Currently, 5 states will be bringing back “the firing squad” for those on “Death Row” under death penalties in certain states where the death penalty is legal. The 5 states are comprised of South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Utah, and as of now Idaho.
The reason this has come to pass (and will only take place) “if no lethal drugs are available” is due to certain drug companies not selling these types of drugs for the purpose of thwarting lethal injection. Some groups think that death by a ‘firing squad’ is unethical but should the drugs intended for this purpose be unavailable something must be done to carry out the death penalty.
In Montana the last execution occurred in 2006- (read below via Wikipedia)
Will Montana instill the ‘firing squad’ as these other 5 states have? (and these other states will execute via firing squad should lethal drugs become unavailable).
I highly doubt it. Take a look at the following, (Dept. of Justice)
No one has been executed in prison in Montana for 17 years.
However, in Utah, the last execution (and by firing squad) took place in 2010, and in South Carolina in 2011 by lethal injection. Mississippi and Oklahoma have not executed prisoners recently but did so in 1989 and 1990 but still they will implement the firing squad should lethal injection not be available.
If Montana is slow to execute prisoners who murder people it most certainly will be slow to execute those who need it most and that is repeat offenders including rapists and pedophiles. These two types of offenders aren’t even on the list above. Rapists and pedophiles run rampant oftentimes on the streets of numerous Montana cities. However, of the pedophiles who will most likely live their entire lives in prison without parole, the tax-paying citizens pay thousands upon thousands for the criminal’s care in prison continually. These same perpetrators (many of who are not sorry for their heinous acts) will suffer greatly in prison (far worse than being executed) because THEY in turn will be raped, beaten, and abused in prison.
In certain cases execution is far more merciful than life in prison.
Why are we so easy on prisoners in our modern society? Is it because we feel sorry for them? Is it because we believe they will reform? Or is it really because we don’t want to feel ‘guilty’ about executing them? I believe it’s the latter. Years ago crime was not what it is now and we had public hangings in the public square. Why was the public allowed to attend? Well it only makes sense for two reasons.
- People wanted to see those who harmed (killed, raped, or plundered loved ones) getting what was ‘coming’ or ‘due them.’
- It helped keep crime down. And yes when people KNEW they could be executed for a crime and publicly it was a frightening thing but effective as it ‘scared’ people into ‘behaving.’
We live in a society that does things backward. Parents refuse to discipline their children in multiple ways and then wonder why the child is in prison for armed robbery when they get older. We also live in a society where we are raising children who believe they are entitled to a free ride; which is another reason we have a hard time implementing something as ‘horrific’ as the death penalty. But as stated above especially when an execution takes place publicly it can be very successful at thwarting and slowing down crime.
Read the article below which shares about the 5 states which newly implemented the ‘firing squad.’
“Idaho may soon use firing squads to execute death-row inmates if no lethal injection drugs are available, under a new law signed last week.
On Friday, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 186, which permits state prison officials to carry out executions using a method that hasn’t been employed in the U.S. in more than a decade.
“For the people on death row, a jury convicted them of their crimes, and they were lawfully sentenced to death,” Little said in a letter after signing the bill.
“It is the responsibility of the State of Idaho to follow the law and ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out,” he added.
You can read the rest of the story here. By Joe Hernandez (NPR)
