1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am writing to you today as a constituent to express my deep disgust and alarm regarding the Defense Department’s proposal to publicly livestream the upcoming military execution of Nidal Hasan. Regardless of the horrific nature of Hasan’s crimes at Fort Hood, turning a state execution into a broadcast media event or internet spectacle violates core democratic standards and diminishes our national standing. Broadcasting an execution in this manner degrades the seriousness of the rule of law and risks turning the judicial process into state-sanctioned media entertainment. Publicly broadcast executions are associated almost exclusively with totalitarian regimes and authoritarian states—not constitutional democracies. Adopting this practice harms our international standing, undermines our moral authority, and subjects the public, including children and military families, to gratuitous graphic violence. I urge you to exercise your oversight authority as a member of Congress immediately by taking the following actions:Demand Congressional Oversight: Issue a public statement condemning the Pentagon’s plan and request an immediate inquiry by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees into the Defense Department's policy shift regarding public executions.Introduce or Support Legislative Prohibitions: Support legislative amendments to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) or federal defense appropriations that explicitly prohibit the public broadcasting, streaming, or commercial distribution of capital punishment proceedings.Engage Department of Defense Leadership: Join bipartisan colleagues in formally petitioning the Secretary of Defense and the President to rescind the broadcast directive.Our military justice system must uphold accountability without devolving into public shock entertainment. I look forward to hearing what steps your office is taking to address this critical issue.