Firing squads are superior to lethal injection for capital punishment execution
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Back to Basics on Capital Punishment | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." April 26, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that if we're going to execute people, we should use firing squads instead of lethal injection because they're cheaper, more reliable, and less likely to go wrong. He says lethal injection is expensive, hard to get the drugs for, and more likely to be botched.
Conclusion
If we are going to use capital punishment, firing squads should be preferred over lethal injection as the execution method
Premises
- Lethal injection is extremely expensive, with drugs costing around $300,000 per execution
- Lethal injection drugs are often unavailable because manufacturers refuse to provide them for executions
- Lethal injections are complex to administer and have the highest rate of botched executions among all methods
- Firing squads have a zero percent botch rate according to available data
- Firing squads are much cheaper, requiring only guns, ammunition, and volunteers rather than expensive medical facilities and drugs
- Firing squads are more dignified for the condemned person than being strapped to a hospital bed for injection
- Multiple states have already legalized firing squads since 2015, indicating growing acceptance
Assumptions
- Capital punishment itself is justified and will continue to be used
- Efficiency and cost-effectiveness should be primary considerations in execution methods
- The appearance of being 'antiquated' should not override practical advantages
- A quick death by gunshot is preferable to potential complications from lethal injection
- The state has a duty to carry out death sentences efficiently once imposed