Death Penalty: Some Americans Consider Firing Squads, Gas Chambers, And Electric Chairs More ‘Humane’ Than Lethal Injection

The death penalty debate has Americans considering whether to return to old methods or to abandon capital punishment entirely. But are firing squads, gas chambers, and electric chairs actually more humane than lethal injection?

In a related report by The Inquisitr, Arizona’s execution of Joseph Wood had the man writhing in pain for a long time due to the chemicals he was injected with, and even Republican John McCain called the botched execution “torture.” Ever since then, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has been attempting to ascertain what went wrong in his state’s implementation of the death penalty.

Even before the execution took place, 9th Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski suggested the best method for handling the death penalty was an old-fashioned firing squad:

“The firing squad strikes me as the most promising. Eight or ten large-caliber rifle bullets fired at close range can inflict massive damage, causing instant death every time. There are plenty of people employed by the state who can pull the trigger and have the training to aim true…. Sure, firing squads can be messy, but if we are willing to carry out executions, we should not shield ourselves from the reality that we are shedding human blood. If we, as a society, cannot stomach the splatter from an execution carried out by firing squad, then we shouldn’t be carrying out executions at all.”

For those who believe the U.S. Supreme Court should intervene based upon the failed executions related to chemical injection, Stephen Bright, a veteran death penalty lawyer in Georgia, claims the high court is unlikely to challenge the lower courts any time soon:

“They’re all voting to kill them, every so often. They do it in a very workmanlike, technocratic fashion.”

Out of the 26 death row inmates executed this year, three died in ways that many would consider inhumane. The reason this problem has occurred at all is because of the European Union’s 2011 ban on the export of one of the key chemicals used in lethal injections, which has forced the states to experiment with a different cocktail of drugs.

According to an NBC News poll, support for the death penalty has been falling steadily over the years and “one in three people say that if lethal injections are no longer viable — because of drug shortages or other problems — executions should be stopped altogether.” The majority, two-thirds of Americans, believe an alternative method for the death penalty should be implemented, with 20 percent for the gas chamber, 18 percent for the electric chair, 12 percent for firing squad, and eight percent for hanging. Out of those who oppose the death penalty entirely, 70 percent think lethal injection should be the only option made available.

How do you think the United States should enforce the death penalty?