An executioner explains

[JaXanim]

CannonFodder wrote:
Which is?

That the interview was considered worthy television. That the producers considered any audience would wish to experience it. That the executioner should display the tools of his trade with such pride. That the interviewers, for whatever purpose and with seeming relish, ensured every detail was elicited. That children, for whatever reason, should form part of it. I found the experience inconscionable of civilised society. It was disquieting that I wasn't watching a grusome blood-letting movie but a story of someone's actual daily life. There's surely an argument that any section of humanity which kills its criminals, by whatever procedure, for the purpose of extracting revenge can never be truly 'civilised'.

JaX

[CannonFodder]

JaXanim wrote:

CannonFodder wrote:
Which is?

That the interview was considered worthy television. That the producers considered any audience would wish to experience it. That the executioner should display the tools of his trade with such pride. That the interviewers, for whatever purpose and with seeming relish, ensured every detail was elicited. That children, for whatever reason, should form part of it. I found the experience inconscionable of civilised society. It was disquieting that I wasn't watching a grusome blood-letting movie but a story of someone's actual daily life. There's surely an argument that any section of humanity which kills its criminals, by whatever procedure, for the purpose of extracting revenge can never be truly 'civilised'.

JaX

So I didn't miss your point then as I agree with it.

I still think electrocution to death via the cranium is a far more horrific way to die than having ones head chopped off.

[Karlos]

I'd rather not do either ;-)

[CannonFodder]

Karlos wrote:
I'd rather not do either ;-)

Glad to hear it, but which one would you prefer to have done to you? ;-)

[nadoom]

well, i would certainly prefer the head chopping off because then i at least get the satisfaction of spraying my blood every where,

all executions are barbaric operations (much like animal slaughter) dressing it up as though it is painless or civilised is daft, let it be what it is! a {bleep}ing nasty business. But in my opinion a good way to scare the {bleep} out of criminal minded individuals, or get a tasty protein filled meal (from animal slaughter of course)

PS. some geezer who was executed in florida via leathal injection wriggled in pain for 35 minutes before he died ,due to liver disease that prevented the drugs from working.

[metalman]

CannonFodder wrote:

I am confused. Beheading murderers would be civilized if it was performed in America?

Long drop hanging would be the traditional American method. Receint innovations were the electric chair and lethal injection.

Beheading is a French and Islamic traditional method.

The British method of hanging, drawing and quartering for High Treason is what is being refered to as "cruel and unusual punishment" in the US Constitution:

“That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.”

...

Mary Blandy uttered the famous words, "for the sake of decency, gentlemen, don't hang me high". (April 6th, 1752)

[CannonFodder]

metalman wrote:

CannonFodder wrote:

I am confused. Beheading murderers would be civilized if it was performed in America?

Long drop hanging would be the traditional American method. Receint innovations were the electric chair and lethal injection.

Beheading is a French and Islamic traditional method.

The British method of hanging, drawing and quartering for High Treason is what is being refered to as "cruel and unusual punishment" in the US Constitution:

“That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.”

...

Mary Blandy's uttered the famous words, "for the sake of decency, gentlemen, don't hang me high". (April the 6th, 1752)

That is an horrific way to die too.

But you still haven't answered the question.

Would beheading murderers be civilized if it was performed in America?

[CannonFodder]

Long drop hanging would be the traditional American method. Receint innovations were the electric chair and lethal injection.

An *illegal* cruel and unusual punishment

[Wilse]

I believe killing people, for whatever reason and regardless of method, (apart from self defence) is uncivilised.

[nadoom]

I would argue that chopping off ones head is much less painful that being hanged by the neck. A bullet to the brain would also be a better method than hanging.

[CannonFodder]

Wilse wrote:
I believe killing people, for whatever reason and regardless of method, (apart from self defence) is uncivilised.

Good job you changed your mind and didn't sign up for the Army eh?

[Karlos]

@thread

Information from the DPIC seems to suggest that all present forms of execution used in the US take longer and are typically more painful* than being decapitated.

*lethal injection shouldn't be if done properly but there are reported cases of it failing due to misinjection of the various chemicals into muscle tissue etc.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Ah men, these threads always give me a nasty feeling.

[X-ray]

Ja it seems there are two issues:

1) The death penalty itself
2) The mode of execution

We have had a thread about number (1) already. This is the summary of that thread as I recall it:

Those who reject the death penalty say:

1) The planned taking of a life is never justified.
2) There are other options such as incarceration.
3) The death penalty is partly fuelled by revenge.
4) The wrong man could die.

Those who support the death penalty say:

1) The condemned man put himself in that position when he committed whatever crime he committed.
2) It deters crime.
3) It consumes less resources than a life sentence.
4) As long as the evidence is sound, there is no chance for a mistake.

If I remember correctly it was one of those threads that couldn't arrive at a specific conclusion  ;-)

Maybe we should just concentrate on the methods of execution. I just saw on the news that a dude who underwent lethal injection did not die according to plan, so the question is:

1) What do you regard as a humane way to kill somebody?
2) Of all the methods that are humane, which is the most reliable?

My opinion is that a rifle round to the head is probably the best. I'm not a fan of beheading (whether by guillotine or sword) or hanging. I have to assume that there is still some sensory input above the level of spinal cord disruption in these cases and that is not so cool in my book.
I suppose one way that would be 100% effective would be to have a hydraulic press that could bring two huge metal plates together at high speed. Yeah it sounds like a Wile E Coyote scenario but I reckon a high-speed squish would be painless and certain.

[Karlos]

@X-Ray

In another, much older thread, you said that the bullet through the head thing was often fatal due to the loss of blood pressure in the brain rather than the immediate damage to the brain tissue itself. I would assume that decapitation would cause this effect every time, since the carotid arteries would be totally severed. The worst thing about decapitation by sword (other than the grim spectacle), I imagine, is when it takes more than one stroke :-/

As for the metal plates, think of the cleaning problems...

To be fair, *if* you must execute people I guess that the most  humane way would be to gas them with an anesthetic until overdose - or administering a heart stopping drug once fully under.

There'd be no risk of misinjection into body tissues, no frying, no slow strangulation at the end of a rope, no struggling against the first wisps of bitter almond, no repeated blows with a blunted sword, no waiting for the firing squad. Just sleepiness then oblivion...

[X-ray]

"...In another, much older thread, you said that the bullet through the head thing was often fatal due to the loss of blood pressure in the brain rather than the immediate damage to the brain tissue itself..."
---------------------------------------------------------

That wouldn't apply to a high velocity shot from a rifle. The quote sounds a bit off, too...do you know which thread it was?

Squish: ja, it's messy. Maybe they could have a plastic layer on each surface that can be peeled off and then the remains could be rolled up like a swiss roll and disposed of/buried according to the family's wishes.
If the head comes off, I don't know how much blood can come out of the carotid arteries, because the link between the vessel and the pump is gone. So it isn't going to spurt, if you see what I mean. I wonder if they have done any observations on severed heads to look for eye or mouth movement. That would be interesting.

Nah, I am sticking with the squish.