A scarcely believable wish by Peter Hegseth to live stream an execution by firing squad
The Defense Secretary, Peter Hegseth, wants to live stream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan who murdered 13 at a medical processing facility in Texas in November 2009. President Trump is reported to have agreed to it. America is already alone among civilised nations in continuing to use the penalty and providing a livestream of the event adds a level of barbarism to it. There is no other nation in the world which lives streams such an event.
Public executions take place in Saudi Arabia and the state is seen to be medieval. That the Defense Secretary wishes America to join it seems scarcely believable.
The last public execution took place in the UK in 1868 in Newgate prison. The last in America was much later in 1936 in Kentucky that is only 90 years ago. France surprisingly, was later still and took place in 1939 but caused such outrage it was abolished.
Hegseth claims it is to explain to people there are serious consequences for crimes such as this. Many Americans will be revolted by this spectacle. For a supposedly civilised nation to countenance this is almost unbelievable.
The penalty itself is not a deterrent. There is no significant difference in murder rates between States who still use it and those who don’t. Mistakes cannot be rectified and there have been many acquittals of those convicted of serious crimes which turn out to be mistaken. Offering a livestream adds a layer of barbarity to the process.
