and fires at the inmate. (Weisberg, 1991) The prisoner dies as a result of blood loss caused by rupture of the heart or a large blood vessel, or tearing of the lungs. The person shot loses consciousness when shock causes a fall in the supply of blood to the brain. If the shooters miss the heart, by accident or intention, the prisoner bleeds to death slowly. (Hillman, 1992 and Weisberg, 1991)
Let me just say this: There are few problems that can't be solved through the judicious application of high explosives.
Are you reading "Six Frigates"???
LC
Heart, schmart. Shoot 'em in the face.
I'd treat capital punishment the same as I would putting down an animal. It is going down, when I decide it is going down. That matter is not in dispute. I'd pick the means from those available to me, avoiding unnecessary cruelty.
If it were an animal I was fond of, I'd give it a good last meal, and a loving pat, first.
I abhor the bleeding heart liberals efforts to remove all vestige of traditional justice from the public square.
Justice should be swift, and done with respect for the dignity of others, even when that means their death, and even when they have not earned any vestige of that respect.
No but I will add it to my list. I was a listed as a naval historian for the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service/Revenue Marine and Bering Sea Patrol (sail and early steam period) for a few years.
Although that field is fairly exclusive I've naturally read a bit on other eras; in fact my wife has a fair knowledge of Nelson's Navy through association. I remember when we went to see "Master and Commander" she was critiquing some things to me after the movie.
Viewed from 10,000 feet, I think we are saying about the same thing. Only point of contention, I don’t care about the suffering of the criminal … unlike a pet, who has done nothing wrong, perhaps, other then get old, most on death row have caused death and usually with some suffering to the victim.
Ole' Sharpie?
Let's test it on Saddam Hussein. Is tomorrow too soon?
"I don't think the Supreme Court would ever allow strangulation with a telephone cord."
My choices for the court would!!!
Because bullets cost money. A retractable bolt is good for a very long time.
the concussion of the bullet hitting the spine and the spinal chord appers to cause 'dont know what hit em' - at least in deer.
And the damn judge should keep his nose out of the details.
Because nobility could chose a fine blade, while peasants were beheaded with a less efficient axe (sometimes requiring two to three chops if one were clumsy or did not possess the required strength), this method was deemed inhumane and unfair. The guillotine was efficient for everyone.
The advance of STD and blood-related diseases would make clean up after a beheading a messy business, indeed. The upside though is that it is economical (requiring no electricity, and other expensive precautions - only sharpening after every execution to ensure a clean cut the first time down). Furthermore, the prisoner need not even be conscious throughout (which would prevent the shocked look of horror on the face, as the brain retains at least enough blood for conscious thought for up to a minute afterwards before dying from blood loss).
(If I've freaked you out, don't fret! I studied this topic for a book of mine, so I know more than the average person does on it).
You are correct.
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