I'm afraid I have to agree with John Prescott...

Posted by: rupert bear on 02 January 2007

... that the release of unofficial footage of, and indeed the apparent manner of, Saddam's execution is basically barbaric. Public executions were banned in supposedly civilised Britain in the mid-19th century, but now we're being inundated with images of this scene - partly, no doubt, Bush Administration propaganda.

When Ceaucescu was shot dead in Romania (1990?) we saw a few grainy pics to prove that justice had been done there, and that was enough. This media savagery puts us all in the same hole as the dictator.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by Fisbey
Not sure what to say really, but it occurs to me with what has become yet anothe rpublic execution, we haven't really progressed much beyond ampitheatres and the like have we....
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by scipio2
Just so. I worked as a volonteer at an RSPCA Animal Centre for 5 years during which time many terminally sick animals had to be 'put down' by lethal injection, and in no case was the time between injection and death longer than a few seconds.
The pretence that lethal injection is not 'humane' in the case of homo sapiens is nonsense.
quote:
Originally posted by Duncan Fullerton:
quote:
The lethal injection has recently been suspended in some States of the USA, because it is not humane. This was after a case when it took, I think, well over an hour (more?) to execute one convicted person

This is bizarrely interesting. I had to euthanase a very sick pet recently at my local vet. She died in a peaceful manner. How come they cannot - according to JWM - find a lethal, painless injection for Homo Sapiens? Different physiology but surely the same stuff kills us. Anyone know?

Duncan
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by JWM
Scipio,
You quoted and responded to Duncan's post at the end of page 1; did you go onto reading the rest of the posts on page 2 first, before posting?

You will see some of the detail behind why three States have suspended execution by lethal injection as possible torture, and thus inhumane - the particular cocktail of drugs would not be used on an animal.

James
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by Steve Toy
I don't think the Yanks actually want to remove the element of pain from executions. The different methods used are just shifting from one painful death sentence to another.