Thread: Utah inmate to be killed by firing squad

i see no problem

Its odd in the sense that it hasnt been used very recently, but either way that guy deserves to die. Whats really fucking odd is that this happened in 1985

no problem. they should let him starve to death and save the bullet.

Originally Posted by Averith

i see no problem

I'm not opposed to it either, unless there are good people who love him, which I highly doubt since the court sentenced him to death. I just think it's really strange. I wonder if the judge was wearing a big ass gray wig.

Why would it matter if good people loved him? Hes a murderer...

Maybe he is a military veteran.

Originally Posted by Goatboy

Why would it matter if good people loved him? Hes a murderer...

I think the idea behind it is reformation. Murder is an atrocity, no doubt, but I don't think it's fair to say that once someone commits murder they will always be a cold blooded killer.

Also, after re-reading the article I'm wondering why they're shooting him in the heart and not in the head. Any one have an idea as to why?

Originally Posted by Catbus

I think the idea behind it is reformation. Murder is an atrocity, no doubt, but I don't think it's fair to say that once someone commits murder they will always be a cold blooded killer.

Also, after re-reading the article I'm wondering why they're shooting him in the heart and not in the head. Any one have an idea as to why?

They have probably never heard of zombies. The heart is the most lethal place to shoot somebody. You can live being shot in the head, although it will probably be as a vegetable. You cannot really live being shot directly through the heart.

I kind of figured. From a humane perspective it seemed like the head would cause death more quickly, but without a heart you'd lose consciousness fast enough I suppose. And yeah, it makes more sense to minimize the possibility of survival.

From what I've heard he requested it.

I think that lethal injection is the primary method in all the states that allow capital punishment, but convicts can request other methods in some states. It seems that in the US, the last electrocution took place in 2010, the last gassing took place in 1999 and the last hanging took place in 1996.

Honestly, I'd take a firing squad over lethal injection.

From what I heard, he had a decission between the firing squad or the lethal injection. He apparently chose the firing squad, hoping that it would seem inhumane and the public would complain, resulting in them calling the whole thing off.
That's what I heard on the news, anyway.

EDIT: Capital punishment was completely and formally abolished in my country in 1984, though it stopped prior to that in 1967, after the hanging of Ronald Ryan.
I don't have an issue with capital punishment, and I think that it should rise again in Australia; because if you kill someone; you too deserve to die. That's my opinion.

Death by firing squad is along similar principles as death by stoning... Except that stoning is very slow, and everyone gets to participate.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

[URL]Is stoning an inmate to death a possibility? What about death by guillotine?

That's a good question. I only recently discovered that the U.S. government still retains the power to hire privateers to assist in ocean "peacekeeping" ("letters of marque and reprisal, a power written into the Constitution that allows the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe." from this article.) Kind of crazy what's still permissible by law. Kind of cool, actually.

Ironically, death by firing squad is the most humane form of death penalty we have...

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

What about death by guillotine?

I heard that after being decapitated, you remain conscious for 14 seconds, so I doubt that it would be a legitimate option.

Originally Posted by Averith

i see no problem

Death penalty?

Utah no longer offers the firing squad as an option, but would allow it only for inmates who chose this method prior to its elimination .

Taken from here.

Originally Posted by Goatboy

Why would it matter if good people loved him? Hes a murderer...

I've been wishy washy on the death penalty since I was about eight years old. The main thing I don't like about it is that when you kill somebody, the person you kill is not necessarily your only victim. That is a problem. Still, there are some very good arguments for the death penalty. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the person being executed, but if he has a sister who is about to grieve his death, I feel very sorry for her. But like I sort of got into earlier, people pretty much never get the death penalty when family members show up at sentencing and beg the judge to let the person live. It's almost always scum that nobody cares about who get the death penalty.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

I've been wishy washy on the death penalty since I was about eight years old. The main thing I don't like about it is that when you kill somebody, the person you kill is not necessarily your only victim. That is a problem. Still, there are some very good arguments for the death penalty. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the person being executed, but if he has a sister who is about to grieve his death, I feel very sorry for her. But like I sort of got into earlier, people pretty much never get the death penalty when family members show up at sentencing and beg the judge to let the person live. It's almost always scum that nobody cares about who get the death penalty.

If someone could prove to me that the death penalty substantially reduces crime, I would be all for it. AS it stands...

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

I've been wishy washy on the death penalty since I was about eight years old. The main thing I don't like about it is that when you kill somebody, the person you kill is not necessarily your only victim. That is a problem. Still, there are some very good arguments for the death penalty. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the person being executed, but if he has a sister who is about to grieve his death, I feel very sorry for her. But like I sort of got into earlier, people pretty much never get the death penalty when family members show up at sentencing and beg the judge to let the person live. It's almost always scum that nobody cares about who get the death penalty.

Ok well thats fine to feel sorry for her. But regardless he is a murderer, and he shouldn't be spared of his punishment simply because a family member will grieve his death.

Originally Posted by Goatboy

Ok well thats fine to feel sorry for her. But regardless he is a murderer, and he shouldn't be spared of his punishment simply because a family member will grieve his death.

Originally Posted by Location

Texas

:V

Originally Posted by Marvo

:V

Christ I hope that was a joke...

If you think in any way that my ideals are at all related or influenced by stereotypical Texan policy I invite you to go read my post in the ideal society section.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

I've been wishy washy on the death penalty since I was about eight years old. The main thing I don't like about it is that when you kill somebody, the person you kill is not necessarily your only victim. That is a problem. Still, there are some very good arguments for the death penalty. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the person being executed, but if he has a sister who is about to grieve his death, I feel very sorry for her. But like I sort of got into earlier, people pretty much never get the death penalty when family members show up at sentencing and beg the judge to let the person live. It's almost always scum that nobody cares about who get the death penalty.

What about the family who grieves for the victim who was murdered? Seriously??

Interestingly enough, not every victim's family seeks equal retribution by having the murderer killed. From the article in the OP:

Burdell's family opposes the death penalty and asked for Gardner's life to be spared.

But Otterstrom's family lobbied the parole board against Gardner's request for clemency and a reduced sentence.

I'm not a fan of the death penalty, or the penal system as a whole. I honestly wonder what ever happened to forced labour, that's what we should be doing with our convicts. They should be repaying their debt to society, not living in gang infested courtyards just sitting around on government money. Convicts come out of prison worse than when they went in.