Decisions decisions....

[Gob]

The South Carolina House voted Wednesday to add a firing squad to the state's execution methods amid a shortage of lethal-injection drugs - a measure meant to jump-start executions in a state that once had one of the busiest death chambers in the nation.

The bill, approved by a 66-43 vote, will require condemned inmates to choose either being shot or electrocuted if lethal injection drugs aren't available.

The state is one of only nine to still use the electric chair and will become only the fourth to allow a firing squad.



South Carolina last executed a death row inmate 10 years ago.

The state Senate already had approved the bill in March, by a vote of 32-11.

The House only made minor technical changes to that version, meaning that after a routine final vote in the House and a signoff by the Senate, it will go to Republican Governor Henry McMaster, who has said he will sign it.

There are 37 prisoners in line to be executed.

Corrections officials said three of South Carolina's 37 death row inmates are out of appeals.

But lawsuits against the new death penalty rules are also likely.

'Three living, breathing human beings with a heartbeat that this bill is aimed at killing,' said Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg, rhythmically thumping the microphone in front of him.

'If you push the green button at the end of the day and vote to pass this bill out of this body, you may as well be throwing the switch yourself.'
South Carolina first began using the electric chair in 1912 after taking over the death penalty from individual counties, which usually hanged prisoners.

The other three states that allow a firing squad are Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Three inmates, all in Utah, have been killed by firing squad since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1977.

Nineteen inmates have died in the electric chair this century.

South Carolina can't put anyone to death now because its supply of lethal-injection drugs expired and it has not been able to buy any more.

Currently, inmates can choose between the electric chair and lethal injection. Since the drugs are not available, they choose injection.

The bill retains lethal injection as the primary method of execution if the state has the drugs, but requires prison officials to use the electric chair or firing squad if it doesn't.

'Those families of victims to these capital crimes are unable to get any closure because we are caught in this limbo stage where every potential appeal has been exhausted and the legally imposed sentences cannot be carried out,' said Republican Rep. Weston Newton.

[Long Run]

Why stop the way back machine, put on the Dylan song and let the victims have at it.

[Big RR]

I have always thought that a firing squad, properly trained, could be one of the most humane and rapid ways of execution. I have gone on the record as being completely opposed to capital punishment under any circumstance, but I do not see that use of a firing squad is any more objectionable than lethal injection. FWIW, I would think that one could even design a machine that could shoot with pinpoint accuracy to fire the lethal shot so the skill level of the executioners would not be a concern.

Again, I am not in favor of any capital punishment in any form, but if we are to have it as a penalty, I think it should be a s humane as possible. Personally, if I were condemned I'd prefer the firing squad to any other method.

[Scooter]

Lethal injection was introduced to make execution look more humane; of course we have no idea whether that is actually so. The failures of hanging, electrocution and gas chambers are visible messy. With lethal injection we really don't know if someone is succumbing to slow, excruciating torture because the possibility always exists that they may be conscious and able to feel pain, yet incapable of showing any response. Firing squad is probably quicker and more humane than any of them, and yet still does not create a pretense that execution is anything but a violent snuffing out of a life.

[Bicycle Bill]

But lawsuits against the new death penalty rules are also likely.

'Three living, breathing human beings with a heartbeat that this bill is aimed at killing,' said Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg, rhythmically thumping the microphone in front of him.

'If you push the green button at the end of the day and vote to pass this bill out of this body, you may as well be throwing the switch yourself.'

I hear him talking, but I fail to see the problem about which he is speaking.  When the trash starts to pile up, responsible people put it out for the dustman.

-"BB"-

[Joe Guy]

....With lethal injection we really don't know if someone is succumbing to slow, excruciating torture because the possibility always exists that they may be conscious and able to feel pain, yet incapable of showing any response....

I don't see how lethal injection could be painful if they give a person a drug like Propofol, etomidate or ketamine first. If you can sleep through major surgery without feeling tortured, it's likely could sleep through death.

[Scooter]

Drugs don't work the same way on everyone. Some people remain aware and able to feel pain even while appearing to be unconscious. Of course in the case of an execution, they never awaken to be able to tell anyone.

[MajGenl.Meade]

[Crackpot]

Then there’s the problem that qualified medical personnel aren’t administering the drugs increases the chances for error.

[Big RR]

Exactly, it's a lot easier to get good sharpshooters to participate in an execution than good qualified medical personnel (and even then, we could design a machine to do away with the need for the shooters.

Other than a firing squad, I think a well performed hanging by a qualified hangman would be the most humane, but it dies take a lot of skill and their aren't many experienced or skilled hangmen. A lot of science goes into it (I used to have a book called the Hangman's Handbook (or something like that--I think it was by England's last hangman) which went into the criteria to select the appropriate rope, drop, etc. to assure the person's neck broke immediately saving them from a painful death.

But I do agree that many who support capital punishment don't want to think of what the state is actually doing, so we need to "create a pretense that execution is anything but a violent snuffing out of a life." Being relatively quick and painless is not enough (otherwise we could drop them into a giant blender or woodchipper), but people really don't want to delve into what is being done in their name.

ETA: One additional thing, I seem to recall about an execution method using a chamber into which nitrogen gas is pumped. Apparently, it is relatively painless (since carbon dioxide does not build up in the blood, which is generally causes pain), nitrogen narcosis sets in quickly and the person quickly expires without suffering. I checked and apparently this is being looked into, so we may see it in the future.

[Burning Petard]

Then again, there is a theological argument made by a religious organization with headquarters in that other state that has firing squad as legal execution. That is, when a person dies from the spilling of their blood (not directly caused by their own action), that 'blood atonement' summons the forgiving grace of the creator, and they die innocent of any sins. So it is a humane act of charity to kill them by some method that causes blood flow, bringing them into eternal bliss, free of the burden of their sins while living.

Me, I have always considered chopping off the head in one clean, fast stroke as the only 'painless' method of execution. (how can there be any pain after the nerves are severed from the brain?)

Such happy thoughts today.

snailgate

[MGMcAnick]

My guess is that the people they killed didn't have a painless and instantaneous death. Why do we need to worry about their killers?

[Big RR]

Well, because we should as human beings is a start. And we are better than them is a good second. And the fact that we can is a third. And then we can add the Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Again, as I said, I do not think society has the right to take the life of a human being (except in actual self defense), but if we are going to do so, we have a responsibility to do it as humanely (and that's not the best word) as we possibly can.

[MGMcAnick]

Then again, there is a theological argument made by a religious organization with headquarters in that other state that has firing squad as legal execution. That is, when a person dies from the spilling of their blood (not directly caused by their own action), that 'blood atonement' summons the forgiving grace of the creator, and they die innocent of any sins. So it is a humane act of charity to kill them by some method that causes blood flow, bringing them into eternal bliss, free of the burden of their sins while living.

Me, I have always considered chopping off the head in one clean, fast stroke as the only 'painless' method of execution. (how can there be any pain after the nerves are severed from the brain?)

Such happy thoughts today.

snailgate

I had to google that one.
Sounds ridiculous to me. Of course one could argue (and you said it was a theoretical argument, and it's no longer adhered to by the LDS) that if someone killed another, then they took an action that resulted in the spilling of their blood by the firing squad.

As for beheading, isn't it recorded that the mouths move so as to scream? I think that says there is some pain involved. Of course we can't ask the head.

Of course, as I said earlier, who cares if the killers suffer, as long as they are dead.

[MGMcAnick]

And then we can add the Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

What constitutes cruel? What constitutes unusual?

[Big RR]

Well, that is something each of us has to decide, and society must collectively agree on; otherwise the terms are meaningless.

As for blood atonement and the mormons, as I recall it is a disputed (in the mormon church) doctrine which is based on the story of Cain and Abel where Abel's spilled blood cried out for redemption and was heard by god; presumably one could be redeemed by his spilled blood (which is why Utah kept a firing Squad (at least according to the Gary Gilmore book I read). I don't know if they still have a firing Squad on the book in Utah.

[Burning Petard]

Ah yes, the story of Cain and Abel. So much discussion with so little reference to the actual account in the Good Book. Please note that the 'mark of Cain' was given to him for PROTECTION ! Cain went on to have a successful career as a real estate developer/city planner and his descendants had many notable achievements.

snailgate

[MGMcAnick]

If Cain had descendants, who was his wife?

[Jarlaxle]

Simplest way to execute someone would probably be a massive (1000+ unit) insulin overdose.

[Econoline]

If Cain had descendants, who was his wife?

Wiki, she say Awan.

The Book of Genesis does not give a specific reason for the murder of Abel. Modern commentators typically assume that the motives were jealousy and anger due to God rejecting Cain's offering, while accepting Abel's. The First Epistle of John says the following: "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous." (1 John 3:12)

Ancient exegetes, such as the Midrash and the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, tell that the motive involved a desire for the most beautiful woman. According to Midrashic tradition, Cain and Abel each had twin sisters; each was to marry the other's. The Midrash states that Abel's promised wife, Aclima, was more beautiful than Awan. Since Cain would not consent to this arrangement, Adam suggested seeking God's blessing by means of a sacrifice. Whoever God blessed would marry Aclima. When God openly rejected Cain's sacrifice, Cain slew his brother in a fit of jealousy and anger. Rabbinical exegetes have discussed whether Cain's incestuous relationship with his sister was in violation of halakha. [Spoiler warning: probably not, since halakha didn't exist yet, at that time.]