Would the death penalty deter criminals if death were by torture?

Let’s face it, there is no humane way to execute somebody. We try to avoid any form of execution that might include any pain, but how can it not be painful sitting in a cell knowing the clock is clicking down to your last moment on Earth?

Because the death penalty is so final, we equivocate, and allow almost unlimited appeals. Typically, it takes 10 years or more before the final appeal is exhausted and the sentence is carried out. Should we eliminate capital punishment altogether? Or should we switch things so executions are swift and horribly painful. Perhaps we could drop lethal injections, which are started with a general anesthetic; and instead flog prisoners to death with a cat of nine tails. Or how about impaling on a wooden spike like Count Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) was famed for doing.

What’s your opinion on capital punishment?