This story inspired a strange chuckle:
Japanese Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said on Wednesday he wanted to consider more ‘tranquil’ methods of execution.
Japan generally executes several convicts a year, always by hanging.
‘I am fully aware that death by hanging is written in the criminal code,’ Hatoyama said after a parliamentary committee meeting, Kyodo news agency said.
‘A square part of the floor opens up and they fall with a thud,’ he said. ‘I honestly wonder if there isn’t a more tranquil way of doing this,’ Kyodo quoted him as adding.
In a related story, American grenades will now be surrounded with foam padding, so that they won’t be as likely to cause any nasty bruises should they accidentally land on a person’s head!
It never ceases to amaze me how far we will go to sanitize or expurgate the processes by which we bring about death. I suppose that such a proclivity bears witness to our desperate need for liberation from what theologian Douglas John Hall describes as “the kingdom of death.”
Thanks be to God for the Lord of Life!
Eric,
This is an interesting post. I wonder how much of this “whitewashing” of the death penalty is the attempt to make the executioners feel better about it, rather than to make death more “tranquil” for the prisoners.
As I’ve written on McIlwain’s site, I have growing questions the death penalty. I’m coming to believe that it is driven more by a desire for “vengeance” than any concern for justice.
Thanks for raising some of the tougher issues……………..
Jeff
Eric,
Wouldnt a grenade detonate on impact, so that the bruising would actually be secondary to the actual hole it would leave in the head of it’s recipient? (and you thought I didnt pay attention…)
Barb
“Thou shalt not kill”. Kinder, gentler or otherwise. “Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord”.
When will society wake up and realize that as long as we are brutal and do the very thing that the condemed are most likely guilty of, namely killing, we are perpetuating the mad cycle and ensuring it’s continued plague on our world?
Amen, Eric.
I remember reading an article a couple years back about an execution chamber getting a defibrillator, in case the prisoner had a heart attack prior to the execution! They asked the warden what use this could possibly have, considering the fate of the prisoner is already sealed, and what the procedure is if such an occasion happened. “What would you do if the prisoner had a heart attack prior to his execution?” The warden replied, “We would resuscitate him, then execute him.” Priceless.
are you talking about these foam grenades?
“A sponge grenade is a riot control weapon, intended to be non-lethal, which is fired from a 40 mm grenade launcher to cause confusion, or otherwise temporarily disable its target. Because it is a single blunt force object, it is best used when aimed at a particular individual. If used improperly - such as at distances closer than 10 meters - injuries to the targeted individual could prove fatal. Used properly, the weapon is intended to cause no permanent damage, but may, in some cases, cause broken bones.
However, when fired at point blank range, there have been cases of sponge grenades causing death.
The “grenade” (which does not explode), weighs about 28 grams (1 ounce). It is bullet shaped, with the rounded front made of foam rubber, and the back hard plastic.”
If so, this kinda’ goes against your premise.
J.R.-
How do civilians get their hands on one of these foam grenades? Is that what is used in the movie
B~
J.R.-
How do civilians get their hands on one of these foam grenades? Is that what is used in the movie?
B~
Hi Barb, unless Wal-Mart sells them, I don’t have any idea if a civilian can even get such a thing. They are used by police and law enforcement as non-lethal weapons
Again, the point is they are not used for “kinder and gentler executions” they are used to stop criminal activity without killing anyone.
Just to clarify…
My comment about “foam-padded grenades” was not intended to be a reference to an actual weapon. It was a satirical reference to the idea of putting foam around EXPLODING grenades–which would make about as much sense as “kinder and gentler executions.”
Any resemblance between my satirical weapon and the “sponge grenade” is entirely unintentional.
Thank you for your support.
My name is Eric Park, and I approved this comment.
Thanks for making that clear Eric…. since there are such things as foam grenades I thought you were referring to a real story, but now that I understand it was satire, your post makes more sense to me.