Horizon (TV Series) How to Kill a Human Being (2008) User Reviews

Fascinating, both from the technical aspects (of execution) to the psychology (of the executioner)

[t_atzmueller · 8/10 · 26 September 2016]

The host of this episode, former Conservative MP, Michael Portillo, takes us through a (though it may sound a little morbid to some) fascinating tour through the methods used in the US-American death penalty. He remains rather neutral on the pro- & contra-stance, though not necessarily opposed to capital punishment, but questioning the methods that are currently in use. In essence, his question isn't so much whether it's morally right or wrong to have another person killed under a penal-code (considering the potential for miscarriages of justice), but rather "How to kill a human being" humanly. If you're not familiar with the issue or methods, some of Portillo's research might be rather shocking – no pun intended.

Portillo's first stop is at a prison where the final sentence is carried out by lethal injection, still the most common form of execution in the US. A sympathetic, though obviously hardened by his work, warden takes him through the procedure and ensures him that the sentence is carried out as humanly as possible, despite the actual killing being done by technicians, rather than medical professionals (obviously due to the Hippocratic oath). Which sounds reasonable on first glance: the culprit receives a lethal cocktail and drifts off into eternal sleep. But numerous "glitches" prior (and since; mind you, this was filmed in 2008), mainly due to the lack of medical experts and the testimony of a patient, who suffered through being injected with one of the three chemicals in question (namely Pancuronium bromide) suggest otherwise. Though being paralyzed, she describes the feeling as "being injected with ignited jet fuel". Portillo than interviews Jay Chapman, who had invented the concept 40 years prior, who concurs that he could never have "imagined idiots carrying out this procedure", but insists that the method is basically humane ("so, they suffer a little bit, but who cares?", is Chapman's assessment).

The documentary moves on to one of the oldest and most common form of capital punishment: death by hanging. We learn that, although ideally quick and almost painless, the executioners still rely on a science (weight to body-height, height of drop, etc.) which has not been modified since around 1886. A miscalculation could result in death through strangulation or decapitation, as is demonstrated on a crash-test-dummy – and, so a scientist informs us, not even an advanced computer could calculate the exact measurements for a painless execution.

Death by electric chair is simulated on a pig-carcass, which proves why it's called "being roasted on the chair", reminding that this form of death is one step above being burned alive on a stake. Five states in America still utilize the gas-chamber (adopting the concept from Nazi-Germany), another form of death that seem painless in theory only – the flaw being that the convicted is basically "asked" to assist in his demise, by taking deep and regular breath of the gas that will kill him, for example. Naturally by instinct most will hold their breath to the point of almost suffocating. This time Portillo offers himself as a test-subject, subjecting himself to noxious, but non-lethal gas, very similar to cyanide. The experience is anything but easy or painless.

The second half of the documentary is dedicated to finding a painless, humane method of execution, which seems to be hypoxia, depriving the brain of oxygen without the body "noticing" it. Again Portillo plays the guinea pig and with the help of the Dutch Airforce undergoes a rapid-pressure-scenario in a pressure chamber, simulating the low oxygen concentration in high altitudes. The results are quiet amazing: within minutes, Portillo begins to lose basic functioning skills without noticing it, slipping into a state of euphoric stupor. When watched over by a physician and told to put his oxygen-mask on, least he'd black out in a few seconds, the former politician merely gives his guardian a puzzled, but quiet happy smile. Still befuddled after the experiment, when inquiring what would have happened after that, the officer in charge only gives him a puzzled look. The answer to that would have been as definite as it would have been final.

The most shocking part of the documentary is yet to come: Portillo presents his findings, the "perfect method to kill a person humanly" in the form of nitrogen hypoxia, to one of the leading pro-death-penalty advocates in America, Professor Robert Blecker. To Portillo's bewilderment, Blecker outright dismisses this method as outright "terrible", citing the lack of justice when the perpetrator of a crime suffers less than the victim. Understandably this kind of response from an otherwise educated man – a virtual call for "an eye for an eye" – leaves the host both perplexed and disillusioned.

Being a sober, objective documentary and answering many questions about the methods, it still raises more questions about the purpose and deeper intent of capital punishment, beyond merely ending the life of a criminal. Is it merely about the state removing an obstacle humanely, without sinking to the level of the culprit? Or is it only about punishment and if so, where does the punishment-factor turn into revenge? Questions that this documentary doesn't answer but raises, leaving them open for discussions to come, at least in counties where capital punishment is still practiced yet who strive on basic human morals and humanity. Today, same as almost ten years ago, when this documentary was recorded. 8/10

The Perfect Way To Kill A Human Being

[faincut · 8/10 · 22 November 2008]

Former Conservative MP, Michael Portillo is looking over the methods of executing human beings - and tries to find a killing method without pain at all. He uses his body for all kinds of dangerous experiments (I don't believe he was anytime in danger at all). He checks up the Hanging, Gas Chamber,Lethal Injections and the Electric Chair. Eventually, he finds a total painless "humane" way to execute people and animals. But apparently the executioners aren't looking for a humane way to execute. What eventually he may have found, is a humane way to kill farm animals. I don't want any killing, not convicts nor animals. 8/10

Disturbing in so many ways

[webstercharlotte · 8/10 · 14 August 2022]

Watched this whole documentary again recently having seen it back when it first aired and it's even more shocking second time round.

The death penalty for me and probably for many in UK is not something that's easy to wrap my head around or find any logic, reasoning or argument. It bothers me to no end how in many countries, the law not only allows but requires execution of a human being. Not only that, those whose crimes are typically punishable by death are often people with severe mental health conditions, people whose steady road to committing their crimes followed a series of dire hands life threw them (often victims themselves) or the worst one - people who are entirely innocent.

The one thing many people argue or will put to you about the death penalty is usually "What if it was one of your family members they tortured and killed?" to which my answer is always "If it were my family, ideally the law would find and arrest the person before I found out who they were cos if I did and had half a chance - I'd kill them myself. No two ways about it either I would actually kill them with my bare hands and consider it a job well done and serve my time without argument"

The difficulty is that a civilised society doesn't and shouldn't us all to go around taking our pound of flesh and proverbial eye. That's why we have laws and judicial process.

Politics aside and regardless of where in the world you live and which side of fence you might sit, the premise behind this documentary is one I think most reasonable people would agree on being that if we are going to kill people as punishment, it should be done as swiftly and humanely as possible. They're already being legally strapped down and executed so there is no need to add an extra little swifty trick and make their ending as horrific, painful and long as possible.

At this time this aired there were ongoing cases being heard regarding what was argued to be an unnecessarily long, painful and horrifying execution by lethal injection. The death sentence itself wasn't the issue as such but more with the drugs most commonly used and the widely reported bungled executions due to technicians (not trained medical staff) being up front and centre.

So with that, former UK politician Michael Portillo set about researching all previous and current methods of execution used around the world to see if there is a simpler and more humane way of putting someone to death.

Michael goes through each horrific method of execution from way back when including how hanging was trial, error, Godawful results that even now aren't guaranteed a quick, painless or humane way to go.

He sees what happens to a pig carcass when given the equivalent as per electric chair, meets the man who designed the current methods of lethal injection and who says openly and honestly that it was never intended to be used by untrained technicals without any medical training or carried out in the way it is now as standard practice.

The Hippocratic Oath prevents medical staff from taking part in executions with the professional basis of "do no harm" seemingly not applicable, afforded or extended to all. If your ethics, morals, personal belief and professional qualification prevents you from doing harm to someone, it should also prevent you standing and watching whilst someone else causes untold distress and suffering attempting to do what they are untrained to do and you have the means, skill, ability and a duty of care to prevent.

Michael himself steps up and experiences first-hand the effects of CS Gas to replicate the effects of dying in a gas chamber and then goes inside a hyperbaric chamber to experience hypoxia at high altitude. One of the greatest dangers to pilots is suffering from hypoxia at high altitude largely because their cognitive ability declines so rapidly but they remain oblivious to it becoming increasingly confident and euphoric which means they don't know when they're in danger and need someone else to step in and take over. Hypoxia has claimed many lives as a result of pilots not able to work out simple warning alarms in the cockpit blaring or follow basic instruction from ATC.

Under medical supervision, once at high altitude Michael is asked to remove his oxygen mask and carry out the most basic tasks such as completing a child's shape-sorter toy, answering what playing card is being held up in front of him and can't work out the answer to eight minus four.

Then the final task. He's told to pull up the switches and resume his oxygen supply immediately or he'll die. Michael sits there hopelessly but happily fiddling with his toy and smiling at the guy telling him he's about to die. They shove his oxygen back on him and within a matter of seconds he's back to normal and able to answer the simple questions but said he thought he was performing the tasks really well and just felt totally relaxed, happy and in his own little world.

Therein lay the answer to his question of whether it's possible to kill someone humanely - induced hypoxia. It would offer a quick, painless and humane death and the additional bonus of removing some burden of guilt in that the person at a certain point whilst still fully conscious, could even be offered an opportunity to save their own life and not choose to.

Armed with his finding Michael takes all his research and information to a pro-death penalty Professor who is one of the most disturbing individuals and in my opinion, far worse and more twisted than most death row inmates.

He fobs Michael off and claims that method of execution would be a terrible idea on the basis that it's too humane and the condemned person ought to endure pain, suffering and an end I wouldn't expect anyone other than the victim's loved ones to even want let alone utter on camera.

That seems to be the take home message from this which is all the more worrying. The ending of someone's life in itself isn't enough and the system wants them to die a horrendous death.

Even with the lethal injection there are so many simple, easier and much more cost effective ways than still continuing to be used such as administering a single massive dose of barbiturates (overdose of general anaesthetic) which would require minimal involvement from medical staff other than to insert a cannula in advance, step back and let the technicians come in and push a syringe through and therefore less training, money spent on the training and less money still from using one drug rather than a combination of drugs which have known interactions and adverse effects i.e. One drug not doing its job or counteracting the effect of the others.

The average length of time for a person to die between administration of the injection until the heart and breathing stops is twelve minutes. There should be no need whatsoever for it to take any longer than one or maybe two minutes absolute max. Within seconds of the injection being administered the person is rendered unconscious. If you want to further cut costs just wait until they're out cold, stick on a mask and use gas inhalation to finish off but it would seem the issue isn't with cost, medical ethics or state laws, it's with making that last punishment the worst one imaginable.

I'm abhorrent to the death penalty but as someone who has over 20yrs experience in health and medical and ten years working in palliative care and end of life, I couldn't physically stand there and allow someone to suffer like that and would rather move the technicians aside, take over, administer the injection and finish the job myself than allow that to happen.

My moral compass would be tuned more to this being a human being suffering needlessly rather than being stuck with the crap excuse that it goes against my professional ethics.

That it takes so long, the alternatives are still not being given the time of day and people who society considers qualified, very intelligent and high standing, respectable humans actually wanting this to be dragged out and very painfully, paints a grim picture of the US judicial system and barbaric death penalty laws.

You have to be seriously short on wiring somewhere along the lines to be someone that society deems to hold the higher ground and take advantage to cause anyone a long, painful and torturous end.

They put people on death row for that kind of stuff.