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Firing squads in S.C.


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 When Gary Gilmore was executed in Utah after the US Supreme Court allowed the reinstating of the death penalty, he was executed by firing squad. There was actually a pretty good movie about that starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gary Gilmore. I think it is called Executioner’s Song.

Way before the days of the Internet so I am not sure if I can find an article, the opponents of the death penalty said that no police officers would knowingly volunteer to be on the firing squad. Under Utah law any peace officer could apply and names would be drawn like a lottery. Opponents said that an officer would be disgraced and would not show his face in public (or something like that) as wanting to be on the firing squad.  On the day of the applications if I remember correctly, there was a line of police officers that went around the block, waiting their turn to see if they could be on the firing squad.

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True story.... I worked with a guy in a past life that had been a supervisor at the Walls Unit and had oversaw a number of executions.   We worked one Saturday together and he had tons of stories about the process and was completely opposed to Capital Punishment.  I found that exceptionally interesting as he had  perspective that few of us actually have.  Years later my then-wife and I were watching a documentary and they interviewed a guy that had also had the same role here in Texas... his accounts and opinions very closely matched my friend's. 

 

I find myself being less of a supporter of the death penalty as I age.  There are people who should no longer be allowed to walk among us, but I don't know if I believe that those people should be executed.

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26 minutes ago, 5GallonBucket said:

In my opinion these should be public. Just like hangings were (and no not the racist hatred ones) it was a great deterrent when publicly viewed.

 

Plus, they didn’t wait 20+ years to execute. That’s a heckuva deterrent right there.... guilty today, dead tomorrow. 

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5 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

True story.... I worked with a guy in a past life that had been a supervisor at the Walls Unit and had oversaw a number of executions.   We worked one Saturday together and he had tons of stories about the process and was completely opposed to Capital Punishment.  I found that exceptionally interesting as he had  perspective that few of us actually have.  Years later my then-wife and I were watching a documentary and they interviewed a guy that had also had the same role here in Texas... his accounts and opinions very closely matched my friend's. 

 

I find myself being less of a supporter of the death penalty as I age.  There are people who should no longer be allowed to walk among us, but I don't know if I believe that those people should be executed.

I’m supportive of it for certain crimes. 

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I feel like there is way too much effort put into making sure these executions are humane.  Too much emphasis has been put into a painless process by lethal injection.   It's one thing to ban criminals from being tortured, although I'm fairly certain some public torturing would greatly reduce the numbers of sex crimes committed against children. So no torture, but do I care if a child murderer "feels it" for a couple of minutes when he's electrocuted or shot?  No, I do not.  Personally, I hope it hurts like hell and they know (and can feel) exactly what's happening to them right up until the very end. 

All that being said, there should be ZERO doubt that someone is guilty if they're going to be executed.  A lot of crooked stuff went on back in the day, and innocent people have been murdered by our justice system.  Protecting innocent people from being executed is the only argument that holds any weight with me at all from those who are opposed.  In today's climate and with today's technology the odds of that are almost nil compared to 30 years ago.  

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1 hour ago, bullets13 said:

I feel like there is way too much effort put into making sure these executions are humane.  Too much emphasis has been put into a painless process by lethal injection.   It's one thing to ban criminals from being tortured, although I'm fairly certain some public torturing would greatly reduce the numbers of sex crimes committed against children. So no torture, but do I care if a child murderer "feels it" for a couple of minutes when he's electrocuted or shot?  No, I do not.  Personally, I hope it hurts like hell and they know (and can feel) exactly what's happening to them right up until the very end. 

All that being said, there should be ZERO doubt that someone is guilty if they're going to be executed.  A lot of crooked stuff went on back in the day, and innocent people have been murdered by our justice system.  Protecting innocent people from being executed is the only argument that holds any weight with me at all from those who are opposed.  In today's climate and with today's technology the odds of that are almost nil compared to 30 years ago.  

When I had surgery, they injected something in my arm, broke my toe, replace the joint, and drilled screws in my bone.......the only thing I felt is the initial stick of the IV.  I call BS why they can't do that, and from there do whatever they need to end the life.  Heck, they could of decapitated me and I would of never known......

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14 minutes ago, Hagar said:

Here’s a DA having second thoughts on the Death Penalty.  In this case, why?

This is the hidden content, please

Don't understand this one, if anyone deserves it, these two do.

Her own son...smh.  One more reason to applaud law enforcement for staying composed when they come upon a scene like this.

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28 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

Don't understand this one, if anyone deserves it, these two do.

Her own son...smh.  One more reason to applaud law enforcement for staying composed when they come upon a scene like this.

Great point.  When my son got out of the Marines and looking for work, I suggested law enforcement.  He said, “Dad, if I went into a home & they had been sticking lit cigarettes on a child, I’d lose it and start beating  people”.  Can’t imagine what he’d done in this case.  Heck, can’t imagine what I’d done.

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