The US state of Utah allowed the return of the firing squad as a means of execution Monday, becoming the only state in the country to allow the practice.
Governor Gary Herbert signed the legislation into law Monday after it was approved by the Utah state senate earlier this month. The law provides for a the use of a firing squad to carry out an execution if lethal drugs are not available.
For execution by this method, the inmate is typically bound to a chair with leather straps across his waist and head, in front of an oval-shaped canvas wall. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the inmate's blood. A black hood is pulled over the inmate's head. A doctor locates the inmate's heart with a stethoscope and pins a circular white cloth target over it. Standing in an enclosure 20 feet away, five shooters are armed with .30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds. One of the shooters is given blank rounds. Each of the shooters aims his rifle through a slot in the canvas and fires at the inmate.
What the hell? Sounds like an extremely long process of pain & bloodshed.
Anyway, I'm on the wall about the death penalty. This firing squad is nothing compared to what some convicted criminals do to people. I know this is a sensitive and highly debatable topic though, so I won't say anything beyond that.
Whats wrong with the death penalty? i applaud it.. i mean some criminals have done some pretty terrible things and instead we pay taxes to feed them in prison.. people who have repeated offenses like child molesting & manslaughter deserve the death penalty..
OT though i don't really see why they would bring in the firing squad.. lethal injection sounds like a lot less hassle and much less messy & barbaric... we are in 2015 aren't we ?
I know this is a sensitive and highly debatable topic though, so I won't say anything beyond that.