Poll: Should prisoner executions be televised?

[MommaSquid]

After watching the poor quality camera-phone video of Saddam Hussein’s hanging, and feeling very little sympathy for the man, I began to wonder if public executions or televised executions would be a good thing.  Would it be a deterrent to crime?  Would it cause states and nations to repeal their death penalty laws?  What effect, if any, would televised executions have on society?

Do prisoners have any expectation of privacy after they are convicted and sentenced to death?  Is it ever right to take another person’s life?  What if a prisoner is executed and new evidence comes to light exonerating them?  Who should be punished?  

What are your thoughts?

[Whitney]

I'm against the death penalty because there are cases (probably more than we know about) where innocent people are wrongly sentenced to death...and because I think it would be worse to sit in a crappy (we need to make the prisons not so comfy) prison for the rest of your life than know when you are going to die.

For the reason that an innocent man's death could be televised as a constant reminder of his death to family who shouldn't have had to go through the ordeal in the first place....no, it shouldn't be shown publicly.

I also simply don't like to watch someone die, even if that person did something terrible....but that's not a rational reason to be against a tv broadcast of some one's execution.

What would happen if they showed it on tv?  I think the various methods of execution would have different impacts.  Lethal injection, from what I've read, wouldn't be nearly as disturbing as watching a person be hung or electrocuted.  But, a lot of people who have viewed deaths and executions are still pro death penalty...so I don't think showing it would have much of an impact on stance; but might just serve as an extra deterrent to crime (yet, you'd think current penalties would already be sufficient).

[Tom62]

I find public executions utterly barbaric.

[MommaSquid]

Tom62, I agree that executions are barbaric.  I also believe that prison is barbaric...at least in America.  If another nation has a better prison system; and by better I mean one in which prisoners are not raped, beaten, and threatened on a daily basis, and where prisoners are educated and given the opportunity to be reformed, positive, contributing members of society once freed; then I would love to hear about it.  

I think if the general public were able to view executions the death penalty would be repealed.  

As for the various methods of execution, there is suffering in all of them.  Being shot or hanged is painful, or so I would imagine.  The electric chair is not foolproof and can cause much pain.  Even lethal injections can be painful if administered incorrectly.  

When Executions Go Wrong: A Horribly Botched Florida Killing Adds Strong Impetus to a National Reconsideration of Capital Punishment
By AUSTIN SARAT
Monday, Dec. 18, 2006

Last Wednesday, the name of Angel Diaz was added to a long list of persons whose executions have been botched in recent American history. As widely reported in the press, it took Florida thirty-four minutes to kill him, twice the usual time. The needles that carried the lethal chemicals were mistakenly inserted completely through their intended targets--the veins in Diaz's arm--into the flesh of his arms. Thus, instead of being unconscious within the usual three or four minutes after the administration of the first chemical in the execution protocol, Diaz "appeared to be moving twenty-four minutes after the first injection, grimacing, blinking, licking his lips, blowing and appearing to mouth words."

Link:  http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary ... sarat.html

As painful as it might be for family members to watch or know that others are watching their condemned loved-one being executed, I feel there may be something positive to be gained from publicizing executions.

[Big Mac]

Well I think it'd be all of the above on that. It'd have a huge polar effect. On one hand more people would probably be against it, more states may up theirs to be more barbaric, and maybe it'll deter more crimes.

[ImpaledSkier]

the idea of public or televised executions scares me a little. this may be unfounded, but I'd hate to see the value of human life degraded in such a way that television stations are going to have to bid to have the rights of broadcasting. This idea reminds me of the glatorial games back in Rome. Sure, it may start out professional and solomn, but it would only be a matter of time before big named murderers or such would have their own hour long special leading up to the execution.It would become more like entertainment than a anti-crime add. We've all seen a hanging or a lethal injection or something in movies, but that doesn't seem to deter people from violent crimes. I just don't think it would have that effect.

[mrwitch]

I think if the general public were able to view executions the death penalty would be repealed.  

Technically, we do have public executions.  You did get to see Sadam's hanging, as I did... here, on the net.  As has millions of others.  

I've also watched all these beheading videos, and all it does it add fuel to the fire.

Just as the death penalty is not a deterant to crime, televised execution is not going to lead to a repeal of the death penalty.

Personally, as long as you are one thousand... million...  zillion percent sure you're putting the right person to death, I have no problem with the death penalty.  

But, if there is the slightest doubt, then, you shouldn't do it.

[MikeyV]

I'm of the belief that there are un-reformable people in the prison system. If you can't be reformed, I have no problem with that individual being put to death.

We had a case here in Arizona (remember seeing this on the news, MommaSquid?) of a man that took his three year old daughter out into the back yard, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire. In my not so humble opinion, he deserves to die.

I agree with mrwitch, though. The death penalty should not be applied unless there is NO doubt whatsoever. Not this "beyond a reasonable doubt" crap. If there is any inkling of doubt, sentence should be provisional life. If evidence surfaces that removes the inkling, you die. If evidence surfaces that exhonorates you, you go free. That should be an automatic. I see prosecutors trying to block exhonorating evidence all of the time. It should not be up to them.

As for the public part, there is no reason to make them public. It's not entertainment, it's punishment.

I liked the Soviet Union's execution method best. Single bullet to the base of the skull, and you didn't know when it was coming. Let 'em sweat (especially someone who sets a child on fire...).

EDIT to add: I must say, I did get a macabre sense of satisfaction watching Sadam's execution. He, Uday, and Qusay were three of the most reprehensible kind of dirtbags to have ever walked this earth.

[Tom62]

Saddam's only stupidity was that he annoyed the western world by evading the oil-rich country of Kuwait. Before that war, no-one in the West gave a damn about his crimes against humanity because he was our western ally. Yes, Saddam deserved to die, but by removing him from the gene-pool we created a situation in Iraq that is worse than when Saddam was still in power.

Talking about the death penalty we may have also have to execute George W. Bush, Tony Blair and  Ehud Olmert. After all, these evil warmongers are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. More than half million children died in Iraq alone, due to the economic sanctions against Iraq after the Gulf war. The criminals who were responsible for this attrocity were never punished.

We should also be more careful in selecting our friends, because we are still allied to several dictators who are actually worse than Saddam Hussein. To be "morally right", we should hang these bastards as well. We won't do that ofcourse, because they are our "friends".

[MommaSquid]

We had a case here in Arizona (remember seeing this on the news, MommaSquid?) of a man that took his three year old daughter out into the back yard, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire. In my not so humble opinion, he deserves to die.

Yes, I remember that story.  It made me sick to my stomach.  No parent in their right mind does that to a child; should we put to death people who are mentally ill?

As for the public part, there is no reason to make them public. It's not entertainment, it's punishment.

Execution is not entertainment (in my mind), but neither is a jury trial and they have been appearing on TV for years.

OK, I know I’m going to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but after watching that crappy video phone clip, I can’t be sure that Hussein was actually killed.  Clear, professional video might take that feeling away.

BTW, Tom62 made some excellent points.  He brings to mind the saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely".

[mrwitch]

Yes, I remember that story.  It made me sick to my stomach.  No parent in their right mind does that to a child; should we put to death people who are mentally ill?

The guy in Arizona was mentally ill?  I don't know, I was looking around for an article about it, but couldn't find it.

He was mentally ill?

[Whitney]

Yes, I remember that story.  It made me sick to my stomach.  No parent in their right mind does that to a child; should we put to death people who are mentally ill?

The guy in Arizona was mentally ill?  I don't know, I was looking around for an article about it, but couldn't find it.

He was mentally ill?

I would think that anyone who could do that, especially to their own child, wouldn't be in a healthy mental state.

[MommaSquid]

Yes, I remember that story.  It made me sick to my stomach.  No parent in their right mind does that to a child; should we put to death people who are mentally ill?

The guy in Arizona was mentally ill?  I don't know, I was looking around for an article about it, but couldn't find it.

He was mentally ill?

I don't know if he had a diagnosis prior to killing his daughter (probably not) but sane people don't go around lighting their children on fire.  Sorry about any confusion I may have caused.

I found some more info on the case:

Maricopa County Public Info

Part of his defense was that he had an organic brain disorder, low intelligence, and a troubled childhood.   He was sentenced to death by lethal injection, so I guess his defense didn't convince the jury.

[Big Mac]

Just because you are handicapped doesn't mean you are free to do bad things.

[MikeyV]

I don't know if he had a diagnosis prior to killing his daughter (probably not) but sane people don't go around lighting their children on fire.

No, the first time he had been diagnosed was just prior to the trial. Of course, the defense docs argued that he had organic brain damage either prior to, or after his birth (no shit? When else would one expect brain damage to present?) But 4 defense docs looked at the PET scan and all agreed that he had brain damage. Problem is, they couldn't agree on which part of his brain was damaged. Only 2 of the docs testified, but one wasn't even qualified to read a PET.

Of course, the prosecution's docs argued that there was no damage, or that the most they would say is that the PET was inconclusive.

The defense docs argued that the defendant was retarded. He had consistently scored between 68 and 74 on standardized IQ tests, but the prosecutor's docs pointed out that he was smart enough to get regular employment.

He lied to the arresting officers and made up a false family history, which he maintained for six months. The prosecution pointed out that a retarded person wouldn't be able to do this.

So basically, he quit his job. His girlfriend's mother found out, and told the girlfriend. He then went and got his girlfriend's car, telling her he would wait outside for her to get off work. Instead, he drove to daycare, picked up his daughter, and was going to drive to his sister's. Instead, he went to 7-11 and bought beer and Gatorade. Then he went to Target and bought a gas can. Then he went to another 7-11 and bought a gallon of gas. Then he stopped at a Circle-K and got some matches.

He drove to Meridian and Adobe (about a mile and a half from my house), went out into a field, laid his daughter on the ground, and poured the gallon of gas on her. Kristen, his daughter, then stood up. He stepped back, lit a match and threw it on her. Kristin walked around for about 15 seconds and traveled a distance of about 15 feet before she collapsed. She probably would have gone farther, but she was only two, so couldn't walk very far. She died shortly after from smoke inhalation and third and fourth degree burns over 98% of her body.

Then, the defendant went to the Circle-K where he got the matches. He grabbed some beer, and told the clerk that he saw 3 or 4 kids set a dog on fire in the field where he had killed his daughter. He remarked to the clerk "I can't believe that kids would set a dog on fire. This is what the world is coming to when kids set dogs on fire."

I found some more info on the case:

Maricopa County Public Info

Thank you very much for the link.

Part of his defense was that he had an organic brain disorder, low intelligence, and a troubled childhood.   He was sentenced to death by lethal injection, so I guess his defense didn't convince the jury.

His defense convinced no one.

If the Arizona Attorney General called me, day or night, I would drop what I was doing to put the needle in this piece of shit's arm myself.

EDIT: He signed his daughter out of daycare using his girlfriend's name. It would appear that he was going to frame his girlfriend for the murder, but I couldn't even guess why.