Valley readers speak up about Pentagon’s now-shelved plan to livestream military execution

Our Oct. 12 Question of the Week asked readers to share their thoughts on the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of former Army Medical Corps psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who is scheduled to die by firing squad Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, for the 2009 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 13 soldiers and wounded 32 others, including civilians. Today, Oct. 15, the president announced that the execution will not be streamed for the public. Prior to the announcement, Independent Newsmedia received comments from readers about the plan. Here’s a selection of what they had to say:

In the year 2026, no, we should not livestream any executions. Witnessing the serving of justice in all its aspects is an important deterrent against crime and also a palliative against the general anxiety that crime causes. However, in our current age of technology, especially AI, livestreaming of such an extreme event will get turned in to such widespread mocking and appalling memes that the negative would likely overshadow the good that it would — David E.

The United States of America was once better than a public execution. I’m not a huge fan of executions, too many “guilty” persons have been found innocent. But a public execution where children can see it? That seems way beyond the USA I thought I knew. — Beth T.

NO, NO, NO  —  we are not governed by Sharia law. It’s dangerous, despicable! — Ron C.