Execute And Punish

The symbolism to this execution is shrouded in see through torn tissue. It is treating the inmate as an animal, as we tend to think of murderers as animals.

I mentioned this before but I recommend reading the first part of 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison' by the philosopher Michel Foucault.

He gets into the history of capital punishment and what it looked like back in Europe just a few centuries ago. They used to make it an all day event. The person was literally ripped up and tortured all day long in a long drawn out program open and viewed by the public. By the time the final act came around where the prisoner was killed, prisoners were begging to be killed. Foucalt will give you the unbelievable details and you will wonder how terms like humanity and humanism came about.

I think of all the dehumanizing activity that is resurfacing in our culture, this one is something to remember. The trend is not improving.

Live Science: Animal Euthanasia Drug Used in Okla. Execution