Why do they get to choose a last meal before execution?

Question

Why are those who are going to be executed allowed a last meal of their choice?

If the public thinks a convict deserves both death and the horrible mental suffering of sitting in death row for years knowing he will be killed, how come the public wants to alleviate that convict's suffering ever so slightly by giving him a potentially fantastic last meal of his choice? Isn't that pretty inconsistent?

Either the convict is a worthless human being, or he is not. If the convict is a worthless human being, he should have nothing, not life, and not even a last meal. If he is not a worthless human being, on the other hand, why is he executed?

If being dead is worth 0, and a average life in freedom is worth 10^100 or has infitie value, suppose having a last meal is worth 0.005 on that scale (just a random guess). Then why assume that all those convicts deserve exactly 0.005 worth of pleasure, no more, no less? Isn't that unlikely, expecially considering time in death row varies a lot?

Answer 1

Same reason we swap the injection. To pretend what we are doing is not murder.

Answer 2

Well Mr Case, you managed to lose me just about the last paragraph, but I think I get your drift. Personally, I'd give them nothing, nada, zip and any other way you can think of saying zero. If they are on death row, 99.9% of the time they've done something bad to deserve it. So, they'd get bugger all!!!

I really cannot understand why prisoners are kept there so long at the taxpayers expense. I've often wondered why the US citizens aren't up in arms about it. Then again, it's happening here in GB with terrorists, etc. Rather than throwing them straight out of the country, the powers that be think they should give them some nice "down time" in British prisons and THEN deport them.

Answer 3

The last meal is part of the punishment.

Think about it. A fine last meal... getting what you want...knowing that's the last time.... being treated well by the individuals who will take your life in the name of Society... seeing an example of what Life has to offer so freely, while knowing that the paths they chose led them to nothing....

Come to think of it, it really is pretty cruel. Let's be mercifful and simply let the Judge bash their heads in with a rock after reading the sentence.

Answer 4

A nice juicy steak medium rare Some good crispy fried chicken A double double animal style with bacon Some lobster A bowl of captain crunch Some chicken fetuccini alfredo Some hot wings bbq ribs etc...

Answer 5

"horrible mental suffering from sitting on death row for years'?
what about the 83 year old woman he raped & killed, what about the 22 yr old cashier in an all night market that was shot in the face while working her way thru college? What about the 95 yr old woman who was raped and murdered and robbed in her own home ?
Hey if they did the crime & the death penalty is given, why not try to be humane & give them a last meal, or it could be laced with arsonic & the executioner could play a "LAST" trick on him.

Answer 6

Protocal of polite society, a last smoke, a last kiss, a last meal, a last visit, the clergy. Its to show that even though we are going to kill him we are nice people. Or maybe its to salve our own feelings. Or maybe its a cruel way of letting the condemed know this is what life is and you are at an END!

Answer 7

A fantastic last meal is more a reflection of OUR worth as human beings

Answer 8

It's an old tradition, going back centuries to well before this country even existed.

As in many traditions, it's stayed around because the net result is almost negligible for keeping it, and there's no significant benefit to getting rid of it.

Answer 9

I'm with you. I think it's a waste of good food, when so many people in the world and even right in the U.S. are starving.

Answer 10

Because we'll kill them, but we sure as hell wont let them be hungry when we do!