Do you Believe In What Alabama Did In Carrying Out The First Known Execution With Nitrogen Gas?

Question

Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith was put to death Thursday night by nitrogen hypoxia, marking the nation’s first known execution to be carried out using that method.

Smith, 58, was sentenced to death for his role in a 1988 murder for hire and had previously survived a failed attempt to execute him by lethal injection in 2022. His attorneys fought the execution until the end, ultimately losing a final appeal to the US Supreme Court on Thursday evening.

Smith’s legal team – alongside experts and advocates from the US to the United Nations – had voiced concern that nitrogen hypoxia could lead to excessive pain or even torture.

Alabama is one of only three states – Oklahoma and Mississippi being the others – to have approved the method, which is designed to replace oxygen in the body with a high concentration of nitrogen, causing death. So far, Alabama is the only state to have carried it out or even outlined a protocol on how to do it. Any Thoughts on What They Did and If This Was Right? I'm Not Judging Anyone's Personal Opinion. xxoo

pethouse · Accepted Answer

Personally I’m not surprised. For the most part America does not care about people’s lives wether they are good or bad. They especially do not care about the safety of the public or criminals.

The best way to deal with any type of criminal is too rehabilitate them. Just look at Norway, sure their population is way less than Americans but Norway's focus on rehabilitation and restorative justice is certainly radical, but there is no doubt that it has had a positive impact on the country's crime rate and its economy. The most profound benefit: Norway has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world. The reason why Americans crime rate per capita is so high is because we just lock people in cells. We don’t give a fuck about them. It’s absolutely ridiculous that you’d throw someone into a concrete jungle and expect them to come out better. Sure some do but some don’t. Lots of people will come out of prison with ptsd. Because of how bad our prisons are. If we live in a country that focuses only on the punishments then we are not going to get better as a society. Criminals are the product of the faults in society.

The_Pizzgrinder · Accepted Answer

The death penalty is a crude and unnecessary use of state power.

abc3643 · Answer

"Believe" it?
Well, it happened, so I believe it.

Do I believe anything else?
After reading about eyewitnesses to the execution, I now believe this execution was a violation of the 8th Amendment's clause on cruel and unusual punishment.
I want to be clear though: It's not that I think nitrogen hypoxia is a cruel method of execution. It's that the protocol used by Alabama ended up being cruel. They need to modify the protocol so that the condemned is first given anesthesia to render them unconscious THEN transition to nitrogen (if this is chemically possible). Alternatively, give the condemned some sort of oral narcotic to render them unconscious THEN administer the nitrogen.

The act of suffocation is a frightening experience. The condemned shouldn't have to experience that as that is a violation of the 8th Amendment. So, once the condemned is unconscious and will not experience that fear, then the execution should continue.

Jessica405 · Answer

In doing this, they have lowered themselves to the level of Kenneth. No matter what he did, 2 wrongs don't make a right.

I know little about American politics, but I would guess Alabama is a Republican state. I have always had the impression Republicans are bully boys.

They were trying to be like Shylock, and wanted their pound of flesh. Shylock didn't win, but Alabama has, and includes a gallon of blood.

Twenty five minutes of asphyxiation. Only the gods know how that must have felt. And that is without the torture of knowing for weeks how he was going to die.

Yes, Alabama has got its pound of flesh, but it doesn't look good in the eyes of other democratic countries. I understand the governor refused to observe this execution. Too squeemish?

Altheavas · Answer

Whelp..! 😓
I lack faith in the American justice system due to its apparent exploitation of the poor. While I might consider supporting the death penalty in a genuinely fair and effective system, the widespread issues of corruption, discrimination, classism, and racism make me oppose it. The disturbing frequency of innocent individuals facing the death penalty, juxtaposed with the freedom of some criminals, solidifies your stance against capital punishment. I prefer the idea of imprisonment, coupled with comprehensive case reviews, to ensure fairness and justice. The death penalty underscores the broader concerns about systemic problems within the justice system.

exitseven · Answer

I think instead they should just get some of the fentanyl seized at the southern border and repurpose it to execute prisoners. President Trump wants to get legislation passed to make drug dealing a capital crime. After all they are selling poison that is killing our kids. I also see the irony in this.

Wraith_Cemetery · Answer

Everyone keeps saying "oh, what if the person is innocent, then they killed someone who didn't do the crime". As if every two seconds in the USA somone is sentenced to die when they didn't do the crime. That's not the case at all. Usually, the death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst.

As long as it's used for those who are despicable human beings, like child rapists, and it's without a doubt they committed the crime, then I am all for the death penalty.

Massageman · Answer

How ironic. The atmosphere is about 79-80% nitrogen for starters, 19-20% oxygen, and a few atoms/molecules of other gases thrown in to round things out. But enough of science- -- - - - - -

How will ANY means EVER be devised that will NOT meet SOMEone's definition of "cruel and unusual"? Any injection has the "pain" OF the injection, and on and on.

It's a lose-lose situation. Re-hab sounds good, but with decades-long appeal processes, very few felons are going to go for that. Why bother? The taxpayer is stuck paying around $100K/year to keep them alive. The irony!!!

purplepoppy · Answer

I don't understand why America makes something relatively easy so complex. It's not hard to stick a needle in an arm, hospitals do it countless times. As for hanging the calculations for drop are well documented. If you want to shoot him there's plenty on knackered who could do it or why not just let the army do it to help harden up their soldiers?

OlderAndWiser · Answer

“ Smith’s legal team – alongside experts and advocates from the US to the United Nations – had voiced concern that nitrogen hypoxia could lead to excessive pain or even torture.”

I’ll bet that they would not suggest a method that they consider is not cruel.

MiddleAgedClimbee · Answer

I hope that I never have a reason to commit a heinous crime against another person, but if something psychologically clicked, and I did, I would accept the punishment. He's gone now. The grief from his victims families and friends still remains. Death is sad.

menina · Answer

Well, he was a murderer and if it was proven that he killed this woman then he deserved a fair punishment. However, I don't agree with this method. I also don't agree with people watching him die as if they're watching a movie. It's really twisted in my opinion.

AviatorTom · Answer

My opinion of execution in general...

Executions should be done in public, not in some secluded room with a small number of witnesses, so that all can see it. If we, as a society, can't do that, then maybe we shouldn't be executing people.

Another way to look at this...

From time of the crime until the execution, this man lived 36 years. Some would say that's not much of a punishment for murder, while others would say that's too much of a punishment.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

''Zyklon B'' was not at hand, I suppose?

Personally, Nitrogen makes me happier when it's used to tap a good pint of Guinness beer.

As for murdering people who have murdered others... I do wonder who is who in this scenario.

Left becomes right, and

right becomes wrong.

DJB72 · Answer

I don't think there's anything morally wrong with the death penalty as long as there is absolutely zero possibility it's the wrong person. 1% of 1% wrong is too many people executed incorrectly.

As to the method, why not a firing squad? Or even an automated set of firearms so no individual has to pull the trigger, just someone to hit a "stop" button if there's a reprieve call

mattissebfan5 · Answer

So against the death penalty I feel that they should rot in jail which is probably worse for the rest of there lives and also if some evidence comes that find that the person didn't do it then you would be able to free them not if they have death penalty against it just my view

KatherineJ · Answer

I am of two minds.
1) The man committed a horrible crime, and a jury sentenced him to death.

2) Morally, I am not a fan of the death penalty as a method of punishment, especially with an untried method.

so I’m sorry, but I don’t like that we execute people. But I am also not sure how else to deal with convicted murderers. It’s hard.

loveslongnails · Answer

Killing someone who committed a heinous act with yet another heinous act to give it some sort of "justice" sure makes a hell of a lot of sense, huh? The state convicts you of doing a horrible thing, so we're going to do a horrible thing to you. Genius. What does that say about us? Look, I know some of these criminals have done unspeakable things, but we're kinder to cows when we kill them. Just put a bullet in his head and be done with it.

love_conquers_lust · Answer

I discussed this in  . As long as it is painless and humane. I’m wondering why they feel this is cheaper than a bullet to the head or euthanasia. This isn’t a pleasant topic. Like why sterilize the needle for euthenizations?

Apple1996 · Answer

I think that isn't intense enough. They should be doing the firing squad or hanging to kill off these death row guys

Surely · Answer

The people on death row. Probably didn’t take into consideration the pain of the crime that they committed that put them there.
Death by nitrogen would be like suffocating, I would image. Probably Carbon Monoxide poisoning would be less painful.
But then, should anyone care about the pain inflicted by the death penalty?

A_Bell · Answer

Anyone who enjoys the suffering of others is just as bad. I don't like the death penalty because the government isn't actually competent at anything it does, but if we are going to use it, it has to be humane.

msc545 · Answer

I don't believe in capital punishment at all. Alabama tortured this man based on reports from AP and other news services. The apparently had a seizure and gasped and moaned for many minutes before it finally dying. The suggest to me that he was greatly in pain or discomfort. This is not okay and in fact killing somebody is not okay. Not by him and not by the state.

Nice222 · Answer

I don’t care about the method they used. But the whole idea of execution should be debated for many reasons. I just watched a show about a person who was in jail over twenty three years for murder before being proven innocent through DNA evidence and released.

Anpu23 · Answer

I am not a fan of the death penalty as we know we have executed innocent people. As for the form of execution, it's the same way I put down two of our dogs it's painless and humane.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

I think the death penalty is justified.. Sometimes some people cannot be saved.. I don't know how to feel about the  nitrogen gas technique though.. It seems like it would be painful..

funcplkoloa · Answer

all death row prisinors should die and not be a burden on the already overloaded tax payers... how they die, should be the same way the person/people they murdered who did not get "humane" treatment... I do not understand why people want to give those deserving crims, "humane" death or no death penalty at all

strateguy632 · Answer

Supreme court analysis is better than my two cents or non judges. great that was sent to supreme court. u. s. is most moral country on earth, true the bar is very low but best.

OtterMan68 · Answer

Look up the ten countries with the most executions. Most are dictatorships or theocracies. The ONLY exception is the US.

The US has a much higher violent crime rate than Europe, and they don't use the DP.

Dargil · Answer

I think there would be an easier way to drug the condemned to death. They do it every day voluntarily with Fentanyl.

OddBeMe · Answer

Funny that the most religious states execute the most. They literally race each other in executions. And when they’re out of kill meds they experiment with nitrous.

kinda Nazi-esk.

don’t get our incessant need to keep killing.

Demonatrix · Answer

I don't believe in the death penalty. There are way too many mistakes made.

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

Murder is still murder, its only a small difference which methods is used.

nawtee_me · Answer

I wish the would bring back the electric chair. Electrocution was the way to go for many years.

Avicenna · Answer

I don't know why they don't just have hanging for capital punishment.

Daniela1982 · Answer

How long was this clown on Death Row? He probably lived a lot longer than his victim. Besides, they gave him a reprieve when the lethal injection failed. So now justice is done. Why the fuck do people care more about the murderer than the victims? What about the victim's terror, or their pain and suffering when killed slowly by some psychopath? What a fucked up country we have. Everyone has gone WOKE!

FreyaRed · Answer

Death sentence is unnecessary and doesn't have any deter effect. It's even more senseless to keep people over years in death row, instead executing them soon as possible to save costs.

Technically it's more human than shooting, hanging or electrical chair. Carbon monoxide would be probably much better than N2 but more dangerous to handle with.

Zestyassmf1997 · Answer

I think his legal team was probably making shit up about it being torturous. That said, it’s definitely unusual. I dunno. I guess it’s okay.

AngryCarl · Answer

I don't support the death penalty but there's no reason to think nitrogen hypoxia is particularly cruel. This guy is a murderer, remember. I'd say he got off easy.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Don't care. He planned to have someone murdered and he should have been put to death a long time ago.

Sharkstealth · Answer

It should be the cheapest way possible I believe.

Carly2005 · Answer

No I believe people should rot in prison. Solitary confinement 24/7.

BoopBoopBeep · Answer

Nicer way to go than his victims got.

TrueConfection · Answer

They could have saved a lot of money and just gave him the clot shot.

AngelLily · Answer

If it’s not Painless then they might should probably chose a different way of Execution.

shortster · Answer

I think fentanyl would be a better method.

Agape93 · Answer

Hey, he specifically requested it.

CubaPirate · Answer

No pain no gain

LazerBean · Answer

That's wonderful.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

Nope that was horrible go back to lethal injection

Do you Believe In What Alabama Did In Carrying Out The First Known Execution With Nitrogen Gas?

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The use of nitrogen gas will be a capital punishment scheduled in Alabama. Is this humane?

Do you Believe In What Alabama Did In Carrying Out The First Known Execution With Nitrogen Gas?

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What Girls & Guys Said

The use of nitrogen gas will be a capital punishment scheduled in Alabama. Is this humane?

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