Death by Firing Squad.

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The state of Utah killed a man by firing squad this morning. It seems very barbaric to me - something you'd expect from a third world country. We might speak the same English language as the U.S but our cultures seem poles apart.

I think I'd rather that than the electric chair - at least it would be instantaneous...

very much so animation - it came on breakfast news on bbc when DCs were here.felt so odd and brutal when explaining to them .

In Utah now the method is Lethal injection- but this guy chose his method of execution before the law changed in 2004. Prisoners are no longer allowed to choose their method of execution but those on death row who chose their method before 2004 were allowed to keep their original choice.

Does seem very barbaric. I mean you might linger on for a bit.

Quite apt if he shot people.

it's is barbaric, agree with op totally.

I was truly shocked when I saw this on breakfast news this morning

Mind you, this is the only country in the world (apart from Saudi Arabia) who execute minors and those with learning disabilities...

So maybe I shouldn't have been that shocked

(I think that info is correct, I remember reading it in an Amnest magazine a couple of years ago)

Horrible. Capital punishment is a horrible thing anyway without it being carried out by firing squad. When we lived in Thailand, that is how it was done, except it wasn't a squad, it was one man with a machine gun[vom]. Now it is lethal injection which in itself is horrid.

I abhor capital punishment but what's worse is that with all their medicine they still can't find a humane way of killing someone. Not only are the prisoners on death row for years and years they then have to die an utterly gruesome death. If the government wanted to, surely they could just give them a pill and allow them to fall into a sleep they don't wake from? What's more, I don't understand why somebody would want to watch it taking place

He picked it above injection, thats what I find strange.

Whatever way people are killed I feel v sorry for the person that has to do it

Horrific, but I feel all capital punishment is abhorent.

Was astounded to read on the bbc that the markmen who volenteer for the shooting and those involved in the planning of the execution will be given a "commemorative Gardner coin" WTF????

I would choose a firing squad every time.

Lethal injection is horrible, it can take hours and be excrutiatingly painful, it is a horrible horrible way to go.

Electric chair - no thanks. Utterly brutal. Again, it takes ages, it's not quick, you get cooked from the inside, it's very painful, it's revolting.

Firing squad, they aim for your head, one of them is going to hit the mark, it's quick instant job done.

A shot to the head is the quickest and kindest way to go. Or hanging, if done well that is effective and quick. Or guillotine, or beheading with an axe - they are quick and clean and minimum suffering.

I have always found it bizarre that a county which condones gun ownership, and has a lot of gun related crime, does not employ this method of execution, instead preferring otehr more painful things that take longer. Maybe that is the point.

It does strike me as barbaric, but Gardner chose that method back when he was sentenced, for whatever reason. They no longer use firing squad unless the prisoner chose that method prior to it being changed to lethal injection.

There are multiple shooters so no one ever knows who fired the fatal shot.
I think somewhere I read that they use silver tipped bullets or something.

I'd go for beheading myself. Very definite way of killing someone Imsonottelling.

Execution is brutal and barbaric, certainly all of the current US methods are.

Some methods like lethal injection hides some of that and let's you pretend that it isn't if you close your eyes and wish very hard. For the prisoner though it can be horrendous, what with the hunt for a vein and the distinct chance of being in absolute agony yet paralysed and unable to show it.

So it's not so much "don't be barbaric" but "on a superficial level don't seem barbaric to me, to the prisoner you can be as barbaric as you like".

"I mean you might linger on for a bit."

Compared to the electric chair, lethal injection or gas the chances of lingering are minimal.

"what's worse is that with all their medicine they still can't find a humane way of killing someone."

They can, but they won't use it. Hypoxia using nitrogen, it would work in about 15 seconds and far from causing pain the victim would feel euphoria. It's often used to kill lab animals as it doesn't affect the tissues and causes minimal distress.

That it's not used for humans raises some very interesting points about barbarism and the true nature of execution, that is that it's not about removing the criminal from society but people actually wanting the executed to suffer.

"Firing squad, they aim for your head, one of them is going to hit the mark, it's quick instant job done."

Not in America, they all aim for the heart and all will hit it. Death is still very quick though due to shock and severe blood loss.

"I read that they use silver tipped bullets or something."

That is apparently the name of the type of bullet, it's not actually got a silver tip.

"There are multiple shooters so no one ever knows who fired the fatal shot."

There are five shooters one of whom has a "blank" bullet while all of the rest have live rounds. So you can be pretty certain, 80%, that you fired a, not "the", fatal round but you still have some room for doubt.

How interesting that they aim for the heart in the US.

You learn something every day.

I wonder if he had a last cigarette (been watching too many old films). Probably not allowed these days, health and safety and all that...

ISNT - according to the BBC

"onnie Lee Gardner had spent his final day watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy and meeting lawyers and clergymen.

On Tuesday, Gardner had eaten his final meal of steak, lobster, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7-Up, before beginning a 48-hour fast."

have to say apart from the 7up - very good choice of meal for his last one, although custard is better.

What I don't understand is why inmates spend so long on death row in the US???

Most inmates spend a very long time on death row in the USA because there is a very long process of appeals that they can follow and these often take many, many years.

Suppose they are not allowed a nice chilled bottle of Chablis or something like that to go with the lobster? Plus a good hearty red for the steak.

Nigella has one of the chapters in her Feast book about last meals taken.

this article was in one of the Sunday supplements a long time ago. It's mostly about the uncomfortable position doctors are in with the lethal injection as it goes completely against their code of practice to preserve life.
But it does give the problems with each method.

The USA is such an oxymoron of a country. So puritanical about adults swearing and cursing but children use 'butt', 'ass', 'jerk' all the time. The country that bleats in about human rights all over the world condones murder by the state....

you know - I don't agree with the death penalty, but at the same time in no way sympathise with the criminals who find themselves on death row (if that makes any sense) - they have committed horrendous crimes.

However, I do like the fact that they get a chance to have a "last supper" of their choice.

Whats wrong with being shot to death, sounds better to me then being electrocuted or hanged.

mind you the most inhumane part of the US justice system is leaving people on death row for years anyway.

never understood that, for such a god fearing nation why are they so quick to send criminals to the other side.

if after life is real they will burn in hell anyway so should face mans justice first of a lifetime behind bars.

on the other hand if there is nothing after death they are just giving them a quick release from punishment.