A Public Execution Puts America in Poor Company
The Trump administration seems to believe that the performance of cruel power is what makes a nation great.
The Pentagon has announced that the execution of Nidal Hasan, the Army officer convicted of a 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, will be streamed online. This decision has drawn criticism, with Amnesty International noting that 17 people were publicly executed in 2025, with 11 in Iran and six in Afghanistan. Advocates argue that such public displays undermine American values and could potentially incite further violence.
Iran and Afghanistan are not the only nations engaging in such practices; the decision reflects a departure from American principles of dignity and honor. President Obama, when Osama bin Laden was killed, chose not to release photos of his body, emphasizing that the United States is different from barbaric regimes. The decision to broadcast Hasan's execution may only serve to embolden terrorists and weaken our standing as a nation.
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