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At the very least, they should have to be in the room to give the executioner a final yes/no decision. Not really sure how we'd make all the states do something

At the very least, they should have to be in the room to give the executioner a final yes/no decision. Not really sure how we'd make all the states do something like that, but I think it'd really help.

ceejayoz 5y ago
The article indicates something along those lines is in place. > The governor is always listening through a phone when people condemned to die in South Carolina take their last breath. During 13 of the state’s recent executions, the Commander was on the line with the governor.
- onychomys 5y ago
  Sitting on a phone hundreds of miles away talking to a guy in the room isn't really the same thing as being there yourself. Yes, you could stop the execution either way, but you're not seeing the consequences of your decision.
- Loughla 5y ago
  That is actually the line where I stopped to make that comment. Sitting in your office hundreds of miles away is nowhere near the same as being in the room, looking the condemned in the eyes.
lisper 5y ago
IMHO executions should be open to the public. The people ultimately responsible for these deaths are the people who voted for [politicians who support] the death penalty. They should be able to see what their votes have wrought.
- kyleee 5y ago
  Would you be upset if people showed positive emotion at the execution (cheers, etc.; think murder victim's family) Executions have a long history of being a public event and fun/exciting/scratching a human morbid itch and satisfying cravings for justice (putting aside the innocence / false positive question for a moment) and I think a contemporary audience may exhibit some of the same historical reactions and behaviors
  - lisper 5y ago
    > Would you be upset if people showed positive emotion at the execution I would be disappointed. I would also be surprised. I think there's a reason executions aren't public any more, and I think it's because we have largely evolved beyond the point where most of us can take pleasure from watching another person die. I think this is the reason that the reality of industrial meat production is such a closely guarded secret. If people knew what happened behind those closed doors they'd eat a lot less meat.

ceejayoz 5y ago

The article indicates something along those lines is in place. > The governor is always listening through a phone when people condemned to die in South Carolina take their last breath. During 13 of the state’s recent executions, the Commander was on the line with the governor.

onychomys 5y ago
Sitting on a phone hundreds of miles away talking to a guy in the room isn't really the same thing as being there yourself. Yes, you could stop the execution either way, but you're not seeing the consequences of your decision.
Loughla 5y ago
That is actually the line where I stopped to make that comment. Sitting in your office hundreds of miles away is nowhere near the same as being in the room, looking the condemned in the eyes.

lisper 5y ago

IMHO executions should be open to the public. The people ultimately responsible for these deaths are the people who voted for [politicians who support] the death penalty. They should be able to see what their votes have wrought.

kyleee 5y ago
Would you be upset if people showed positive emotion at the execution (cheers, etc.; think murder victim's family) Executions have a long history of being a public event and fun/exciting/scratching a human morbid itch and satisfying cravings for justice (putting aside the innocence / false positive question for a moment) and I think a contemporary audience may exhibit some of the same historical reactions and behaviors
- lisper 5y ago
  > Would you be upset if people showed positive emotion at the execution I would be disappointed. I would also be surprised. I think there's a reason executions aren't public any more, and I think it's because we have largely evolved beyond the point where most of us can take pleasure from watching another person die. I think this is the reason that the reality of industrial meat production is such a closely guarded secret. If people knew what happened behind those closed doors they'd eat a lot less meat.