Meals to die for

[link]

The article linked below discusses the role of the last meal for the condemned over time in some different cultures. Surprisingly or not frequently the options reflect the perceived needs of the state, more than those of the condemned.

Enjoy the read.....it seems fitting for the spirit of the day.

Last Meals - Lapham’s Quarterly

[SwampYankee]

Morbidly fascinating. Our connection with food and death appears to be ingrained for some time now.

About the longest thing I've read in quite awhile.

Still working on my last meal list.

[link]

One of the things I liked about the article was the perspective that essentially was looking out from death row to what the author deems is society’s perception of need. It rings of the term that one can judge society by how they treat the lowest valued members.

It is also a very good Halloween story, imo.

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by link

One of the things I liked about the article was the perspective that essentially was looking out from death row to what the author deems is society’s perception of need. It rings of the term that one can judge society by how they treat the lowest valued members.

It is also a very good Halloween story, imo.

Interesting also that the last meal may be as much to help the executioners cope with what they have to carry out as anything else.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Interesting also that the last meal may be as much to help the executioners cope with what they have to carry out as anything else.

I'm not sure if anything can help them really cope. I read that NY's last executioner eventually killed himself. And a lot of others have come out against the death penalty after "retiring."

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by spdrun

I'm not sure if anything can help them really cope. I read that NY's last executioner eventually killed himself. And a lot of others have come out against the death penalty after "retiring."

I'm not sure it actually does, but it seems to be one of the theories behind the reason for it.

[spdrun]

Or a more cynical view would be a final insult to the executed. "We're still better than you, since we'll grant you a last request, which is more than you did for your victim."

Personally, I find all of this archaic, and am glad that the trend in the US is towards abolition rather than more executions. But if we're going to keep it, hold executions in public and select a member of the public by lottery to throw the switch. Make it mandatory, like jury duty. I bet that support would fall to approximately zero if members of the public risked being chosen.

Same deal as a military draft -- support for wars would be much lower if people and their kids would be forced to share the dirty work.

[elchivito]

oh, I thought this was another McRib thread

[link]

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Interesting also that the last meal may be as much to help the executioners cope with what they have to carry out as anything else.

That plays in, but they have no input, according to the article.

[link]

Originally Posted by spdrun

I'm not sure if anything can help them really cope. I read that NY's last executioner eventually killed himself. And a lot of others have come out against the death penalty after "retiring."

According to the article the USA is 1 of only 3 nations that use the death penalty. IMO the death penalty is highly cruel and is more about convenience for the state than it is about justice.

[link]

Originally Posted by elchivito

oh, I thought this was another McRib thread

Apology for the poor choice of words. It was lifted from a book written by an incarcerated chef noted in the article.

[Mike D]

Originally Posted by link

According to the article the USA is 1 of only 3 nations that use the death penalty. IMO the death penalty is highly cruel and is more about convenience for the state than it is about justice.

Define nation.

Iran, Irag, India, U.S., several African nations, China, North Korea, Cambodia and a few others I'm sure.

Doesn't exactly say much for us considering the company we keep does it?

[link]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Define nation.

Iran, Irag, India, U.S., several African nations, China, North Korea, Cambodia and a few others I'm sure.

Doesn't exactly say much for us considering the company we keep does it?

The 1 of 3 nations was per the author's comment. I agree that it isn't a great benchmark for a nation that supports human rights, in any event.

[Dubyagee]

Death for death may seem archaic but some people just have to leave.



Odd read. The web link is intriguing and yet somehow invasive.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Define nation.

Iran, Irag, India, U.S., several African nations, China, North Korea, Cambodia and a few others I'm sure.

Doesn't exactly say much for us considering the company we keep does it?

Not to mention nations that "don't" have the DP but have a disturbing tendency to "disappear" people or shoot them while they're trying to escape. (The Soviet Union didn't have the death penalty on the books during part of Stalin's reign -- it didn't stop the killings.)

But we really don't have a death penalty. We have a death LOTTERY, that only executes anyone who (a) really wants it (b) is unlucky enough to run out their appeals or (c) doesn't know a good lawyer, see (b). I've heard more people die of other causes on death row than are actually executed. This doesn't make it better, it makes it even more unfair.