Mississippi House passes bill for executions by gas chamber, firing squad

[TexasTowelie]

Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Lawmakers in the Mississippi House of Representatives have passed a bill that could reintroduce the gas chamber, firing squad and electric chair to execute prisoners on death row.

The last prisoner to be executed in Mississippi was in 2012, after which federal rulings on the constitutionality of the most common lethal injection protocol, combined with court challenges at the state level, have held off any state executions, though 47 prisoners remain on death row.

Under a bill passed in the state House 74-43, if lethal injection is ruled unconstitutional, a series of other forms of execution would be used, unless they, too, are deemed cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

As written, the legislation first states lethal injection should be used. After that, a nitrogen gas chamber would be employed, followed by a firing squad and finally the electric chair.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/02/10/Mississippi-House-passes-bill-for-executions-by-gas-chamber-firing-squad/6631486748322/

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Good grief!

Firing squad??! What century is this??

[TexasTowelie]

2. They were thinking about burning at the stake, but didn't want to waste a good fire.

They also considered guillotines, but they still have an aversion to anything French.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. It's gotten so nothing would surprise me

Did you know that Philadelphia, Mississippi is where Ronald Reagan launched his presidential campaign? Of all places, that's where those three civil rights workers were murdered back in 1964 and the voters took that as an assurance that he supported states rights and the result was that Jimmy Carter lost the South - and the election. I just listened to the audio book of Jimmy Carter's autobiography "A Full Life: Reflections at 90" (read by the author ) for the second time... And it looks like nothing's changed.

I once sat in an electric chair as a kid. It was in a museum in Arizona where I was visiting my grandmother. It was an antique then. Maybe they can borrow it if the firing squad idea doesn't work out...

[TexasTowelie]

4. I do recall reading something a few months ago about Mississippi being the launching place

of his presidential campaign, but I didn't remember the specific city. I was a little surprised when I read that.

I've never sat in an electric chair, but I've read various stories throughout the years about Old Sparky in Texas and a few other states. The movies and TV shows that have plots where the electricity goes out in the various prison towns and it being an act of God are legendary. I don't believe that Mississipi ever adopted the electric chair for executions though since they might be too broke that they couldn't pay the electric bill. That's life (and death) in a poverty stricken state.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. It can't have been an accident, not exactly "home turf" for Ronald Reagan

Jimmy Carter isn't the type to hold resentments, but I am, after hearing that. I know someone who voted for John Anderson in 1980 and I've never forgotten...

And there are lots of liberal places in Texas, apparently not so in Mississippi. I know knocking states or regions was officially against DU.2 rules (when I was a mod), but I once took the time to check out the subscribers for the states here and Mississippi had the least - only one at the time. I wish we could know who s/he was so we could give him or her some Valentine hearts, could probably use some DU love more than the rest of us...

[TexasTowelie]

6. It may have been Recursion.

He has been around here since 2006. I believe that he was raised in Starkville.

There are 7 people subscribing to the group now.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Let me see if he's around now

I happen to have a few left.