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How to Kill a Human Being
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Michael Portillo pushes his body to the brink of death in an investigation into the science of execution.
Jan 20, 2008 3:44 AM
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
So, the old question: Is the death penalty really a penalty? Is it more of a deterrent to be executed with horrible pain, or just fade off into oblivion with a smile on your face?
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
dont see it so much as punishment as removing them from the world before they can do more harm
By: Pike1
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I think 'fade off into oblivion with a smile on your face' is a pretty optimistic slant. The end result is still death, and by that point one need not concern oneself with pain or anything else.
By: bighungrysteve
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I think pro-death people miss the point a little.
They say a life for a life, in which case is it not better to be humane about it, show that your more civil about death.
They also say it's justice/revenge/punishment and that the murderer should feel as much pain as they put on their victim/s.
But how far would they take it say for instance one killer killed his victim by slitting their throat, surely if they wanting to exact justice they should also slit the killers throat therefore showing them what it is like to die in that way. But what they really are doing in making sure they suffer as much as possible in they dying minutes, that's not justice, that's torture.
They say a life for a life, in which case is it not better to be humane about it, show that your more civil about death.
They also say it's justice/revenge/punishment and that the murderer should feel as much pain as they put on their victim/s.
But how far would they take it say for instance one killer killed his victim by slitting their throat, surely if they wanting to exact justice they should also slit the killers throat therefore showing them what it is like to die in that way. But what they really are doing in making sure they suffer as much as possible in they dying minutes, that's not justice, that's torture.
By: Kpt.Kirby
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
Step #2: Televise these events
Medieval courtyards and Roman coliseums have shown how lucrative these things can be, so lets squeeze -all- the benefits possible from those murderous beasts. For the betterment of society, and all that other hoopla. First up, water-boarding! 8)
Medieval courtyards and Roman coliseums have shown how lucrative these things can be, so lets squeeze -all- the benefits possible from those murderous beasts. For the betterment of society, and all that other hoopla. First up, water-boarding! 8)
By: Jiachi
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
Fun Facts: At about 16:40 the advent of the electrical chair is mentioned as coming from the competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over the emerging electrical utility industry. This battle was truly fought to discredit the viability of alternating current, an invention of Nikola Tesla. A pity Westinghouse's death gave way to Tesla's eventual smothering by the money hungry hands of J. P. Morgan. 8(
www.milkandcookies.com/link/80054/
www.milkandcookies.com/link/80054/
By: Jiachi
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I'm uncertain of what position to take on the death penalty. I believe that some people deserve death, but I am completely against any policy that allows even one innocent person to be accidentally killed. It just isn't right.
So, I guess I am against the death penalty.
My country has no death penalty, and I am glad for that. However, we are far too soft on our violent criminals. Robert Pickton, a man who killed numerous women at his pig farm, will only get life in prison. The guy is undeniably guilty; he should be made to suffer.... somehow. I wish an exception could be made in special cases. Ideally, Pickton should be given some drugs that heighten his awareness and lowers his natural pain receptors, then fed to some hungry pigs.
Sadistic, yes. But, it would be right.
So, I guess I am against the death penalty.
My country has no death penalty, and I am glad for that. However, we are far too soft on our violent criminals. Robert Pickton, a man who killed numerous women at his pig farm, will only get life in prison. The guy is undeniably guilty; he should be made to suffer.... somehow. I wish an exception could be made in special cases. Ideally, Pickton should be given some drugs that heighten his awareness and lowers his natural pain receptors, then fed to some hungry pigs.
Sadistic, yes. But, it would be right.
By: EViLMinD
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I'm under the impression that if a person is undeniably guilty of a crime worthy of death, their death is a deterrent secondarily, but a cost-saving maneuver primarily. It's expensive to feed, house, and watch over these people as though they were children, and if they prove to be refractory against any kind of rehabilitation, then why bother maintaining them?
That's one part of me. Another part believes that many countries could learn from the prison system of Norway.
That's one part of me. Another part believes that many countries could learn from the prison system of Norway.
By: Wondahboy
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I understand the need to make hard-line rules for society, but my head isn't so far up my ass that I can ignore what facts prove to work. If violent criminals can be rehabilitated and the research proves this, then laws should be adjusted accordingly.
Society must ask the questions: Is it more effective to use negative or positive reinforcements to make our societies safer? Can we suppress the need for fatal retribution when criminals harm us? (I know I'd really want blast even a car jacker, if I caught the piece if shit)
Nevertheless, no matter what studies prove; the purely liberal approach will never fly in most of the world. Cultures and unique situations and finances will always be the decider factors. Some people just can't be brought back - unless the whole of society welcomes them. While, I'm of the mind that some of the worst offenders simply cannot under any conditions.
Humans like to kill. We like the extremity of it. Whether it be to gain something or for the pure thrill; man will always kill.
Society must ask the questions: Is it more effective to use negative or positive reinforcements to make our societies safer? Can we suppress the need for fatal retribution when criminals harm us? (I know I'd really want blast even a car jacker, if I caught the piece if shit)
Nevertheless, no matter what studies prove; the purely liberal approach will never fly in most of the world. Cultures and unique situations and finances will always be the decider factors. Some people just can't be brought back - unless the whole of society welcomes them. While, I'm of the mind that some of the worst offenders simply cannot under any conditions.
Humans like to kill. We like the extremity of it. Whether it be to gain something or for the pure thrill; man will always kill.
By: EViLMinD
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I'd agree with the argument of cost, if it were true. But in America, at least, it's fallacious. Our system of expensive appeals (offering retrials based on new evidence), along with the fact that death row inmates tend to be suicidal and violent in their hopelessness, requiring tighter security, make death row inmates more expensive than lifers over the course of their lives.
I'm all for killing some of these guys that don't deserve to live. The thing is, too often, the state convicts people who later get proved innocent by DNA. More over, a disproportionate number of death row inmates are poor--an indication that the public defenders that represent the poorest population's only means to defending themselves in court are rarely prepared or have the resources to properly defend someone's life.
And I'm not sure how much of a deterrent the death penalty really is. Is the crime rate any better in American states that have a death penalty than those that don't? Or better yet, does enacting or banning such policy lower or raise the crime rate within a given state? I don't have the numbers on that, but I doubt anything is conclusive, at best.
I'm all for killing some of these guys that don't deserve to live. The thing is, too often, the state convicts people who later get proved innocent by DNA. More over, a disproportionate number of death row inmates are poor--an indication that the public defenders that represent the poorest population's only means to defending themselves in court are rarely prepared or have the resources to properly defend someone's life.
And I'm not sure how much of a deterrent the death penalty really is. Is the crime rate any better in American states that have a death penalty than those that don't? Or better yet, does enacting or banning such policy lower or raise the crime rate within a given state? I don't have the numbers on that, but I doubt anything is conclusive, at best.
By: Oh-Deeh
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
I dunno... seems to me like giving ANY government the green light to kill their own people, no matter what the circumstances is not a very good idea at all...
Allowing the government kills it's people is a very dangerous idea, not to mention that the justice system was designed by and is run by humans and none of us are perfect, we ALL make mistakes, and I am sure that if you were to have 1000 people on death row executed, there's probably one or two innocent people in there that really didn't do the crime. Even if only 1 innocent person was ever mistakenly executed in the history of the U.S, it's 1 too many and it undermines our justice system.
Just seems like it's not a good idea to me.
Allowing the government kills it's people is a very dangerous idea, not to mention that the justice system was designed by and is run by humans and none of us are perfect, we ALL make mistakes, and I am sure that if you were to have 1000 people on death row executed, there's probably one or two innocent people in there that really didn't do the crime. Even if only 1 innocent person was ever mistakenly executed in the history of the U.S, it's 1 too many and it undermines our justice system.
Just seems like it's not a good idea to me.
By: TeeheeRuler
Re: How to Kill a Human Being
Whether we're talking about maximizing entertainment value or minimizing pain, developing the perfect method of killing people is more than a little bit creepy.
If they're trying to minimize physical pain to their victims, they could tape three grams of C-4 to the back of the head. But I'd hate to be the janitor in that death chamber. Or live in that society.
Just pay the money and keep them in prison. Give them decent libraries, let them grow their own non-toxic food, and let them sleep in a lockup fit for human habitation. If they're among the rare people who're a total menace, don't let them out. It's not a big mystery. And how about a decent education and health care? (For everybody, in prison and out.)
It's like this... doing the right thing sometimes costs money. I'd rather live in Norway than Saudi Arabia.
If they're trying to minimize physical pain to their victims, they could tape three grams of C-4 to the back of the head. But I'd hate to be the janitor in that death chamber. Or live in that society.
Just pay the money and keep them in prison. Give them decent libraries, let them grow their own non-toxic food, and let them sleep in a lockup fit for human habitation. If they're among the rare people who're a total menace, don't let them out. It's not a big mystery. And how about a decent education and health care? (For everybody, in prison and out.)
It's like this... doing the right thing sometimes costs money. I'd rather live in Norway than Saudi Arabia.
