Why don't the government make lethal injection truly painless?

maxster

Banned
Sep 19, 2007
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There's arguments abound about the current method of lethal injection and how it's cruel and unusual punishment.

So why don't the government just make it so that when a person is on death row and is about to die, he gets to pick a lethal injection overdose of morphine or heroine?

That way everyone is happy. And you know the guy is not suffering any pain when he's getting killed.

Problem solved. No more lawsuits.
 

Mikey

Golden Member
Jun 16, 2006
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I don't see why it matters. It's not like he's going to be whining and bitching about how much it hurts after a few moments.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
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Originally posted by: maxster
There's arguments abound about the current method of lethal injection and how it's cruel and unusual punishment.

So why don't the government just make it so that when a person is on death row and is about to die, he gets to pick a lethal injection overdose of morphine or heroine?

That way everyone is happy. And you know the guy is not suffering any pain when he's getting killed.

Problem solved. No more lawsuits.

interesting first post, i'll bite I guess:

because nothing about the death penalty should be humane. personally, they need to bring back the old classic death penalties now banned in most states.
 

Jschmuck2

Diamond Member
Jul 13, 2005
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How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
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Originally posted by: AmdEmAll
I thought it was painless?

Supposedly it paralyzes a lot of your body, so you seem to be dying painlessly but are actually in a lot of pain.
 

Toastedlightly

Diamond Member
Aug 7, 2004
7,212
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Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
A giant playdough masher would be quick and painless, but it would be unusual... DAMN foiled again!

"Some of you will be forced through a fine mesh screen for Earth"

-Zap
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
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Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

well, death in all of the cases in quick and pain lasts less than a minute (in the worst case scenario i'd say), and after it's done they won't be complaining much.

sure, it won't feel good for them, and if they were innocent, then that really sucks, but since you cannot determine if they are innocent when waiting on death row (because supposedly the system should have worked and it would be a guilty person waiting there), you have to assume he/she is guilty and go through with the death penalty as previously instructed. And since it should be assumed that nearly every single death row convict is guilty, if not all of them, then the death should NOT be painless.
and it seems death penalties are really only handed out to those individuals whose cases were clear cut and without a doubt guilty. Sure, it can be assumed maybe a handful of times it may have happened where the person killed was innocent, but it seems life sentences are handed out in the tougher cases.

Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: AmdEmAll
I thought it was painless?

Supposedly it paralyzes a lot of your body, so you seem to be dying painlessly but are actually in a lot of pain.

i've heard that, and if that is indeed the case, than I support that. Knowing the individual is in a lot of pain but because his body cannot communicate the pain, those watching don't see brutality.
 

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,928
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Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?
 

jfall

Diamond Member
Oct 31, 2000
5,975
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I don't think an overdose of morphine or heroine would be a walk in the park either!

Symptoms of a Heroin overdose include but are not limited to:

* muscle spasticity
* slow and labored breathing
* shallow breathing
* stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
* pinpoint pupils
* dry mouth
* cold and clammy skin
* tongue discoloration
* bluish colored fingernails and lips
* spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
* constipation
* weak pulse
* low blood pressure
* drowsiness
* disorientation
* coma
* delirium

Morphine is along the same lines
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,830
3
0
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?

How about not killing them at all but keeping them in an unpleasant prison for the rest of their lives? Death is not a punishment-- ask anyone who is suicidal.
 

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0
Originally posted by: Toastedlightly
Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
A giant playdough masher would be quick and painless, but it would be unusual... DAMN foiled again!

"Some of you will be forced through a fine mesh screen for Earth"

-Zap

damn new Futurama stuff can't come any quicker
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?

How about not killing them at all but keeping them in an unpleasant prison for the rest of their lives? Death is not a punishment-- ask anyone who is suicidal.

humans have in their mind natural survival instincts, we all wish to live through all scenarios, the hope being we live a fulfilling and meaningful life, but the main part being that we live. the suicidals are the exception, but they are failures as humans so let them depart our world. if they don't want to live, let them do their thing.
 

yowolabi

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
4,183
2
81
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?

How about not killing them at all but keeping them in an unpleasant prison for the rest of their lives? Death is not a punishment-- ask anyone who is suicidal.

Good point. People willingly take their own lives, but no one willingly puts themselves into a cage for the rest of their lives.
 

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,928
23
76
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?

How about not killing them at all but keeping them in an unpleasant prison for the rest of their lives? Death is not a punishment-- ask anyone who is suicidal.

death isnt a punishment to someone that wants to kill themselves. sitting in prison for 30+ years will be on our dime, he doesnt have to do a thing but sit there. (maybe even enjoy it after time) death penalty is a great deterrent, despite you and others thinking it is too inhuman to risk an innocent getting through the system by accident. it keeps me from pulling my gun and capping people on the freeway everyday, as well as keeping me from taking a few hundred mags and an sks into the local superwalmart. death is definitely a punishment for most people (id say closer to 100% than you would like to admit). i really dont want to pay for the jail time for all those people that have been convicted for the crimes that were bad enough to deem their lives expired. i also think we should line them up and see how many condemned we can get different bullets through. cheap and informative!
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Those drugs can take a long time to kill a person. Days and the like. And they don't always work apparently.
 

manlymatt83

Lifer
Oct 14, 2005
10,053
44
91
Originally posted by: jfall
I don't think an overdose of morphine or heroine would be a walk in the park either!

Symptoms of a Heroin overdose include but are not limited to:

* muscle spasticity
* slow and labored breathing
* shallow breathing
* stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
* pinpoint pupils
* dry mouth
* cold and clammy skin
* tongue discoloration
* bluish colored fingernails and lips
* spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
* constipation
* weak pulse
* low blood pressure
* drowsiness
* disorientation
* coma
* delirium

Morphine is along the same lines


Stopped breathing is fatal in 2-4 hours? huh? It should be fatal in 2-4 minutes..
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
126
I don't see why they waste their time with fancy contraptions to kill a murder. Bullets work. They will get the job done. If the first shots from the firing squad doesn't do it, another round will.
 

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How about the people that are wrongly convicted and then exonerated by DNA evidence. Were they going to deserve it? Or is that different?

if they were wrongly convicted and put to death, painless or painful they would still be dead. the bigger wrong is that they were put to death for something they didnt do.


i say make it hurt. why do these people get humane punishment for violent crimes they committed?

How about not killing them at all but keeping them in an unpleasant prison for the rest of their lives? Death is not a punishment-- ask anyone who is suicidal.

death isnt a punishment to someone that wants to kill themselves. sitting in prison for 30+ years will be on our dime, he doesnt have to do a thing but sit there. (maybe even enjoy it after time) death penalty is a great deterrent, despite you and others thinking it is too inhuman to risk an innocent getting through the system by accident. it keeps me from pulling my gun and capping people on the freeway everyday, as well as keeping me from taking a few hundred mags and an sks into the local superwalmart. death is definitely a punishment for most people (id say closer to 100% than you would like to admit). i really dont want to pay for the jail time for all those people that have been convicted for the crimes that were bad enough to deem their lives expired. i also think we should line them up and see how many condemned we can get different bullets through. cheap and informative!

As far as I know/can remember, the death penalty doesn't seem to do much to deter crime. It's instituted more for the sake of "closure" and/or retribution for the victims than it is crime prevention. Beyond that, and also as far as I know, the death penalty ends up costing the state nearly the same amount as life imprisonment.