Letter To The Editor: A So-Called Lesson We Don’t Need
When I was still teaching high school English, we read The Kite Runner. Toward the end of the book, there was a public execution in a soccer stadium, carried out by the Taliban. It sparked discussions about the brutality of making a spectacle out of an execution. In the book, the couple is accused of adultery and is stoned to death. Obviously, in our culture we don’t stone people to death, and we don’t enforce the death penalty for things other than murder.
For years, many in favor of the death penalty still held it in solemnity, arguing that a life is sacred and the state must uphold that boundary. As a result, the boundary-keeping, or the execution, was seen as a darker part of the duty of the state. As such, it was held as an affair where there were witnesses, but no fanfare. In the eyes of the most sane people I know who uphold the death penalty, it is a serious, even sad action, necessarily done because of the serious nature of the crime. It’s true that in the past people have celebrated executions, but they were not part of the action of the state.
Here’s where the issue of live streaming an execution crosses over into the area where both sides of the capital punishment debate can and really should agree. When the state puts it out as a streaming event, it is not a lesson but a form of entertainment. And when the taking of a life is entertainment provided by the state, we will cross over into an institutional level of cruelty. I am not excusing those who murder, and mass murder is simply more obvious. But an execution online, via the government, assumes there is some sort of mass lesson that needs to be learned.
Putting aside those on the internet who are making a living off of rage baiting or trying to get more listeners to their podcast, the average American does not see murder as a vague legal or moral issue. The average American is deeply disturbed by mass shootings, and probably weary of hearing about them as often as we do. The average American also understands the mystery that surrounds truly evil acts that our psychological explanations can’t pin down. None of that leads anyone to genuinely believe that televising an execution will somehow deter mass shootings.
Are those who are mentally ill and delusional enough to think they are doing something good by shooting tons of people going to be deterred by a stream of someone they may even consider a martyr being shown for the world to see?
The Taliban executed people publicly because they truly believed in what they were doing. They also believed holding people in fear was a righteous act necessary for a just society. If we move forward to public executions, won’t we be acting like the Taliban? Will the difference be beards and uniforms?
John Cabascango
John Cabascango is the author of Throwing Moses Under the Bus: A High School English Teacher Looks at the Ten Commandments, and Off the Rails: Evangelicals, Power and Politics
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Thank you for a voice of humane rationality when our current federal administartion is anything but rational or humane.
Coming from someone who believes an abortion, I find it hard. You can even say the word “humane.”
Yes, coming from someone that believes that the recoils of that child being dismembered surgically in its safe place called the womb as the child loses their life. But hey, this is just some cells that even with a beating heart doesn’t deserve a fast clean death? It is amazing that John Cabascango doesn’t remember his Christian roots when he is trying to defend the most darkest and inhumane, inhospitable religion known to man. He uses six paragraphs to explain how not to use the Taliban inhumane tactics that actually works to bring humans down to a useless and a cold heartless bystander to only watch the innocent being biologically destroyed. Does he remember that Jesus Christ went thur a very public and personal crucifix, public execution, or maybe even an adult abortion, you pick how the ending of life is defined? I am a believer and on some days a nonbeliever, but as a human being I know I have to die and as you read the above comments just think of someone else picking your death or how would you pick your death even as a convicted man/woman that has been given the death sentence? Would you pick the surgical dismemberment with no pain management as a aborted fetus/child or walk the long crucifix road as personal as it gets with all the public watching your bodily functions being lost as you die? But what if, Mr. John Cabascango You had a choice of picking a firing squad of three to seven riflemen to end your miserable life, most likely your body wouldn’t display the horrific human suffering as the other faces of death had to endure? Love to hear your repose John Cabascango?
Funny. People whine, b**ch, moan and groan about the death penalty being used on the criminal. Crickets when it comes to their victims.
The level of terror that murderer inflicted on everyone stationed at Fort Hood that day AND their families was neither “rational” nor “humane”! My nephew was on Fort Hood that day, luckily he was far away from this maniac. That murderer killed 13 innocent people that day and wounded many others. He deserves death and humiliation for his atrocious acts. I do not care to watch him be executed but others might want/need to see it, for some closure. Who are we to deny them having some amount of peace of mind? If you or I don’t need to see it, we can just not watch it. I’m just relieved that he’ll finally cease to exist.
They need to make him eat a bacon sandwich with a dog licking his face!
Y’all are some mean folk. I do hope you are aware that the Catholic Church holds that the death penalty is inadmissible because it violates the inherent dignity of the person, as modern penology allows for the protection of society without execution. Other Christian groups emphasize the New Testament themes of redemption, mercy, and restorative justice over retribution. Most of those previous comments don’t sound very Christian.
I don’t recall reading anywhere people saying that it was?
Funny how so many rally against what they say is Sharia Law coming to America – but when a form of does come – they cheer it on blindly – (maga ignorance at its finest)
They love the uneducated – and JoCo has so many. Can you say Baa like good sheep?
You’re an idiot. The death penalty has been in effect throughout the world since it began. You know nothing of sharia law and undoubtedly anything else. You scream about the death penalty out of one side of your mouth and then scream for abortion out of the other. You claim some moral high ground all the while, denying God and any morality whatsoever. You are the sheep. You are the uneducated. You are the problem.
I am pro death penalty – in certain cases – and am not against this sentence. I am against public live stream executions- as are some of the wounded from Fort Hood who are publicly speaking up.
Of course you are…. It’s called abortion. The difference is I believe executing the guilty not the innocent. That’s why no one takes democrats seriously.
The grown ups are talking about the death penalty. Sit down and join the conversation when you are grown and have enough education and knowledge to properly engage.
Are you a born and bred Johnston County person? Whether you are or aren’t, we are not uneducated in Johnston County. We don’t do the professional BS. We get straight to the point! That isn’t uneducated and we don’t really care if you are offended or not.
As a retired Economic Development official for the tri-county region – I can assure you that our office had to turn away many companies that were interested in moving to Johnston County because we could not guarantee we had the local population that would
/could fill their educational requirements. You can take that fact however you like. Facts are facts and while I understand some people live in a world of alternative facts – that does not change life in the real world.
We did work really hard with the local community colleges and universities in the surrounding counties as well as the local high schools and saw some progress before I left – however the number of lost opportunities for good paying long term employment with phenomenal benefits really hurt the citizens more than you can imagine.
Well, you know there is that story about David and Goliath so…….
Somebody believed in capital punishment
You can go to any movie theater on any weekend on any day and watch people getting butchered, shot ,stabbed or burned alive and nobody says a peep because it’s “a movie”. But a man who murdered 13 people under the guise of Islam that is going to be executed is somehow abhorrent to the liberal minds. Of course, these are the same people who believe in killing babies before they’re even born, and then claim superiority and humanity. The hypocrisy is palpable
Thank you.
Why did’nt you condemn the assassination of Charlie Kurk or the attempted assassination of our President? We know exactly what you are!
First off, being a Christian does not mean we float around on clouds and just be pushovers and agree to everything that goes on… And yes, the comment above from Omega sort of yields to that kind of thinking, in my humble opinion only.
If you do not wish to watch it, then don’t. It’s very simple. No one wanted to watch 13 innocent people get slaughtered that day but those present when it happened had no choice BUT to see it happen. Not the same circumstances but the principle is the same.
Point? They did not have a choice to see 13 people executed. We DO have a choice whether or not we choose to watch the perpetrator be executed.
I rather think it WOULD make someone think twice before they try something like this, mental health or not. This is why people need to be vigilant about those they think may have wrong thinking or mental issues. Families need to pay more attention to other family members they feel are going through a crisis or has “thinking” that is not good. Same with friends! That “I’m not getting involved” or “I don’t want to interfere” or “it’s not my issue” is useless, that mess is over.
What’s the name of that crime show in Investigation Discovery? Having to do with a psychopath.. The one line shows, …but there were signs…”
I honestly don’t GAF what anyone says, if you harm a child, brutally murder someone, or SA a person, you should be taken off the board! Our tax dollars shouldn’t be spent on violent criminals. Don’t give me that “inhumane” bs. It’s inhumane to the victims & the victims families to keep these pos breathing
A group of 72 retired U.S. generals, admirals, and senior military officers signed an open letter pressing the U.S. government to cancel plans to publicly livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan.
Key Details of the Letter
• Signatories: 72 retired leaders, including 45 generals, 12 admirals, former judge advocates general, former NASA head Charles Bolden, and retired Maj. Gen. Tony Taguba.
• Core Arguments:
• The livestream turns a serious legal punishment into a “carnival for the enjoyment of voyeurs and spectators”.
• It violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment and degrades human dignity.
• It risks turning the perpetrator into a martyr and providing enemy groups material to stoke hatred and harm American service members.
• Context: The execution plan for Hasan—who killed 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting—was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though political pressure and pushback followed.
“It violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment and degrades human dignity.”
Was it not cruel and unusual for that s.o.b to murder 13 innocent people?? That murderer should be shown the same level of human dignity that he showed to his victims. It’s just too bad that he can’t be killed 13 times, once for each victim.
Apparently, the Ft. Hood shooter has some sympathetic jihadis on this board. The terrorists have no shortage of useful idiots over here.
Then your dear leader is one . While the execution will take place – and I am not against the death penalty- I am against the senseless live streaming. Apparently over 80% of the population was against it as well – that left just the meager 20% that is the useless maga which has made the US the weakest country we have been in decades . Trump listened to the 80% as he should. A minority rule never turns out well – as we have seen with him in office.
If only they had googled tariffs before voting , or cared about January 6th – and the police officers (remember them) that were beaten that day, or when the president made fun of military veterans – like my father, uncles and what so many of y’all claim to stand up for. If only the farmers remembered how he had hurt them during his first administration and did the same thing this time – plus had the nerve to tell the cattle ranchers they were the problem and he knew how do to their job better than they did. Even with all the worst cabinet members possible even he knows that live streaming an execution is not what the US does – nor would our Constitution (remember that pesky little thing that maga claim to love then want to destroy every time Trumps find it hinders him breaking the law) probably permit such a thing.
Y’all are so weak you think you elected a strong man – when in reality all of y’all are cruel racist bigoted people who worship people who hate the same people you do. It not about any policy – foreign or domestic – all y’all want is for people who are not white and Christian to not be in “ your county.”
I wish the original native Americans would have taken care of every single one of your ancestors so we wouldn’t have the problems we have today. Maga is declining thankfully and yall slll go back under the rocks for awhile. You will still be racist, the least educated voter, the least informed voter and will still believe all the lies the next grifter tells you when he comes around. In the meantime – take a few civics and poli-sci courses and try to pass the exam they give to become a US citizen. Study of course but then take the exam with no electronic devices or notes at all.
Racist? Is that all you people have? Must be the first word you ever spoke. Oh, thank for mentioning J6-another term that you people seem to love. I was wondering when you would do that, Leighlah. In actuality, you’re pretty boring-nothing original and you regurgitate the same dribble that you ‘tolerant’ Leftists adhere to. Speaking of which, real sweet of you to wish that the Indians would’ve wiped my ancestors out. So, I guess you’re a Native American? Please……
Please for our sake go back where you came from. You are the type of people we build a fence for and you on the other side. Johnston county folks do not like transplants. I don’t care how long you have been here!
How did these comments veer off of the article so much? What leads anyone to come to the conclusions that these comments refer to?