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Alabama executes death-row prisoner with nitrogen gas
(www.theguardian.com)
"Pro life"....
There's lots of people arguing that you require a cooperative person. But you could just put the person to sleep with an injection first, then strap them to the gurney, then slide them into a tank and just pump stuff in and stuff out. I think it's the cruelty that keeps it cruel. Those people in charge are as heartless as the cop waiting by the 20mph sign next to the school that happens to have been placed next to the freeway entrance.17mph, you're good, 21mph... are you white? If not you're getting a ticket. It's best done right in front of your own kids. Cruelty is what it is all about.
How do you put them to sleep first though?
This guy had survived a lethal injection because they couldn't find a vein.
The problem with that is, no anesthesiologist will work on an execution (something about "do no harm"), and properly sedating someone without one is more difficult than it appears to be.
Probably not that hard if you don’t care if the patient survives.
¯\(ツ)/¯
So he went through eight minutes at least of pain and panic? Sure sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me. Although the idea that Alabama killed a man using a method considered too brutal to kill animals with does seem fitting.
No. With the notable exception of rodents, animals generally can't detect oxygen deficiency directly (though they may get loopy).
Nitrogen asphyxiation basically makes you loopy, then unconscious, then dead. It's experientially equivalent to exposure to normal air at extremely high altitudes. Military pilots are often exposed to this (in a controlled manner) precisely because it's so hard to recognize, and doesn't induce fear. Like, epic levels of hard to recognize, as in "Hey Bob, it's time to put your mask back on to keep you from dying!" Bob: snickers and clearly thinks this is a great joke, until the person straps his mask back on, and he realizes how serious the situation is
You can make a trough for a (non-starved) pig that constantly releases nitrogen gas (which it breathes as it's eating). The pig puts his head in the trough to eat, then passes out from lack of oxygen (this pulling it's snout out of the trough), then is like "what was I doing? Oh look, food.." ..and goes right back to it, passing out again.
This is completely different from the reaction to carbon dioxide asphyxiation, which the body has sensors for, and induces all kinds of panic. Try the same trough experiment with a pig using carbon dioxide, and it will stay the fuck away from the evil trough of death.
Nitrogen asphyxiation may not be unpleasant, but being executed certainly causes duress.
If the method of execution takes 8 minutes, and makes you "loopy" during that time, while contemplating your impending death, then that's cruel in my opinion.
In my opinion, if you're going to execute someone then brevity and certainty must surely be required to make it humane.
Imagine them hanging you upside down trying to find a vein for legal injection and being unable to do so for 2 hours. A firing squad would be better in many ways.
You can watch Destin from Smarter Every Day almost die on camera* due to hypoxia.
I'll go looking for the link.
Obviously watch the whole video but start at 5:27 (ends around 7:30) for the moment. Watching this freaks me the fuck out every time.
YT Link
*He was in a safe environment
Also so many instances of cave divers going loopy then dead in a matter of minutes. It's astounding that it's so easy to accidentally die from nitrogen but we just can't seem to get the hang of not torturing people to death.
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Multiple reports from observers of this execution method: it’s horrible, they thrash around on the gurney and seem to suffer greatly
This guy: nuh uh.
They're not doing it correctly. The person needs to be cooperative and able to follow instructions, and they need to be using a specific type of mask that vents their breath with the carbon dioxide out.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure most people aren't going to cooperate in their own execution.
This isn't like assisted suicide/euthanasia. These are, by definition, people being forced into this by the state. At least some portion of them are always going to be uncooperative.
Yeah. The suicide pods are a good example. There's enough space in them that the person won't experience CO2 buildup in the short amount of time it takes.
Yes, and they need to violate every human instinct and cooperate. They know this gas is there with the specific purpose to kill them against their will, it’s incredibly difficult to voluntarily breathe in that situation
No, they don't need to cooperate. If you struggle and thrash, no matter how you die, you'll endure the struggle and thrashing.
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Yeah, good luck getting someone to be cooperative and calmly following instructions while being murdered by the government in front of an audience 🙄
Precisely. Wonderful if you've got highly painful terminal cancer though!
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They enjoy murdering people.
They're not doing it correctly to be used as euthenasia. You need:
a) a person without COPD, chronic bronchitis, or any other disorder that has swapped their drive to breathe away from increased blood carbon dioxide / acidity and towards oxygen deficiency (fun fact, oxygen deficiency isn't what drives most people to breathe).
b) a cooperative person who can follow instructions to breathe out fully then take 2-3 full deep breaths
c) a nonrebreather mask which is a special mask with an outlet valve so that when they breathe out that air with all the carbon dioxide is vented while the nitrogen continues being pumped in. (Edit: This is if they're alone in a room or somewhere with excellent ventilation, or the nitrogen would be vented as well after a certain point and could harm the observers, that's why the sarcopod is a pod).
Sounds like they're fine on A, but not doing B or C.
So does B make this basically a non-starter? Seems like you’re never going to get someone to cooperate with this (not that I blame them).
Yep. It’s fine for euthanasia but humane execution is impossible because of the extreme drive to survive in humans.
So the problem being they're probably holding their breath which keeps the c02 in which causes the panic and fighting.
I’d argue the panic begins with the whole being strapped down to die against their will thing
fair
Yes, but if they did that, the prisoner wouldn't suffer!
Yes, if the prisoner would just calmly participate in being murdered, everyone would be much more comfortable!
They were trying to do it cheaply.
No, the cruelty is the point, as per standard procedure. The people who do this sort of shit enjoy killing people and the fucked up US "justice" system lets them do it legally.
It could also be both, using one as the excuse for the other.
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this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2024
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