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Texas ends age old tradition of last meal...

Ryokan

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Ryokan
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Nov 17, 2004
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It's a tradition with roots that can be traced far back in history: Before being put to death, a condemned prisoner can choose his last meal.

Not so anymore in Texas.

Officials who oversee the country's busiest death chamber stopped the practice on Thursday after a prominent state senator complained about a hefty request from a man executed for his role in a notorious dragging death. Now, inmates get to eat only what the kitchen serves.
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http://news.yahoo.com/texas-prisons-end-special-last-meals-executions-195102056.html

Really, who did it hurt? I think it's a fine tradition, for those countries that still have the death penalty. Ending a life is serious business, and the last meal was a nice way of paying respect to that even if the executed was an utter scumbag.
 
I thought the same thing at first too. But after reading about the waste of human life who ordered a ton of food at taxpayer expense and let it all go to waste, because he's human garbage, I started wondering why we do give even a small measure of kindness to the worst among us.

How about we use that money to feed poor people who actually need food? Not violent murderers.
 
As far as silly traditions go, the last meal was one of my favorites. I appreciated the irony in providing a last meal of choice to someone that is about to be killed by the state.

Except for the giggle factor, however, I can't think of a single logical reason for catering to the wishes of someone the state has determined does not deserve to live.
 
Eh, who cares.

Did the offender ask their victims if they wanted a last meal?

I doubt it.
 
PGH said:
I thought the same thing at first too. But after reading about the waste of human life who ordered a ton of food at taxpayer expense and let it all go to waste, because he's human garbage, I started wondering why we do give even a small measure of kindness to the worst among us.

How about we use that money to feed poor people who actually need food? Not violent murderers.
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So it ends because of one person?

How about we do both? :)

Drysdale said:
Eh, who cares.

Did the offender ask their victims if they wanted a last meal?

I doubt it.
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I was hoping we would be better than them, that's where treating them with respect comes from.
 
Ryokan said:
http://news.yahoo.com/texas-prisons-end-special-last-meals-executions-195102056.html

Really, who did it hurt? I think it's a fine tradition, for those countries that still have the death penalty. Ending a life is serious business, and the last meal was a nice way of paying respect to that even if the executed was an utter scumbag.
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The last meal has never been a carte` blanch for getting anything and everything that the condemmened want.

The prison warden has always had a good bit of authority in granting that request.
 
Crossbow said:
The last meal has never been a carte` blanch for getting anything and everything that the condemmened want.

The prison warden has always had a good bit of authority in granting that request.
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Well, of course.. Otherwise they would get request for a lightly poached hacksaw and a pureed gun.. :)

But in Texas now, they get whatever is on the menu.
 
PGH said:
I thought the same thing at first too. But after reading about the waste of human life who ordered a ton of food at taxpayer expense and let it all go to waste, because he's human garbage, I started wondering why we do give even a small measure of kindness to the worst among us.

How about we use that money to feed poor people who actually need food? Not violent murderers.
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Maybe instead of an execution just letting them starve and give their food to the poor would be better?

In reality I believe letting them have some dignity and giving them a request for a last meal is not a bad idea. Just because one inmate ordered a "ton of food" and did not eat it is not a reason to stop this.
 
I think it was in Wired, but a magazine had an article about an atrist who would recreate notorious murderer's last meal. It was interesting and revealing.

Other than that - don't care.
 
There's something a bit perverse about a last meal though, isn't there?

I know that there is enjoyment to be had from eating a meal (although I wonder how joyful such a meal can really be if you know it will be your last) but the primary purpose of having a meal is to keep yourself alive.

Here in Japan, a person on death row doesn't even know the day of their execution until a particular knock on the door and then the condemned is led speedily to the gallows.

Some people think that is barbaric. I don't.

I don't favour the death penalty either. Not particularly. But the last meal thingy is hardly a humanitarian gesture. It seems more like mockery to me. If you want to have the death penalty don't bother with such things.
 
Here in Japan, a person on death row doesn't even know the day of their execution until a particular knock on the door and then the condemned is led speedily to the gallows.
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That's how it was in Taiwan, too, according to a Wiki article I read.
 
It’s not really about being nice to the condemned man, its about showing how we are different from the condemned man. By offering them a last meal of their choosing before we execute them, it shows that society is better than them, that the execution is not about punishing the individual, but about enforcing the laws of our society. That’s why it has been a tradition dating back thousands of years. If you are looking for vengeance, it will make no sense to you. If your attitude is that society would best be served if this specific individual was removed from it, then it makes more sense.

As far as practicality and stopping jerks from ordering hundreds of dollars of food and not eating it, just set a $50 cap including delivery fees if applicable.
 
Random said:
It’s not really about being nice to the condemned man, its about showing how we are different from the condemned man. By offering them a last meal of their choosing before we execute them, it shows that society is better than them, that the execution is not about punishing the individual, but about enforcing the laws of our society.
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Executions are completly about punishing the individual. There is no other component of justice involved in an execution.

I have no idea if the rest of your post is factualy accurate. According to wiki, a last meal was traditionaly intended to absolve guilt in those conducting the execution.
 
Ryokan said:
Well, of course.. Otherwise they would get request for a lightly poached hacksaw and a pureed gun.. :)

But in Texas now, they get whatever is on the menu.
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Oh well, that is just too bad for them!

Of course, if they would have learned that old proverb "Crime does't pay.", then it is quite likely that they would not have to worry about what to eat just before their execution either.

;)
 
sarge said:
Executions are completly about punishing the individual. There is no other component of justice involved in an execution.
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There not about removing a dangerous element from society so they can do no more harm then?
 
Drysdale said:
Eh, who cares.

Did the offender ask their victims if they wanted a last meal?

I doubt it.
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Because our criminal justice system should work the same way a capital criminal's mind works?

I've always said the business about capital punishment being anything other than "an eye for an eye" is rubbish.
 
Ryokan said:
So it ends because of one person?

How about we do both? :)



I was hoping we would be better than them, that's where treating them with respect comes from.
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Doing both would be very expensive. If I have to spend my money to feed others I don't mind it going to the poor as much as I mind it going to convicted murderers.

I don't think that letting them gorge themselves on a huge meal before killing them does a lot to show how much more civilized we are. We feed them the entire time they're in the care of the state. That's kind enough in my eyes. Any time you would start to feel bad about the punishment they're receiving you only need to remind yourself just what they did to end up there. Imagine what the victim went through for a minute.
 
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