Execute Nidal Hasan by firing squad, but don't make it must-see-TV
A government-ordered public execution hasn’t happened in the United States since Aug. 14, 1936. In that case, it was the hanging of Rainey Bethea in Owensboro, Kentucky, who was convicted of raping and killing a 70-year-old woman in her home.
TL;DR
- A public execution by firing squad is scheduled for Maj. Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.
- This would be the first government-ordered public execution in the U.S. since 1936.
- The execution is planned for Dec. 3 in Fort Hood, Texas, by firing squad.
- The decision to livestream the execution is debated, with concerns it could create a martyr.
- Public opinion polls show a majority of U.S. adults favor the death penalty for murder.
- Some officials believe the execution will send a strong message to enemies, while others worry about the optics.
- The firing squad is presented as a more certain method of execution than lethal injection, referencing a recent botched execution in Tennessee.