Speaking of the death penalty, another thing which exposes what it is all about for many proponents of it is when you present them with a mode of execution which is quick and painless.

A pure nitrogen (N₂) atmosphere will kill within seconds, and at most, the condemned person might feel euphoria. Then it’s all over. A BBC documentary team presented some US death penalty proponents with the method. It’s cheap, reliable, fast. Not one thought it was a good idea.

Don’t believe me? Check out the BBC Horizon episode “How to kill a Human Being.”

As to my personal opinion on the matter? I oppose it for “ordinary” crimes, “ordinary” in the sense that they aren’t crimes against humanity or human rights, and even then, not for the minions but only for the chief instigators and facilitators, or in the case (which I hope never occurs) where a crime succeeds (e.g. a successful genocide) or comes pretty damn close to doing so.