Capital punishment

Lethal injection

• Sedate, paralyse, stop heart

• Midazdan : sedate but argued has no pain relief

• Potassium chloride → stops painful → without sedation extremely painful

• Causes spasms

• Debate on whether unconsciousness is not enough, you can’t ask them what they think

• Number of botched lethal injections

• Number of pharmaceutical companies withholding the drugs

Firing squad - more human alternative?

• perceived violent: level physical reaction, blood and damage

• Body physically jerks when it shot so many say it’s degrading to person killed

• Much quicker than lethal injection

• Only 2/144 botched in USA and that was due to other factors (e.g. personal vendetta)

• Shooter doesn’t know exactly who shot them

• Humanly for families

Nitrogen gas

• tested as an alternative in Alabama

• Guy was convulsing, choking and seemed in pain for a long time

• Not humane either

Arguments for capital punishment

• Emotional catharsis/peace for victims

• Ensures doesn’t happen again

• Act as a deterrent for other others

Arguments against capital punishment

• can’t be 100% sure, if guilty – for every 10 people guilty on death row one is exonerated for false conviction

• Barbaric revenge doesn’t allow reform

• Only God can control life

• Life is sacred

• Prison is more of a punishment

• Mistakes will be made

What are the aims of capital punishment?

• Reparation – making someone pay for what they did

• Achieving justice

• Retribution – making someone suffer because of what they did

Yes, capital punishment brutalises society

• Changes public perception of value of life

• “ only reserved for the worst of people” decided by who?

• Can’t deter spur of moment murders

• Slippery slope → change the sanctity of life. Pave way for fascist regimes.

No capital punishment doesn’t brutalise society

• Only reserved for the worst of people