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Originally posted by whatukno
reply to post by sos37
Beheading is not a swift and painless process.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
If you want the full gruesome REAL experience of what it looks like for someone to be beheaded, check out that link.
I think this species needs to evolve.
If the headsman's axe or sword was sharp and his aim was true, decapitation was quick and was presumed to be a relatively painless form of death. If the instrument was blunt or the executioner clumsy, however, multiple strokes might be required to sever the head. The person to be executed was therefore advised to give a gold coin to the headsman so that he did his job with care. Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Mary, Queen of Scots required three strikes at their respective executions. Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury required ten strokes before the fatal blow.
Is it possible? The aforementioned Dr. Fink believed the brain might remain conscious as long as 15 seconds; that's how long cardiac arrest victims last before blacking out. (Dr. Fink's colleague put the window of awareness at 5 seconds.) He also pointed out that people have remained alert after having had their spinal cords severed. Still, this didn't seem like the sort of question that could ever be resolved.
Then I received a note from a U.S. Army veteran who had been stationed in Korea. In June 1989 the taxi he and a friend were riding in collided with a truck. My correspondent was pinned in the wreckage. The friend was decapitated. Here's what happened:
My friend's head came to rest face up, and (from my angle) upside-down. As I watched, his mouth opened and closed no less than two times. The facial expressions he displayed were first of shock or confusion, followed by terror or grief. I cannot exaggerate and say that he was looking all around, but he did display ocular movement in that his eyes moved from me, to his body, and back to me. He had direct eye contact with me when his eyes took on a hazy, absent expression … and he was dead.
I've spoken with the author and am satisfied the event occurred as described. One can of course never be certain that anyone in this predicament is aware of his surroundings and realizes (briefly) what has happened to him. But I concede the possibility that he might.
Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler
It took me perhaps 30 years to come to peace with myself on how I feel about the death penalty. In the end, I agree with you and what you are saying. You have stated it well.
In my mind there are people we must deal with that are not being dealt with correctly in the system in the US. Mostly due to mistaken idea that all criminals can be rehabilitated and the constant intervention of the ACLU which as we all know has even represented NAMBLA.
We must accept that certain individuals must be separated from normal society permanently. For them there can be no parole, no rehab, no freedom as they pose to great a risk.
I also accept that there is a dysfunctional brain at the heart of this.
Considering all this, I'm now of the mind that these people must be contained in an institution for their entire lives without thought of releasing them ever. They should be treated humanely so we cannot as a society be a part of committing one atrocity to ease our minds about another.
To me a life without freedom or pleasures is the worst possible punishment. Death is the easy way out and it lessens us as humans to even consider it as a punishment. In the worst cases life alone in a tiny cell should be the ultimate punishment. Nothing but themselves in a tiny space with no other diversions for a lifetime would be appropriate.
It won't happen though because of the power of a tiny minority of bleeding hearts who apologize for everyone from Terrorists to Child Rapists and the bizarre activities of the crazed activists at the ACLU. How often do we as a society suffer because of people completely out of touch with reality having such powerful voices. If the majority view held any weight anymore, many or our problems would go away overnight.
The taking of a life should only happen as a result of self defense or in war defending ourselves, others or society. Never should it happen as a punishment or even at the hands of an MD but I'll leave that alone.
The idea of how it is done in the Muslim Culture combined with the other acts they embrace like the stoning to death of women for immorality reveals much about how they can so cavalierly devolve to the point they join Terrorists or strap a bomb to their own children. They need to reconsider the harm they do to themselves while trying to administer justice based on idea's that should have been left behind in the Dark Ages. The Muslims I know here would agree with me and I'm comfortable in saying this.
I asked a Palestinian friend once if he would like to return to his home and he said, "Hell no, they are nuts over there". I asked my business partner who is Jewish if he would like to live in Israel. He looked at me funny and said, "I spent two years there in school and those people are nuts for living there. I'll never go back.".
It is not our place to dictate to other countries and cultures how they should live, but it is about time their own citizens rose up and took control of their lives and said enough of this, I will take no more! It's only a matter of time.
Australia was a good idea as a penal colony. Who freed those people by the way?
Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
Incarceration should be humane in my humble opinion. It should be exclusion from main stream society. Australia was a good idea as a penal colony. Who freed those people by the way?
Originally posted by seagull
Remember, in dealing with pedophiles, you are dealing with insanity. It has no deterant value.