

I don't think I've changed my stance at all.  My original stance was that
a painless execution was not a cruel one.  I didn't say what would be
considered cruel, only that a painless death wasn't.  Now, cruelty must
involve some sort of suffering, I believe.  I don't think someone that gets
shot in the head or electrocuted really suffers very much.  Even a hanging
probably produces one sharp instance of pain, but it's over so quickly...


Pardon?


No.  Well, again I stated that a painless death isn't cruel, but I don't
think I stated that all painful executions *are* cruel.  I think that some
are cruel, depending on the nature and duration of the pain.


Anything more than an instant, I guess.  Any death by suffocation
asphyxiation, or blood loss would be cruel, I think (this includes the
gas chamber, and drawing and quartering).  I'd say that any pain that
lasts, say, over twenty seconds or so would be too long (but this may
be an arbitrary cutoff, I suppose).