Alabama May Have Botched an Execution

[SGOS]

In fact a good number of people would just as soon make it as painful and slow as possible and put it on TV during prime time..

I actually think this would be a good idea.  I think it might even help to end the barbaric process.  The whole program could be an hour long, with some background information about the crime and the trial, and clips from an hour before the grand finale showing the prisoner being prepped in his cell and then walked down the hall to the execution room.  The execution itself should be done live.  Sure it would be a big draw for the ghouls, but it would attract some more civilized types too, some who might have isolated themselves from the issue.

I will admit that I looked up the video of the hanging of Saddam.  I had been undecided about the death penalty before that, but watching it I was overwhelmed by the pointlessness of the process, realizing that the world was no better off with or without Saddam living the rest of his life in a cell, even being the notorious asshole that he was.  Of course Saddam was not be the typical loser that gets executed by our government and might be a special case.  A case might be made for eliminating him from any possible further mischief.

I don't know if others would have the same reaction.  I might be in a minority.  I often am on many political issues.  But I don't think it is unreasonable to expose ourselves to the brutality we ignore or what the government doesn't want us to see.  And it's not like I feel a need to protect criminals, but I think we need to be aware, and decide whether we want our society to be what it is.  And let's face it, our society is more brutish and thug like than the rest of the western civilized nations, or at least it seems to me that it is.

I realize that my experiment would never be allowed to happen, so just consider this a "what if" type of passing thought.  It would never become a real thing.

The Friday night execution of the week brought to you by Smith and Wesson, the Firearms Folks.

[Baruch]

Humans are barbaric.  You can't get rid of barbarism, without killing off humanity, or at least making us all into Greek or Latin speaking pagans.

[Baruch]

I am talking about the OP. Please stop talking from your ass.

Maybe Turkey isn't like America.  But that is what the Left has been telling us since the 1960s ... as per Rousseau.  As a Left person yourself, I am sure that some of Rousseau has rubbed off on you.

[aitm]

I am sure that some of Rousseau has rubbed off on you.

HEY! NO rubbing off on people in the forum goddammit......

[drunkenshoe]

The convo.

[Youssuf Ramadan]

But I don't think it is unreasonable to expose ourselves to the brutality we ignore or what the government doesn't want us to see.  And it's not like I feel a need to protect criminals, but I think we need to be aware, and decide whether we want our society to be what it is.  And let's face it, our society is more brutish and thug like than the rest of the western civilized nations, or at least it seems to me that it is.
.[/center]

I agree. It can be very instructive to witness what utter shits human beings can be.

[Mr.Obvious]

How about instead of just sentecing them to death, we have them fight in a sequence of gladiatorial fights and challenges for our amusement; to the death.

Win one hundred challenges, and you go scott free.

If we're gonna be barbarians, we might as well go all out and do it right.

[doorknob]

It's getting harder for me to decide how I feel about death penalty. I'm getting more vengeful in my old age. Some people say revenge doesn't do any good but I think it'd make me feel better. At any rate I'm having a hard time thinking that if some one hurt my children I'd have to punish them slowly and painfully is wrong. But I am crazy and see pictures of myself murdering people when I get angry so yeah...

But I agree that we should be far more certain that some one is guilty before just willy nilly killing people. And I also feel that we don't need to be vengeful as a society we are better than that. So no, no painful deaths by the government at least. But putting some one down who contributes nothing to society and has no chance of reformation is a mercy. So I guess it's all your definition of what merciful is.

But that's neither here nor there. The governments version of justice is hardly that. When you take witnesses into account as evidence you take a large risk of misinformation. Scientifically there is evidence that people do not remember events with 100% accuracy. Eye witnesses should not be evidence IMHO. Especially in cases where that is the only evidence. I myself was convicted with no evidence. It was one guys word against mine. But because I was the accused I lost. That is not an efficient form of justice.

But lets face it no one in the justice system actually cares about justice itself. Just as long as the public thinks they are doing a good job they are fine with innocent people being fined, incarcerated or executed. AKA no one cares. So I don't think the government should be in the business of killing people as a form of justice.

But I don't know that putting criminals down in certain circumstances itself is wrong. In some cases it may be the correct procedure.

and if you thought that was confusing you should try being me. I can't decide really.

[Mr.Obvious]

When you take witnesses into account as evidence you take a large risk of misinformation. Scientifically there is evidence that people do not remember events with 100% accuracy. Eye witnesses should not be evidence IMHO.

Sorry to go off topic, but I just want to say I'm glad to hear you say that. Especially in regard to a previous discussion in another thread regarding the Mandela effect.

Anyways, if anyone hurt someone I loved, despite me being a fairly non-violent bloke, I imagine under the circumstances I too could be capable of extreme violence against said offender.
But circumstancial sympathy aside, I in no way feel myself drawn to defend something I deem undefendable coming from the state or government.
Anyways, just my two cents.

[Mike Cl]

This issue illustrates one of the major personal battles I've always had.  That is emotion vs reason.  My reason tells me that the US death penalty process is deeply flawed.  And for that reason alone, we should not use it.  Anyway, to my way of thinking, life in prison would be worse than death.  I would also like to say that a person who got life in prison actually serve their life, not just 20 years. 

Emotionally, I know that I could pull the switch or use the needle on someone if they killed some of my family (including furry children).  If I were convinced that somebody had done that, then I'd not even lose sleep over it--and would actually gain sleep knowing that that person or persons would never be able to do it again.  Child molesters, kidnappers, and rapists fall into that category as well; for they can destroy lives in ways that can never be fixed.  And I would not have a problem snuffing the Charles Manson's of the  world, either.

I guess that is why I let my reason rule when it comes to voting about this issue.

[Baruch]

I agree that the whole "execution" thing is troubling.  On general terms though, one of my signs that my maturity was productive, is that my emotions and my reason are no longer in conflict ... because I was able to re-reason outside the group think.  My emotions haven't changed much.

[wolf39us]

I'm completely against the death penalty but seriously just use gas or a bullet to the back of the head.  Both are cheaper and more effective.

Hell, you could do one to the back of the head and one in the heart.

[Baruch]

One problem ... unless the executioner is psychotic, they feel responsible for the victims death.  This is why Hitler never killed serial killers, he put them to work instead.

[SGOS]

One problem ... unless the executioner is psychotic, they feel responsible for the victims death.  This is why Hitler never killed serial killers, he put them to work instead.

There was a movie that never made it past Amazon Prime, a very low endorsement, to be sure.  I think it may have been called something like The Hangman.  It was based on a true story about a hangman, who worked as an executioner for the British government.  He was so good at what he did, and carried out his tasks with such professional excellence, that he was hired to execute the Nazis at Nuremburg.  The movie itself is quite good, but be warned, you have to have the stomach for it.  While the executions are fairly graphic, the most sickening part about it is how well it captures the emotional horror often endured by those sentenced to death, which is magnified by the emotionless professionalism of the hangman, who holds no contempt for the condemned at all.  He simply prides himself on clean kills done in record breaking time.  But there is a quote made by the hangman at the end of the movie saying he didn't believe capital punishment was effective or necessary.