The Depravity Knows No Bounds

A lot can be said for the absolute cruelty the Trump Administration doles out every day to people of color, the LGBT community, and anyone and everyone they don't like. But while I'm no longer really surprised when they sink to a new low, sometimes the depravity of it all just becomes accentuated.

On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the upcoming execution of Nadal Hasan will be live streamed to the public so that anyone can watch. Nadal Hasan was convicted of committing a mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009 killing 13, and wounding 32 others.

This is atrocious on so many levels. Hegseth is treating an execution as some kind of public spectacle. And yes, I know this wasn't uncommon in the past, but thought we as a society have grown past that. To turn this into some "made for TV" event is just so heinous I'm at a loss for words.

And look, I am completely against the death penalty in all cases. I don't believe that it constitutes justice so much as it does revenge. There are also all too often can be too many doubts about whether the person convicted actually committed the crime in question. Too many death row inmates have been later found to be innocent, and the death penalty, unlike life in prison, cannot be reversed. But even setting aside my personal beliefs, turning what could be described as one of the most solemn responsibilities of the government into an entertainment is horrific.

The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley put out the following statement.

In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.

I implore all of those in congress to put pressure on Trump and the Department of Defense to not live stream the execution. And I implore all those with a conscience to do the same.

And sadly, as too often is the case, the Onion called it earlier this year.