Hasan Sentenced to Death for Fort Hood Shooting

[Tecumsehsbones]

I don't know why but I would rather face a firing squad too. Harder on the executioners though. How could one force someone to shoot another human being, it's your gun it's your bullet. With the needle I would presume a doctor would administer it on behalf of the state. Worst part would be the night before I would imagine.

Traditionally, the rifles are served out to the firing squad already loaded. One of them is loaded with a blank round, for the solace of the firing squad members and to assure reasonable doubt if they are ever, for some reason, prosecuted.

 

[Sal]

Traditionally, the rifles are served out to the firing squad already loaded. One of them is loaded with a blank round, for the solace of the firing squad members and to assure reasonable doubt if they are ever, for some reason, prosecuted.

okay thanks I wondered about that because it is essentially murder of another human being and it's not like they are endangering your life

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

okay thanks I wondered about that because it is essentially murder of another human being and it's not like they are endangering your life

Well, certainly the executioner in other cases is clearly the one who took the last step to kill someone, flipping the switch or starting the drip or whatever. Such person is protected by the law. The old military custom is mostly a relic of a day when people did such moral hair-splitting as being OK with being part of a firing squad if there was a one-in-eight chance their rifle was not loaded.

The other reason was mostly so that the relatives of the man executed, or his country if he was a member of the other side, could not take revenge on individual members of the firing squad.

 

[DaSleeper]

Traditionally, the rifles are served out to the firing squad already loaded. One of them is loaded with a blank round, for the solace of the firing squad members and to assure reasonable doubt if they are ever, for some reason, prosecuted.

I wonder ...who in his right mind wouldn't know if he just fired a blank or a full load..........

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I wonder ...who in his right mind wouldn't know if he just fired a blank or a full load..........

I always wondered that myself. There's a distinct difference in the kick. But if you're the kind of person who can morally accept that the possibility that your rifle was blank loaded excuses your culpability for the death of the executee, I suppose you are also able to lie to yourself that you felt the kick of a blank loaded rifle.

 

[Sal]

Well, certainly the executioner in other cases is clearly the one who took the last step to kill someone, flipping the switch or starting the drip or whatever. Such person is protected by the law. The old military custom is mostly a relic of a day when people did such moral hair-splitting as being OK with being part of a firing squad if there was a one-in-eight chance their rifle was not loaded.

I get the moral hairsplitting as I used to say it was okay if they had committed truly heinous crimes but now I just say no under all circumstances unless they were threatening my life, I try to look at the bigger picture.

I don't know how I would feel if someone killed someone close to me... so it's an armchair conclusion. I have seen wardens interviewed and they say people use the "closure argument" but they said from what they witnessed repeatedly over the years that after the execution the victims were disappointed as there is never closure that way. And frankly, I think closure is a personal choice and solely an internal process involving no one but self.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I get the moral hairsplitting as I used to say it was okay if they had committed truly heinous crimes but now I just say no under all circumstances unless they were threatening my life, I try to look at the bigger picture.

I don't know how I would feel if someone killed someone close to me... so it's an armchair conclusion. I have seen wardens interviewed and they say people use the "closure argument" but they said from what they witnessed repeated over the years that after the execution the victims were disappointed as there is never closure that way. And frankly, I think closure is a personal choice and solely an internal process involving no one but self.

I agree. I just think that there are people who, by their actions, deserve permanent expulsion from society. And execution is the only dead-certain (pun intended) means of it.

 

[DaSleeper]

I always wondered that myself. There's a distinct difference in the kick. But if you're the kind of person who can morally accept that the possibility that your rifle was blank loaded excuses your culpability for the death of the executee, I suppose you are also able to lie to yourself that you felt the kick of a blank loaded rifle.

Mind you, if the guy next to me at the range fires at the same time as me, I wouldn't be able to tell...but I can usually tell if he's shooting target loads or factory loads..... and a "dud" reload, everyone on the firing line can tell...:smile: