I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I had to go out by way of capital punishment, I think this would be the way I'd want it done:
A South Carolina prisoner on death row has elected to be executed by firing squad rather than the electric chair at the end of this month, according to court documents filed Friday.
Richard Bernard Moore, 57, also became the first prisoner in the state forced to choose his form of capital punishment. A year-old law made the electric chair the default method, but allowed inmates the option to be shot.
The prisoner has been on death row for decades following his conviction for the 1999 murder of a Spartanburg store clerk. He was scheduled to be killed via lethal injection in 2020 but officials could not secure the lethal injection drugs needed for the execution.
It seems like a wise choice, such as it is. Lethal injection sounds like it could be an absolutely horrific way to die. The electric chair honestly doesn't sound like an easy ticket out either. I know they say you're supposed to lose consciousness right away, but—what if you don't? You can't exactly flag down a waiter and ask for the check.
Four bullets to the heart, however—if it hurts, it won't hurt for very long. You can pass out in nothing flat if you take one to the ticker. If you're really going to execute someone, this is very likely the easiest and least-risky way to do it.
Pray for the loved ones of Richard Moore's victims, everyone involved in his execution—and for Richard Moore, too, who could surely use all the prayers he can get right about now.
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