Not France, but comparatively, “Jumpin Jim” Gavin, Army Rangers, performed reconnaissance into Rome when it was still in Nazi control while the allies were stuck at Anzio. Rome, where kids were selling their sisters, much less some high-value American.
Gavin preferred to recruit shorter men for the paratroops, reasoning that their balls were closer to their brains.
Moderating:
Yes, we do, and you are violating it with this post. The post you were replying to was about what the nation, the US, does, not about what individual citizens do, certainly not about SDMB posters. Your post, on the other hand, is deeply personal and attacked another poster. Please don’t do that.
Huh? I live in the US.
I’m in the US too. I’m not a barbarian. I resent the association. I’ll suffer “suicide by mod” on that point.
To circle back to the comments about why the family members of the victim should/shouldn’t be allowed to carry out the execution - it turns out that’s actually a thing in Iran. The family of a murder victim has the option of pardoning the killer or accepting financial restitution in exchange for mercy, but if they decide to go forward with it a member of the family is offered the opportunity to carry out the execution or hire someone to do it.
Iran kills a lot more people than we do and for a lot more reasons than we do, but to a certain extent that aspect of their approach seems slightly more civilized.
Our suspicion is that he was (as noted above) in the OSS and was sent to help the Resistance with D-Day prep. We’ll never know for sure since he’s gone and his Army records were “lost in a fire” according to the DOD. They had enough to show he joined and was honorably discharged in early '45…and nothing in between.
Fascinating. Thanks.
That scans with the letters never having been sent. They couldn’t be at the time and then he never got around to it
A lot of records were lost in a fire.
Oh, sure, Iran is super civilized! They even recognize crimes against the community - you know, like adultery, or being gay - and then everyone can participate in the execution! Fun for the whole family!
Of course, we should be fair, here. One of the Ayatollahs issued a moratorium on stonings, so now they are pretty rare, only being carried out when the case comes before a particularly conservative judge who disagrees with the Ayatollah on this issue.
Besides - considering how controversial cash bail is becoming, I doubt we are going to find much acceptance of the idea that a murderer can buy their way out of a death penalty as long as they’re rich enough to make the victim’s family go along with it…
The family of a murder victim has the option of pardoning the killer or accepting financial restitution in exchange for mercy
What if the criminal doesn’t have any cash? String him up? So wealthier murderers have a better chance of surviving?
In the early internet days I stupidly watched a video of an Iranian woman being stoned to death supposedly for adultery or being accused of it. A couple of dozen men took part while more watched. It was horrifying.
Sounds like weregild, which is hardly a uniquely Iranian concept. I imagine the purpose was historically to create a path to closing things rather than risk a blood feud.
I do not know about Iranian jurisprudence, but it is probably inspired by classical (pre-)Islamic concepts of a life for a life, an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, etc., where moreover the Qur’an itself explicitly encourages mercy. It does not say anything about being able to buy justice off, but the point is that they are not talking about the state, this is something to be worked out between the perpetrator’s people and the victim’s people.
Brad Sigmon was strapped to a chair.
Point taken, you’re correct. I have seen the diagram of this execution. Even so, I’d rather die facing rifles than being strapped to a bed and having someone inject me with poison.
Ever heard of coup de grace? If the initial volley of shots doesn’t kill the victim instantly, he gets a shot to the head.