US plans livestream of execution by firing squad
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The United States' execution of the Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed, anonymous officials from the Defense Department told the BBC and Associated Press. The planned execution of Nidal Hasan, the former US Army major convicted of killing 13 people at the Texas military base, was announced this
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A dimly lit, sparsely furnished room in a military facility, with a large projection screen displaying a firing range where soldiers stand at attention, preparing to execute a prisoner.
Caption: Live from the range, it's the future of military entertainment.
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Based on the original story on theverge.com.
Editor's note
The decision to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan marks a grim shift towards public spectacle in a legal process that has long been cloaked in secrecy and solemnity. As the machinery of justice grinds on, it unveils the unsettling ways in which even our most solemn institutions can become mere spectacles for public consumption.
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Panel 1
(a) The subject of this story is the US Department of Defense and its procedures for carrying out military justice, specifically the execution of convicted military personnel. The irony is the juxtaposition of the solemn and somber act of capital punishment with the modern convenience of a livestream. (b) The real absurdity is the spectacle of a government livestreaming an execution, turning a serious and private act into a public event. (c) The highlight is the incongruity of the execution being treated like a live sports event or a live stream of a popular TV show.
Panel 2
*A small, dimly lit room with a television set and a few chairs. The screen is off, and there is a stack of paper with notes and a pen on a small table beside the TV. A man in a suit and tie sits in front of the television, adjusting a remote control.* Man (to himself)
Man: Just need to set this up for the big event tonight.
Panel 3
*The television is now on, showing a live feed of an execution chamber. A man in a white robe (Nidal Hasan) is seated in the middle of the room, facing a row of armed soldiers positioned to execute him. The scene is tense and somber.* Man (adjusting the remote)
Man: Perfect angle. Can't miss this.
Panel 4
*The man in the suit leans back in his chair, watching the screen intently. The television shows the soldiers taking their positions, and the room is silent except for the man's occasional clicks on the remote. Suddenly, the man reaches for his phone and dials a number.* Man (into the phone)
Man: Hey, did you catch the livestream? It's like watching a baseball game, but less... cheering.
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