Mark Twain once famously quipped, "I want to be in Kentucky when the end of the world comes, because it's always 20 years behind." Perhaps he hadn't previously graced the great state of Utah with his presence. For in Utah, not only is the prevalence of polygamy inverse to the population of African American state residents (or any minority for that matter), but capital punishment is carried out via firing squad (they slap a bulls-eye target to the prisoner's chest, place a hood over his head and the firing squad proceeds to do what it knows best).
In June, after nearly 25 years on death row, convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner's sentence was carried out by five gunmen--police officers all, who gladly volunteered for the noteworthy gig--squeezing off a round from a .30 caliber rifle directed at Gardner's chest. To be fair, it should be noted that Gardner chose death by firing squad, the other choice being death by hanging--an obvious conundrum for anyone facing such a predicament.
Technically, Oklahoma is the only US state in which execution by firing squad is legally available, though only as a backup option (I'm picturing a failure to pay the state's electric bill the day before a death by electrocution is scheduled, but I'm sure there are a number of logical reasons for needing a backup plan on death row). Gardner's execution was carried out by firing squad because at the time of his sentencing in the mid-1970s it was a legally available method in Utah. But if you're partial to the firing squad method, do not fret, as there are four additional Utah death row prisoners who currently stand to be executed in such a manner (all in a similar situation to Gardner, with their sentences being determined prior to the 2004 state abolition of death by firing squad).
When in a Recession, Get Creative:
Public executions are not a new phenomenon to be had. In fact, spectators have been gravitating toward public executions since the beginning of time. The Roman Colosseum is a fairly well-known example, and without making this a history lesson, it should be noted that they had no trouble filling the seats for such a spectacle, and their economy proceeded to flourish.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Utah face an estimated 2011 budget deficit of right around $700 million. If the state does indeed support and plan to exercise capital punishment, they ought to consider furthering such an archaic method and curbing the deficit in the process. Perhaps an opportunity exists for the perfect marriage of capitalism and ingenuity. They've already turned back the clock on the method. Why not do the same by making the death penalty a public spectacle (not just figuratively, but literally)?
Let Your Creativity Flourish:
On the Levi's Strauss and Company logo from years ago you'll find a pair of horses facing in opposite direction, horse's ass to horse's ass, with a pair of jeans strategically tied between the two via some sort of twine. On either side stands a lad wielding a bullwhip, ready and eager to give his respective stallion a swift smack (the notion being that the hanging pair of jeans is so well-made and durable that it will withstand the force of a pair of horses dashing off in either direction).
Whether a pair of jeans will or will not withstand a couple of rabid marmots isn't, in this writer's opinion, of particular interest or consequence. But if strapping a convicted miscreant to a couple of feisty steeds and watching as the human body is transformed into an exploding wishbone is on the agenda, Utah could conceivably sell tickets (plus popcorn, etc.) and commence chipping away at that dreaded deficit (think of the last scene in Braveheart, but with a much more visually stimulating method for stretching, and eventually exploding, the human body provided it's bereft a pair of Levi's).
Utah obviously appreciate a good killing, and they're not afraid to be different. But it seems they've set the bar too low for their methods of capital punishment. High marks for individuality, but low marks for creativity. It's time for the state to reach its potential.
A few additional methods for suggestion:
Crushed by heavy stone: A classic means of punishment in any era. The obvious disadvantage is the cleanup required afterward, but ticket sales should easily cover the cost of a janitorial crew. And heavy stones in Utah should be fairly prevalent.
Fed to the lions: A tad messy, but again, the objective is to fill the seats whilst in a recession. It was a common method in ancient Rome, and would conceivably apply in a contemporary setting. And the potential for replays via YouTube is staggering.
Bowling ball to the chest via a point blank cannon: One cannon operator has to be more economical than a squad of riflemen. And if all goes according to plan you can reuse the bowling ball several times and eventually sell it on eBay to a vehement fan of the American justice system.
Religious Flexibility:
Advocates for such punishment often point to the potential deterrence factor (although according to a survey of former and present presidents of the country's top academic criminological societies, 88% of these experts rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder). Given the prevalence of God-fearing Mormons and Christians residing in Utah, a contradiction seems to exist in simultaneously supporting capital punishment while remaining true to their respective religions (or clubs, if you will). It's been a while since I perused the bible, but last I checked homicide was considered one of the "hum-dingers" listed amongst the Ten Commandments. And it certainly ought not be advocated for in a vengeful manner, according to religious doctrine.
Considering the demographics of Utah, it's hard to conceive that the five police officers that volunteered for the firing squad gig identify as atheists, pagans, or agnostics. So when did the amendment to 'thou shalt not kill' come into being? Perhaps, considering that one of the five rifles was equipped with a blank, rather than a live round, the officers can reconcile the contradiction by naively believing that their particular rifle didn't actually kill a man. Such cognitive dissonance seems prevalent, if not requisite, in modern religion.
The Statistics:
Currently 35 states utilize some means of capital punishment, and California has the greatest number of prisoners on death row awaiting execution. The California death penalty system costs taxpayers $114 million per year beyond the costs of keeping convicts imprisoned for life. Taxpayers have paid more than $250 million for each of the state's executions, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In the state of Florida, enforcing the death penalty costs $51 million a year above what it would cost to punish all first-degree murderers with life in prison without parole. Based on the 44 executions Florida had carried out since 1976, that amounts to a cost of $24 million for each execution.
Regardless of one's stand on the issue of capital punishment, a problematic element exists that could be conceivably opposed by both sides. Since 1973, over 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. Perhaps those 130 individuals account for all of the wrongly accused prisoners.
But given the prevalence of confirmed error, it stands to reason that additional individuals have suffered the death penalty despite being innocent. It's a notion that should be considered by Utah, and 34 additional states, despite the potential for a fresh means of entertainment/quasi-justice, as well as a method for acquiring state revenue. Watching a convict being bled to death might be a hugely popular crowd pleaser, but if it's not a deterrent for violent crime, costs taxpayers astronomical sums and includes the potential for wrongful sentencing, ought it exist in the world's leading industrialized nation? It's something for states to consider before interviewing cannon operators or shopping for heavy stones.
Follow Jason Kitchen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jasonkitchen
I don't see how a firing squad is "so different." First, most people who are killed as a consequence of committing crimes are killed with a de facto firing squad, e.g. the police or a would-be victim shooting back. Second, the firing squad is a traditional method of execution, even if most every state has now eliminated the practice.
And finally, it's questionable whether "different" is really a good objection to a form of execution in the first place. The US is the only industrialized western country that uses capital punishment, so in that context drawing lines between which types of execution are "normal" and which are "different" is a little...artificial.
"Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A Reply to Radelet and Lacock"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/02/deterrence-and-the-death-penalty-a-reply-to-radelet-and-lacock.aspx
The Commandment is properly translated "Thou shalt not murder" and just wars, self defense and the death penalty are licit within biblical texts, as is supported by a vast array of biblical and theological scholars.
"Death Penalty Support: Religious and Secular Scholars"
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html
Fact check the California cost study, which is wildly inaccurate. In reality, ending death row and making all of those death row inmates lifers may save no money at all in California. Same with Florida.
You write: "Since 1973 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence."
No.
The 130 (now 138) death row "innocents" scam
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx
"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx
With responsible protocols, current in place in some jurisdictions, the death penaty is less expensive than a life sentence. There is no doubt that some jurisdictions are so careless with the taxpayers money that they make no effort for a responsible death penalty protocol.
"Death Penalty Cost Studies: Saving Costs over LWOP"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2010/03/21/death-penalty-cost-studies-saving-costs-over-lwop.aspx
Frankly, there are too many sob stories about executions of killers who have been tried and convicted. Of course they have the appeals process, but after that it is up to the various states as to how the executions are carried out.