I really can't say I approve...

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:46 pm

sharkmansix wrote:
im glad that this guy is dead. i would have liked it if we would have captured him but you cant always get what you want can you?

Once again I question your willingness to kill someone. Honestly, I believe you need to expierence some form of psychological trauma to kill without remorse.

An honest question here: What type of person wants to be the executioner?

it's a good question. I can think of two types of people who would be an executioner. The man who stands strongly in agreement with the justice system's policy and views himself as the tool through which it is implemented and the person who is able to completely detach himself from his work because it is work that simply will be done with or without him. I am sure there are other types. . .but like any job, i'm sure that there is some view of "hey, it's a paycheck" in there somewhere.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:56 am

. .but like any job, i'm sure that there is some view of "hey, it's a paycheck" in there somewhere.

and that frightens me to no end.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:00 am

sharkmansix wrote:
. .but like any job, i'm sure that there is some view of "hey, it's a paycheck" in there somewhere.
and that frightens me to no end.

ditto. . .but it's the harsh reality of an administration that supports such activity. How many states still have capital punishment? There are several executioners in those states, and I'll doubt that guy is paid well to compensate ofr the mental rape to which he succumbs (sp?), but I'll bet he has days where he's like, "this sucks. where's my paycheck?"

Mama Dragon · Post by **Mama Dragon** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:34 am

Generally the executioners are drawn from a list of volunteers and screened for psychological reasons (i.e. would enjoy it too much, would be too traumatized, etc.) It's not a job you do for the money because the pay isn't that great as a legal executioner.

Also the way most systems run there are 2 executioners. For example, in lethal injection there is a button that gets pushed that releases the final (and fatal) chemical, but there are TWO buttons - one is not hooked up, but neither one knows which button it is, so they don't know if they are the particular person who released the fatal dose or not, allievating some of the guilt.
When using a firing squad (yes, some states still allow death by this method), only one gun has a bullet and rest have blanks and no one gets to know which gun they have.

They pretty much want people with a "let justice be done" attitude but who aren't fanatical about it.

Morphine Child · Post by **Morphine Child** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:27 pm

Garr wrote:
sharkmansix wrote:[quote it's a good question. I can think of two types of people who would be an executioner. The man who stands strongly in agreement with the justice system's policy and views himself as the tool through which it is implemented and the person who is able to completely detach himself from his work because it is work that simply will be done with or without him. I am sure there are other types. . .but like any job, i'm sure that there is some view of "hey, it's a paycheck" in there somewhere.

I like the Freudian explanation of why someone would do this. In Freudian psychology, he was huge on defense mechanisms. Ways of rationalizes or redirecting feelings in order to handle them better mentally.

One of these defense mechanisms is sublimation which consists of a person taking impulses and enacting them in a socially acceptable away. I remember examples of Surgeons redirecting an impulse to mutilate and instead perform surgery (an acceptable form of mutilation of sorts). I also remember an example of Football Players or Boxers having impulses to beat the sh*t out of someone, but rather they play sports and can legally do that.

Same with the executioner. Impulsively wants to kill someone, but becomes the person that inserts the lethal injection or pulls the switch thus legally killing someone.

An even simpler explanation would be someone who lacks empathy for people, and is apathetic to whether that person is alive or dead. Some people are upset by death of loved ones, some are relatively unaffected. I believe some people just don't value human life that much, and are indifferent to taking someones life.

Or you can think of an executioner as similar to an Army Sniper...they're doing what they feel is just, right, and best for themselves, society, or the nation.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:29 pm

Or you can think of an executioner as similar to an Army Sniper...they're doing what they feel is just, right, and best for themselves, society, or the nation.

Having lived with a sniper; yikes.

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 11:34 pm

DELETED

Morphine Child · Post by **Morphine Child** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:13 am

sharkmansix wrote:
Or you can think of an executioner as similar to an Army Sniper...they're doing what they feel is just, right, and best for themselves, society, or the nation.
Having lived with a sniper; yikes.

Not knowing any army snipers, maybe that was an over assumption on my part. I'll stand by the Freud and non-empathetic human statements then.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:13 am

^ Its a long story!

Actually he was in the Marines; and you we're too far from the truth. But it comes back to the idea that someone needs to expierence psychological trauma to be able to kill.

He was trained; psychologically broken down and then remolded in the Marines ideal of a sniper. What ever he felt was right or wrong went out the window when an order to shoot was given.

Mama Dragon · Post by **Mama Dragon** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:33 am

sharkmansix wrote: But it comes back to the idea that someone needs to expierence psychological trauma to be able to kill.

Not always true.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:36 am

Example?

Mama Dragon · Post by **Mama Dragon** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:04 pm

There are those that, for lack of a better term, are born without emotions. There's a specific medical term for it, but I'd have to look for it.

Stating that there must be psychological trauma in their history is like stating that someone must be breathing to keep living - I can't think of a single person that had never suffered some type of trauma by the time they reached adulthood, so it's a pointless blanket term.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:09 pm

Stating that there must be psychological trauma in their history is like stating that someone must be breathing to keep living - I can't think of a single person that had never suffered some type of trauma by the time they reached adulthood, so it's a pointless blanket term.

I would say enough trauma to cause a psychological disorder. Sure everyone is effected by things in life but I would doubt they are enough to make everyone a killer.

There are those that, for lack of a better term, are born without emotions. There's a specific medical term for it, but I'd have to look for it.

The closest I could find is Antisocial personality disorder.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:29 pm

I personally think it's a psychologically disabled person who couldn't kill to defend himself, his country or his family. It's a weak, demasculated man who wouldn't kill someone to protect his family, possibly even to avenge his family.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:35 pm

So this guy is weak?

I would have to disagree with you.