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Journeyman

(15,464 posts)

3. Cue the story of Robert Pierce, killed in San Quentin in 1956. . .

Tue Jan 28, 2014, 06:32 AM

Jan 2014

I'll let Evan S. Connell explain:

Robert Pierce, awaiting execution at San Quentin prison,
contrived to slash his throat with a shard of glass,
precipitating a frantic quarrel among the authorities:
some insisted that he be executed before he bled to death
while others thought he should be taken to the hospital.
Presently, with gouts of blood bubbling from his neck,
he was carried into the gas chamber. Witnesses screamed,
vomited and several fainted. The decision had been reached,
officials later explained, because at the time of death
the prisoner probably would still be alive and therefore
conscious not only of his crime but of the retributions
justly demanded by the Sovereign State of California.

Evan S. Connell, Points for a Compass Rose, 1973

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States consider reviving old-fashioned executions [View all] Judi Lynn Jan 2014 OP

Ye know,really JackInGreen Jan 2014 #1

Hard time or show time jakeXT Jan 2014 #7

That reminds me wercal Jan 2014 #102

I haven't seen Hunger Games, but I believe Battle Royale inspired it jakeXT Jan 2014 #107

I agree. Lets do it with a little style. zonkers Jan 2014 #104

We COULD just outlaw the death penalty Demeter Jan 2014 #2

Except that cut into the pockets of the producers of said chemicals sakabatou Jan 2014 #15

Now that is a stretch. former9thward Jan 2014 #33

I should add a sarcasm tag... sakabatou Jan 2014 #34

The problem is actually that almost no companies want to supply those drugs. n/t Psephos Jan 2014 #44

The producers of said chemicals don't want them used in executions jmowreader Jan 2014 #73

Hell of a thing when chemical and drug companies take an ethical stance! Scootaloo Jan 2014 #76

Sorry to sound cynical Springslips Jan 2014 #87

+1 Solly Mack Jan 2014 #95

Cue the story of Robert Pierce, killed in San Quentin in 1956. . . Journeyman Jan 2014 #3

So sad that it's really so easy to believe, after all. Judi Lynn Jan 2014 #59

firing squads, electrocutions and gas chambers? trusty elf Jan 2014 #4

An option involving no animals: jsr Jan 2014 #18

Screw it... let's just draw and quarter people. GreenEyedLefty Jan 2014 #5

keel haul and boiling in oil. that's the ticket. Nanjing to Seoul Jan 2014 #8

Tar and feather sakabatou Jan 2014 #17

Flogging round the Fleet. That was always a good one. Sognefjord Jan 2014 #89

Reality TV ReRe Jan 2014 #6

Hold your sarcasm jmowreader Jan 2014 #74

Oh yeah... ReRe Jan 2014 #75

Something like this? jmowreader Jan 2014 #93

Actually they gather because it's a public space Scootaloo Jan 2014 #78

The dark, twisted visions of gun nuts' minds are spilling out into reality. nt onehandle Jan 2014 #9

Firing squad, hanging, headsman are all faster and easier than lethal injection. PeteSelman Jan 2014 #10

Probably the kindest (albeit gruesome) method is beheading MillennialDem Jan 2014 #50

"...old-fashioned executions" A tautology, surely SorellaLaBefana Jan 2014 #11

execution is everywhere Psephos Jan 2014 #45

Euthanasia Coaster Jesus Malverde Jan 2014 #12

That's twisted. n/t xocet Jan 2014 #48

Firing squads? another_liberal Jan 2014 #13

Of course, we are a civilized country. Attacks & invasions on innocent nations, RC Jan 2014 #16

I think that happened right after . . . another_liberal Jan 2014 #42

Don't forget to charge the family Jeff Murdoch Jan 2014 #24

That is what the Russian do happyslug Jan 2014 #63

There would never be a shortage of volunteers to be members of firing squads. Paladin Jan 2014 #25

OMG they would sell it as 'your patriotic duty' to be in service to your country. It's nationalistic Ed Suspicious Jan 2014 #27

Certainly suits the times, doesn't it? (nt) Paladin Jan 2014 #29

Ask not who your country can kill for you, ask who you can kill for your country. Ed Suspicious Jan 2014 #31

I believe that was the case when Gary Gilmore was executed in Utah in 1977 KansDem Jan 2014 #49

A lot of people who have served on firing squads end up needing psychiatric care LongTomH Jan 2014 #52

I thought there was always one blank, and nobody knew who had it... cyberswede Jan 2014 #92

A blank is immediately recognizable when you fire it. sir pball Jan 2014 #103

I bet you don't notice it when your target is human. (nt) Paladin Jan 2014 #108

Never harbored any fantasies of shooting somebody, let alone done it, so I wouldn't know, nt. sir pball Jan 2014 #112

Amazing that is has only been 4 years whopis01 Jan 2014 #96

"reviving executions" trusty elf Jan 2014 #14

Draw and quarter them. Sell tickets. Show us who you really are. nt bemildred Jan 2014 #19

yea!!! heaven05 Jan 2014 #20

Guillotines? Too "clean!" How about the old fashioned broad axe? yellowcanine Jan 2014 #22

excellent!! heaven05 Jan 2014 #23

What a bunch of wimpiness. Bring on the public 'angings! That will set the country straight! yellowcanine Jan 2014 #21

Now we Americans(myself excluded) have shown the requisite bloodlust for proper executions. Ed Suspicious Jan 2014 #26

America is very sick. nt ladjf Jan 2014 #28

why not stoning or the guillotine? nt geek tragedy Jan 2014 #30

.......... trusty elf Jan 2014 #36

Public executions. Turbineguy Jan 2014 #32

I really don't know why firing squads were ended. former9thward Jan 2014 #35

Firing squads are neither painless or instant. Xithras Jan 2014 #38

That is speculation at best. former9thward Jan 2014 #40

Speculation based on medical science. Xithras Jan 2014 #43

Tell Thailand that Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2014 #69

We don't do things like Thailand does. former9thward Jan 2014 #70

You mean guns are fundamentally different here quakerboy Jan 2014 #90

yes, but it sounds like we're trying to be more like they were CreekDog Jan 2014 #91

And your usual attempts to throw out strawmen are as obvious as usual. former9thward Jan 2014 #99

it's not a strawman, look at the arguments that always follow your posts CreekDog Jan 2014 #116

Always happy to have stalkers and fans. former9thward Jan 2014 #117

it's not "stalking" to argue with you CreekDog Jan 2014 #121

Hiring Jimbos with beat-up deer rifles off the street is not "good reason". sir pball Jan 2014 #105

That's nice. Please stay out of my neighborhood. (nt) Paladin Jan 2014 #109

Because I realize that neither I nor anybody else off the street has any business executing people? sir pball Jan 2014 #111

I've been a firearms owner for better than 50 years. Paladin Jan 2014 #115

No, actually that doesn't suit me. sir pball Jan 2014 #119

This conversation is over. (nt) Paladin Jan 2014 #122

Humor me with an intellectually-honest, single-word, no-text answer. sir pball Jan 2014 #124

Possibly. (nt) Paladin Jan 2014 #128

That's not the "good reason". Xithras Jan 2014 #113

I took the mess into account. sir pball Jan 2014 #114

That's sort of my take on it. Xithras Jan 2014 #120

I think N2 hasn't been studied b/c it hasn't been "needed" sir pball Jan 2014 #123

The most humane execution is a projectile to the brain stem. Dash87 Jan 2014 #37

People who support the death penalty should be compelled to witness a bunch of them. marble falls Jan 2014 #39

Should people who oppose the death penalty be forced to view former9thward Jan 2014 #41

It's only the same logic if the death penalty prevented murder. jeff47 Jan 2014 #51

Heat of the moment crimes do not get the death penalty. former9thward Jan 2014 #53

Some do, some don't. jeff47 Jan 2014 #54

We have a diffence in philosophy. former9thward Jan 2014 #55

Why do you want to cut their punishment short? jeff47 Jan 2014 #56

I don't want to put guards or other inmates in danger. former9thward Jan 2014 #57

And what's the disincentive for a death penalty convict? jeff47 Jan 2014 #58

Nothing. former9thward Jan 2014 #61

It takes a while to try and prevent executing the wrong person. jeff47 Jan 2014 #64

We have probaby gone as far as we can go. former9thward Jan 2014 #65

Yeah, it's not like any death row convicts have later been cleared. jeff47 Jan 2014 #66

This is why I am against christx30 Jan 2014 #60

If we could do that I'd get on board... Lost_Count Jan 2014 #94

Because as soon as the DP abolished.. MicaelS Jan 2014 #118

And then they'll force the murderer to move in NEXT DOOR TO YOU!!!!!!!!!! jeff47 Jan 2014 #126

Yes, I would not doubt it one bit. n/t MicaelS Jan 2014 #127

Excellent post. MicaelS Jan 2014 #125

Except opposing the death penalty doesn't cause murder Scootaloo Jan 2014 #79

Supporting the DP doesn't cause them either. former9thward Jan 2014 #80

Yes, in fact supporting the death penalty does create executions. Scootaloo Jan 2014 #81

You said murders, not executions. former9thward Jan 2014 #82

Try to follow along Scootaloo Jan 2014 #85

Well as long as you are jumping in to defend the post. former9thward Jan 2014 #86

Nope, it's not following logic Scootaloo Jan 2014 #88

Nope, no videos of U.S. executions. former9thward Jan 2014 #98

Guillotines for financial and political criminals, please. Myrina Jan 2014 #46

How about burning at the stake? That would be both quite a spectacle and quite an act of vengeance! xocet Jan 2014 #47

With or without the gunpowder around the neck? happyslug Jan 2014 #67

That is unclear. Is spectacle or vengeance more important - namely, which is more exceptional? n/t xocet Jan 2014 #72

What a decsion, is blasting or a burning more Spectacle or Vindictive? happyslug Jan 2014 #100

Most European countries went directly from violent methods to abolition LongTomH Jan 2014 #62

We just got 5 million $! Do we send it to the schools or do we pay a guy to find execution methods? ck4829 Jan 2014 #68

Or, as the U.S. "Christian" Dominionists say: Stoning, because rocks are cheap and plentiful. blkmusclmachine Jan 2014 #71

Why not consider NOT performing executions? Scootaloo Jan 2014 #77

Helium Sgent Jan 2014 #83

Nitrogen would be the theoretically ideal gas for that. sir pball Jan 2014 #106

Quick round... Lost_Count Jan 2014 #84

I would support firing squad just because it's more honest yurbud Jan 2014 #97

Cool. I say make everyone dress in period costume like the in The Green Mile. zonkers Jan 2014 #101

Meet the new barbarism; just the same as the old barbarism. maddogesq Jan 2014 #110