the only recorded instance of it not immediately working, and the executioner and his aide having to finish the job, by practically standing on the blade to push it all the way through, was the execution of louis XVI. this was because louis' neck was so thick (he was rather portly), and the blade so dull, it just couldn't do the job.

reportedly, the executioner was concerned this might happen, and pleaded to be allowed to sharpen the blade first, and add a little extra weight to it, before the execution. however, such was the hurry to do louis in, that the executioner's plea fell on deaf ears. they should've listened to the professional.

aside from that, it's worked perfectly. now, if you can do something about the gushing arterial blood, and the terror of the condemned, there's your perfect execution device.

the best part is, no licensed medical personnel need be involved, to determine that death has occurred.

the problem, as che alluded to, is that executing people, regardless of how worthy they are deemed to be for it, makes me complicit in murder. you can call it what you will, execution by the state, is nothing less than sanctioned murder.

as well, all murderers (and most are on death row for that) are not treated equally. cases where the actual killer gets off with a life sentence, while an accomplice, who was driving the getaway car, gets death, should make even you question the fairness of such a system.

the system itself is broken, as witnessed by recent DNA exonerations. until it can be fixed, and i doubt it can be, we certainly have enough prison space available to house these people for life.

as far as "closure" for the victim's family, i would hope that knowing the killer won't really have a life should offer some sense of it, without requiring that another useless murder occur.

after all, the crime is against the state, not them.

cpinva, while I appreciate that peodophiles commit crimes that are particularly difficult to accept and understand, it is important to remember that miscarriages of justice are more likely to occur in cases where the crime has been the souce of much outrage as officials, in their haste to secure a conviction, are more likely to overlook evidence and procedure.  We should also remember that although criminals themselves are difficult to empathise with, their families are the hidden victims of the death penalty.  Loved ones of death row inmates are victims of wholly preventable homicide.  MVFHR has addressed this issue with its new No Silence, No Shame project.

Mike Morales, who brought this legal challenge to the lethal injection in CA, is a good friend of mine.  The nature of the crime of which he is convicted shocks me to the core.  It is entirely possible to like, love and support a person without condoning what they have done.