Utah to eliminate firing squad

[xwhirledx]

Oh, what a pity....


SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers sent the governor a bill Friday to eliminate firing squad executions and deny killers the chance to “go out in a blaze of glory.”
However, four death row inmates who have already chosen to die in a hail of bullets will get their way.
The House gave final approval to the measure, which would change Utah’s method of execution to lethal injection. Gov. Olene Walker is expected to sign the measure.
During the Senate debate on Thursday, Sen. Ron Allen, a Democrat, said allowing murderers to choose firing squads so they can “go out in a blaze of glory” makes heroes of criminals and causes victims’ families more pain.
But Sen. Dave Thomas, a Republican, argued that media circuses are “exactly what we want” in executions.
“We don’t want these sentences to be carried out in the dead of night so no one knows,” said Thomas, adding that lethal injection is painless and “the easy way out.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, two people in the United States have died by firing squad, both in Utah: Gary Gilmore in 1977 and John Albert Taylor in 1996. Taylor’s execution drew more than 150 TV crews from around the world.
A relic of its territorial days, Utah’s firing squads employ five riflemen, one of whom shoots a blank so none will know who fired the fatal shot.
Idaho and Oklahoma retain the firing squad on their books as an option but have not used it in modern times.

[Steve]

"But Sen. Dave Thomas, a Republican, argued that media circuses are “exactly what we want” in executions."

I'm betting he's one of those misguided people who believe capital punishment serves as a deterrent. It's great for exterminating vermin, but as a deterrent, it's pretty weak.

[BigDeputyDog]

It certainly deters the one being executed from ever comitting a heinous crime again...

BDD...

[xwhirledx]

"But Sen. Dave Thomas, a Republican, argued that media circuses are “exactly what we want” in executions."

I'm betting he's one of those misguided people who believe capital punishment serves as a deterrent. It's great for exterminating vermin, but as a deterrent, it's pretty weak.
LOL! I thought that quote was hilarious!!

[mikepd]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A relic of its territorial days, Utah’s firing squads employ five riflemen, one of whom shoots a blank so none will know who fired the fatal shot.


This is done exactly why? So just have a professional execution team, everyone uses live ammo, all are trained experts and half aim for the head as the other half aim for the heart thus ensuring a quick, painless death. Very humane and far better than what the victim received.

It's the 10-20 years they they spend on death row while they appeal their sentence that is not humane, the repeated brutalization of the victim's family each time they have to deal with the system that ensures the criminal's rights are preserved while he cared not a whit for the right of the victim to simply live a normal existence.

Deterrence? It sure does deter at least one cockroach. That is how you can change the world, one cockroach at a time.

[Stiofán]

The blank cartridge is so there's always a possiblity that one of the marksmen didn't actually kill. Supposed to be for the concience of the marksmen.

Of course everyone who's ever shot a rifle knows the recoil from a blank pales compared to live ammo, so it doesn't do much good.

[Steve]

It's not a deterrence at all. It's great for exterminating human vermin that need exterminating and it keeps them from ever perpetrating a crime again, but it doesn't do squat to deter anyone from committing crimes.

[mikepd]

Of course everyone who's ever shot a rifle knows the recoil from a blank pales compared to live ammo, so it doesn't do much good.

Indeed they do. My favorite description of what can happen was given in a book the was about the execution of Pvt. Eddie Slovik in January 1945, the only person executed for desertion under fire during WWII although others were charged with the crime even officers.

One of the soldiers assigned to the firing squad had to borrow a weapon from the cook who obviously had not taken care of the it. He said that when he fired the rifle, he was spun nearly full circle and had choice words to say to the cook afterward.

It was also quite obvious to him that he did not get the blank round.

[FrankF]

It's not a deterrence at all. It's great for exterminating human vermin that need exterminating and it keeps them from ever perpetrating a crime again, but it doesn't do squat to deter anyone from committing crimes.

But it could be a deterrant. If ALL who are (rightfully) convicted of murder, or child molesting, or rape were taken out behing the courthouse and shot IMMEDIATELY after sentencing... pretty soon the scumbags would get the idea that if they kill, molest, or rape... that they WILL DIE if caught. The problem I see is that we have to make sure of 100% accuracy when people are found guilty.