From Texas's death row, the table on which people are strapped to die.

What this makes me think is: what if a really short person is on the table? Their legs won't reach so far, maybe their arms stick out awkwardly, not right along the bar, and the straps only reach their wrists. Instead of the clean, normal-looking death chamber you have things that remind us of our uniqueness, our humanity.

Question: Am I the only one who sees the similarity between this and one of Theseus' trials on the road to Athens?

Just checking.

~Mike

Odd as it may be for a Traditional Jew to point this out...

It seems to me that someone strapped into this contraption would almost appear to be being horizontally crucified.

And has anyone else noted the irony that many members of the Christian religious right are in favor of the death penalty, when that is precisely how Jesus died?

As I said, it's ironc tat I, of all people, would note the above,
Z

Adam, what's that supposed to mean, exactly?

Bear in mind, I'm not defending the Right (I divert from them in many a form, and I'm a Christian myself on top of it) but I just want to know as to what point you're trying to make.

It might be the light-headedness (haven't eaten yet today, damned school and it's "here's the homework, but I'm sure as hell not going to teach you how to do it."), but I'm not firing all cylinders. I'd appreciate an explanation.

(Bets himself 5 bucks he'll have figured it out after lunch.)


~Mike

I personally believe that the death penalty may be the most useless punishment ever devised by man. But in regards to the points made above, what exactly is CRUEL and UNUSUAL punishment? I find that contraption to be rather degrading to a person's dignity. To me, lethal injection, while not as cruel as the electric chair, is a power trip for families of victims. Sort of the "Yeah, we've got you by the balls now!". No offense to the families of victims, but the whole "eye for an eye" thing hasn't changed things much over several thousand years, so perhaps we should look at alternatives...

"Eye for an eye" doesn't work in everyday life (A hurts B, B hurts A back in similar fashion, A[the schmuck that he is] doesn't know enough to prevent B's retaliatory strike in the first place, or realize all things are even now, and as such, strikes back. Repeat process.), but in punishmental form, I feel it works. If someone killed my brother or my friend, I'd want justice. The way the system works is laughable and in such a case, only immediate justice would suffice.

And IMO, victims' families deserve a power trip (known as "closure" in the psychiatric world) in such cases. If anything, I would bring back public executions. In old times, publicly executing someone had a twofold purpose:

• Bring closure to relatives of the condemned's victim(s)
• Demonstrate to the general populace that the justice system does work, and that there will be serious punishment for the violation of a serious law.

Re: 3/6: TX death row

[quote]Originally posted by Chewbaccus
If someone killed my brother or my friend, I'd want justice. The way the system works is laughable and in such a case, only immediate justice would suffice.

I would agree to that. I don't deny that there are times when I see crimes so gruesome that I think they deserve death. The whole "speedy trial" concept has disappeared as well, which I feel is a disservice to both the victim's family and the suspect.

And IMO, victims' families deserve a power trip (known as "closure" in the psychiatric world) in such cases. If anything, I would bring back public executions.

My only complaint against that is that nothing can bring back the victim or take away the crime. I also question just how healthy the death penalty is in relation to closure.

In old times, publicly executing someone had a twofold purpose:

• Bring closure to relatives of the condemned's victim(s)
• Demonstrate to the general populace that the justice system does work, and that there will be serious punishment for the violation of a serious law.