[rdb3]

For those who have seen the video footage of the decapitation, is it just me or was his eyes still blinking after his head had been cut off?

[tet68]

Actually there was a french doctor who during the revolution
was beheaded, and told his friends he would continue to blink his eyes as long as he was concious, I think it was
over a hundred or so.

[Petronski]

...is it just me or was his eyes still blinking after his head had been cut off?

That can happen, IIRC.

[HighWheeler]

"...is it just me or was his eyes still blinking after his head had been cut off?"

I haven't seen the video, I will wait.

However, an answer to your question, I heard Dr. Dean Edel, the flaming lib doctor, on his radio show describe the beheadings in France and that the victim was told to keep blinking so they could see how long they lived. He said the longest was about 15 seconds.

[Prime Choice]

is it just me or was his eyes still blinking after his head had been cut off?

The French learned long ago (during their bloody revolution) that beheading does not bring about immediate brain death. I recall reading literature from medical journals from that time which listed in exquisite detail the beheading of one woman whose face was slapped after it was retrieved from the guillotine basket. Her face flushed and her eyes fixed on her assailant and she gave a cross look.

As if this whole thing didn't need to be more ghastly than it already is...

[Cvengr]

Older Arabic traditions called for the person to be executed to run in the desert. The Arab would approach on horseback with a curved sword which had been placed in a fire to become red hot. The Arab would decapitate the running victim in one blow. The hot blade was intended to catarize the blood vessals at the neck. The body would continue to run for about a 100 yds to a 1/4 mile before falling from being off balance. The severed head would have the conscious person in it, until he lost consciousness from oxygen depletion. Thinking would continue for up to 5 minutes to 15 minutes by some accounts of observation.

The intent of these murderers was clearly criminal and without legitimate authority. Had they sincerely sought justice, they would not have executed the person in a painful fashion, but rather simply with a bullet or any number of other methods.

They lacked righteousness in that the executioner chose a method of execution where he had to quench any conscient resistance of his own soul to such a painful and terror promoting execution. Instead he scarred his own soul moreso and is more prone to similar criminal activity in the future. Not only is he now more dangerous, but any group with him as a member will not be able to responsibly employ him in any responsible capacity. He's good for nothing, perhaps a candidate as a suicide bomber in their books.

Considering the number of torture cells within Baathist Iraq for the past 30 years, I suspect there are many others of similar lacking moral fibre somewhere in that region. IMHO, it's far smarter to mold the situation where those of that ilk remain in that vicinity than migrate away from the consequences they have reaped.

[El Gran Salseron]

I have seen the video but did not notice his eyes. However, I would not find it unusual as most corpses, immediately after death, do go through muscle and nerve spasms. His head is part of his corpse.....no matter how uncaring or clinical that may sound.

[Capriole]

Especially in the case of a decapitation, it's often the case that the dead person continues some movement in the more distal areas. The movements that are normally inhibited become disinhibited with the loss of central control from the brain. Often the body will ripple, as with a convulsion. You've heard the expression "running around like a chicken with its head off," and there is a reason behind this saying--it does happen. A young man in our lab was bitten by a dead rat, as the severed head sank its teeth immovably into his thumb. So, yes, it is very likely that you saw the eyelids of the deceased fluttering even after he was actually dead. I am sorry, it's very unpleasant to talk about these things, but I don't want anyone to think that moving peripheral structures mean that he was still alive and moving his eyelids deliberately.

[Blue Jays]

Good Evening All-

FReepers have noted the pros and cons of watching the video of Nick Berg's death. Viewing murders like this are painful experiences, but I believe it keeps Americans focused on why we do what we do with regard to foreign diplomacy.

I will watch the complete footage when I can find it. The links on Sean Hannity's site are either inaccurate or their servers are crashed. Does anyone have another source?

Nick Berg, Flight 93, Pat Tillman, and Fabrizio Quattrocchi, you will not be forgotten by FReepers.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Tenton100]

Good Afternoon rdb3

here in the UK we have just seen the sick news of this brutal murder, but as usual we cant obtain the footage of the video, i would be very grateful if you could please send me the link to m.rule@chelsea.arts.ac.uk

What goes around comes around, justice.

Mike.