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Surviving an Execution

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Re: Surviving an Execution

#21

Post by marcinzm »

wl wrote: post #14
gambiting wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you know, literally, just a gun to the head. Out of all possible execution methods that were tried in the last century, the lethal injection seems to be one of the most horrific ones, possibly beaten by the electric chair.

Lethal injection designed and administered by a competent anesthesiologist who had a goal of making the process as painless and peaceful as possible seems like one of the better ways to die. It was a good idea in principle. But in practice, the nonsensical protocols designed by non-experts who don't care about the experience being pleasant and administered by incompetents hasn't gone well.

I suspect there's very few competent anesthesiologist who would be willing to do lethal injections. Even if they believe in the death penalty the risk to their careers seems not worth the non-existent reward.

Re: Surviving an Execution

#22

Post by mhh__ »

tzs wrote: post #16
underseacables wrote: post #9

Why not a firing squad? I’ve never understood why we are so concerned with the pain and suffering of a condemned murderer. I get that the 8th amendment is there and we shouldn’t want to make anyone suffer but some criminals are alive simply because it’s illegal to kill them.

Firing squads can still be used in Utah if the prisoner was sentenced before May 2004 and chooses for that method over lethal injection. They can also be used if lethal injection drugs aren't available. For federal executions, the Trump DOJ changed the rules effective December 24, 2020 to allow federal executions to use any method that the state in which the prisoner was sentenced allows so federal prisoners sentence…

Some prisoners choose the firing squad (possibly to protest it).

> For federal executions, the Trump DOJ changed the rules effective December 24, 2020 to allow federal executions to use any method that the state in which the prisoner was sentenced allows

What a legacy

Re: Surviving an Execution

#24

Post by jxramos »

samizdis wrote: post #19
pmyteh wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is one reason why, when the UK had capital punishment, a premium was placed on speed. The condemned cell was set up a few yards from the scaffold and the idea was that the time from the executioner entering the cell to the trap being dropped could be well under one minute. The movie 'Pierrepoint' shows this pretty well (and has a very good performance by Timothy Spall as the eponymous professional but slightly c…

Yes, but that didn't seem always to be the case when the British were hanging people overseas. George Orwell wrote an essay, A Hanging [1], about an execution that he witnessed while serving in Burma. The prisoner, and escort, have a walk of several minutes from the cell to the gallows outdoors. At one point, with 40 yards to go to the gallows, the party is disrupted by a large playful dog. He notes that after the di…

that is astounding! Makes me think of not smothering out a smoldering wick let alone a vibrant living man. Written in 1931, wow.

Re: Surviving an Execution

#25

Post by generalizations »

nick__m wrote: post #6
aketchum wrote: post #2

Leaving aside the moral question of the death penalty, the use of lethal injection seems insane to me. Why don't they just use nitrogen suffocation?

Not that I agree with the practice but the people pro death are also pro retribution; to them the suffering is a feature :/

If you want to make that generalization, you should have some good sources to back it up. Do you have some stats saying that e.g. 99% of pro-death-penalty people want the accused to "suffer"?

Otherwise you're just throwing shade on people you disagree with, and that doesn't make you look good.

Re: Surviving an Execution

#26

Post by curryst »

marcinzm wrote: post #21
wl wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lethal injection designed and administered by a competent anesthesiologist who had a goal of making the process as painless and peaceful as possible seems like one of the better ways to die. It was a good idea in principle. But in practice, the nonsensical protocols designed by non-experts who don't care about the experience being pleasant and administered by incompetents hasn't gone well.

I suspect there's very few competent anesthesiologist who would be willing to do lethal injections. Even if they believe in the death penalty the risk to their careers seems not worth the non-existent reward.

Many doctors believe participating in executions is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath. I suspect that you're right.

> Even if they believe in the death penalty the risk to their careers seems not worth the non-existent reward.

I would presume they pay fairly handsomely, if there are few doctors willing to participate. Even if they payed them $10,000 to do it, there aren't enough executions a year for it to dent the budget. I wonder if that info is public.

Re: Surviving an Execution

#27

Post by kergonath »

willbudd wrote: post #20
gambiting wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you know, literally, just a gun to the head. Out of all possible execution methods that were tried in the last century, the lethal injection seems to be one of the most horrific ones, possibly beaten by the electric chair.

I think certain French revolutionaries found a more clear-cut solution a long time ago. (Personally, I find the death sentence in any form barbaric, given how it nullifies any form of recourse in cases of wrongful conviction. It might however be an agreeable option to offer "voluntary execution" of some form: allow inmates convicted for life an alternative to using bedsheets in ways they weren't intended for. What a…

Now I’m curious; is there any account of a botched execution with a guillotine?

Re: Surviving an Execution

#28

Post by bloqs »

generalizations wrote: post #25
nick__m wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not that I agree with the practice but the people pro death are also pro retribution; to them the suffering is a feature :/

If you want to make that generalization, you should have some good sources to back it up. Do you have some stats saying that e.g. 99% of pro-death-penalty people want the accused to "suffer"? Otherwise you're just throwing shade on people you disagree with, and that doesn't make you look good.

I would say this is one of those very rare examples where sufficient social activity suffices where a study is absent. I have not met a single human being who believes in execution but only humanely. I have met in excess of 50 people who simply conflate suffering and death and simplify the justification

Re: Surviving an Execution

#29

Post by mikestew »

FDSGSG wrote: post #8
aketchum wrote: post #2

Leaving aside the moral question of the death penalty, the use of lethal injection seems insane to me. Why don't they just use nitrogen suffocation?

PR concerns, they're worried about being compared to the Nazis if they use gases for executions.

You've, umm, never heard of "the gas chamber" being used for executions in the U. S.?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_chamber#United_States

Re: Surviving an Execution

#30

Post by delecti »

kergonath wrote: post #27
willbudd wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think certain French revolutionaries found a more clear-cut solution a long time ago. (Personally, I find the death sentence in any form barbaric, given how it nullifies any form of recourse in cases of wrongful conviction. It might however be an agreeable option to offer "voluntary execution" of some form: allow inmates convicted for life an alternative to using bedsheets in ways they weren't intended for. What a…

Now I’m curious; is there any account of a botched execution with a guillotine?

Yes: https://www.quora.com/Has-the-guillotine-ever-failed-since-1...
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