I’m already cheating once, by not using an actual “X” word and I refuse to cheat again by not using the second-last word on the left hand page that I turned to in my thesaurus as I stated I would at the beginning of this challenge. However. Both the second-last and the last words are the same – there are so many different synonyms for “execute” to mean decapitate, electrocute, and generally put to death, and “execute” meaning to carry out, implement, and generally put into effect, that they separated them. Guess which one is second to last? Yes, I get to talk about beheadings today. This is bound to get gruesome… Go me!
You have to wonder how much they must pay executioners. Can you imagine doing that for a living? I suppose there are some people out there who would enjoy the idea of putting people to death, but I wouldn’t imagine they actually hire those sorts of people. Anyone who relishes the idea of murder enough to actually carry out the act is probably on the other side of the bars anyway. So then who gets to do it? An individual who believes so faithfully in the justice system that he (or she–I’m going with “he” for the remainder of this post) can justify the task in his own conscience? Someone who’s being paid a fortune?
Still, I’m trying to picture the sleep patterns of a person who has enough money to buy anything he wants because of this high-paying “dream job” only the one thing he can’t buy out of is the image running through his mind as he lays his head upon the pillow each night.
How much would you demand to do the job? They couldn’t pay me enough.
lindaghill.com 
Pingback: #AtoZChallenge 2015 Final Reflection | Rereading Jane Eyre
Pingback: #AtoZChallenge Roundup | Rereading Jane Eyre
April 29, 2015 at 7:11 am
I have to confess I have rather a fascination with some of the more gruesome aspects of history and technically as deaths go historically is one of the more humane ones, anyone who doesn’t believe me just look into what being hung, drawn and quartered actually entailed. As for whether I could do it myself, honestly, in most cases no but in the cases of anyone who has killed or abuse children I could do it without a seconds hesitation, we put down rabid dogs and the same should be done with rabid humans.
LikeLike
April 29, 2015 at 4:06 am
A fascinating man, Pierpoint was the last hangman in England
http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/67136/Secrets-of-the-last-hangman
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Great post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pierrepoint
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:29 pm
I couldn’t do it. Money wouldn’t matter.
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Right?
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:04 pm
Exemplary Executed Example Explaining Exigent Exception
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Very clever, Paul. 🙂 Was this just for me or did you leave this comment for everyone who did the letter X today? 😉
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Just for you 😀
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Awww, thank you. 😀
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 12:53 pm
If you’re talking about what’s been going on in the Middle East, I doubt they get paid anything. This is their ‘calling’ in life and by doing this they are one step/one person closer to perfecting the world for Allah.
As for other executioners in prisons and such, I can’t imagine that job and I don’t think that any price would be enough whether the people deserve it or not. Just having ‘blood’ on my hands, regardless of who it belonged to, would cause me to not sleep at nights.
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:28 pm
I was actually talking about prison executions rather than religious ones. That brings up a whole ‘nuther thing, doesn’t it?
I’m with you, my dear.
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:55 pm
Ah gotcha. I got mixed up from the ‘beheading’ statement. Yes, it sure does though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
April 28, 2015 at 12:38 pm
I’m likely to be in the minority, here… but I’d probably be willing to take only a reasonable amount. Say $12/hour or $2,000 per execution (assuming there’s not much more than one or two in a month. Basically enough to have my current standard of living. Or the one I had before I lost my job, anyway.)
I am a psychologically broken individual. Still, my rationale is this: These days, they hardly ever actually execute anyone. There’s places that don’t seek or get the death penalty, mandatory appeals, and years or decades of sitting around waiting your turn while they process appeals and paperwork and let you get married and run fan club cults on the internet, they have to wait for the book deal, things of that nature. Typically, if someone is earmarked for execution (these days) they’ve done something truly heinous, often multiple times, and it’ll still take them years – and plenty of in-prison violence, unless they keep them away from others – before anything is actually done about it.
I’m one of those people who thinks some folks can’t be redeemed or rehabilitated. “Some folks just need killin’.” The stereotypical death row inmate pretty universally fits my criteria for that category. So taking the position would mean a) I get to play with weird and otherwise verboten technology and toys and b) I help clean things up by removing individuals who have absolutely zero good value? Sign me up.
Yes. I’m crazy. Yes, this makes me sound like an absolute asshat who probably shouldn’t be allowed in polite company. But just my thoughts on the subject.
LikeLike
April 28, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Huh. You do bring up some good points. The time spent awaiting the chair on death row would be plenty to show an inmate’s character. Chances are, getting to know that character would make it somewhat easier to do the deed, as it were.
Interesting response, Kaine.
LikeLiked by 1 person