The Pentagon is preparing to broadcast the execution of convicted mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan, a former US Army Major, by firing squad on December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from The Mirror, which described the move as a public spectacle of state-sponsored killing.
Hasan was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, in which he killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. His crimes have been described as monstrous, and his victims and their families are said to deserve justice, compassion and dignity. However, the idea that justice requires a live stream and a choreographed military killing has been labelled an obscenity by the outlet.
Criticism of the Plan
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appears determined to turn the execution into a public performance, according to The Mirror. The outlet noted that Iran and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have carried out public executions, while countries including North Korea, China, Somalia and Saudi Arabia have faced condemnation over capital punishment. The Mirror argued that broadcasting an execution across the internet is a humiliating advertisement for American democracy.
Only days ago, Tennessee's attempt to execute Christa Pike ended with her alive, badly injured and shackled to a hospital bed after two lethal injections. That was a state execution attempt. Hasan's is a federal military execution approved by Trump. The Mirror highlighted the difference in systems but noted a shared American thirst for killing prisoners.
Historical Context
The last widely recognised public execution in the United States took place in Kentucky in 1936, when thousands gathered to watch Rainey Bethea, a young Black man, being hanged. The carnival surrounding his death helped persuade Americans that public executions belonged to a darker, more barbaric age. The Mirror suggested that Trump's Pentagon is preparing to drag the country backwards, armed with high-speed internet.
The timing and location of the execution have reportedly been chosen to echo Hasan's massacre. Hegseth has argued that watching the execution will teach people that terrible crimes have serious consequences. The Mirror called this argument crass and questioned whether mass murderers, including those seeking martyrdom, would reconsider their actions after watching an American firing squad.
Moral Concerns
The Mirror expressed concern about a government inviting citizens to gather around their screens to watch another human being deliberately killed. It described the plan as profoundly sick and deeply disturbing, and said it was especially shameful to dress this up as national strength. The families of those murdered at Fort Hood have already endured unimaginable suffering, and their loved ones deserve remembrance, while their tragedy should never be exploited to promote a spectacle.
The outlet concluded that America once recognised the disgrace of public executions and consigned them to history. Now, its leaders seem eager to resurrect them for the digital age. The Mirror stated that Hegseth may think a televised firing squad makes America look strong, but to the watching world, it risks exposing the profound moral decay of its leadership. Trump promised to make America great again, but instead, his administration is preparing to broadcast a killing as a demonstration of greatness, and the shame will belong to America.
