Live-streaming Hasan execution is 'barbaric', top U.S. Catholic bishop says
- Archbishop Coakley calls livestream plan a barbaric promotion of a culture of death
- Military considers broadcasting Nidal Hasan's execution to the public
- Church leader warns of moral decay in the wake of state-sponsored spectacles
- Fort Hood shooter's fate turns into a high-stakes ethical showdown
Brief Summary
The Pentagon is flirting with a new brand of reality television: the execution of mass murderer Nidal Hasan. Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, isn't buying the tough-on-crime posturing, labeling the potential livestream as a 'barbaric' descent into a culture of death that threatens the nation's remaining moral fiber.
Why This Matters
This isn't just about one mass murderer; it’s about the state’s role in turning justice into a digital public spectacle. If the government starts livestreaming executions, you are looking at a fundamental shift in how the state exercises its power and how you consume the end of a human life from your living room. It forces you to ask whether you want a justice system that functions as a sober legal process or a high-definition blood sport designed for mass consumption.