Forget broadcast, executions are morally wrong

The Monday, April 9 staff editorial ("Execution on the Web harmful to society") argued that broadcasting the execution of Timothy McVeigh was in "poor taste and harmful to society." The reason why this broadcast would be detrimental is because its subject, the death penalty, is an unjust and cruel practice.\nThe death penalty is a politically correct term for murder. McVeigh's guilt is not disputable; he admits to being responsible for the bombing. He deserves a severe punishment, such as life imprisonment, but we should stop short of killing him. If we are truly repulsed by his actions, how can we use the same act against him? Killing is never justifiable, and we undermine this basic moral by making exceptions. Not only is killing repulsive, it serves no benefit. Killing McVeigh cannot, nor should it, compensate for the loss the families of the victims have experienced. And, in contrast to what supporters would like to believe, no study has proven that the death penalty is a deterrent to violent crime.\nIn America, where the people are the government, we are all guilty of murder whenever an execution is performed. This fact remains true no matter how hard we try to distance ourselves by calling it an "execution," creating more "humane" methods like lethal injection or carrying it out in sterile, private rooms. While broadcasting an execution may be in "poor taste," it would serve at least one important function; it would make people think about whether they are comfortable watching a person be killed. If the death penalty does not violate your belief system, your conscience must be clear enough that you would be willing to perform it yourself. \nIn contrast to what the IDS believes, killing McVeigh will make him a martyr, whether or not his execution is broadcast. A martyr is anyone who is persecuted for his beliefs. McVeigh will be killed because he supports terrorism against the government and its citizens. He should remain in prison, as a life sentence will safely remove him from society, give him time to contemplate his crime and deny his martyrdom. As the first federal execution in 37 years approaches, we should look beyond the broadcast issue and ask why we continue to support institutionalized murder in the first place.