The death penalty's only positive contribution to society is preventing a condemned prisoner from killing another inmate or guard or escaping and killing members of the general public. Because of corruption and the infallibility of our legal system the penalty should require a preponderance of irrefutable evidence of guilt.

I don't understand why it is so difficult to implement the death penalty without pain and suffering. I have experienced hypoxia in a reduced oxygen atmosphere. There was no sense of shortness of breath and I became almost euphoric as I gradually progressed toward loss of consciousness. Death could be accomplished quickly with the use of two chambers - one in a vacuum and the other with the prisoner at normal pressure and oxygen. A valve connecting the two chambers could be opened rapidly equalizing the oxygen level and pressure of the two chambers. So called "high altitude" flight crew training chambers to demonstrate the effects of hypoxia have been available since before the 1970s.