1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I was horrified to hear that the US government will be executing a man, live, by firing squad. The compounding horror of contemplation of a live execution by a modern government is appalling – a wound inflicted on an already suffering America. If the U.S., as an egalitarian modern nation, proceeds in this manner, it will join the ranks of Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Saudi Arabi in butchering humans in public. We cannot claim to be a moral or just nation, or a Christian nation, when we are not only subjecting the condemned to an inhumane death, we are subjecting Americans to an inhumane spectacle. This course of action is particularly grotesque when these images will be available to be seen by children – who will undoubtably be adversely impacted. Children subjected to violence and who witness violence are likely to engage in violence and likely to further be disassociated with humanity – in a US where our children are increasingly desensitized to human suffering and isolated from social interactions. The absurdity of limiting movies, books, and video games which portray violence while also subjecting children to witness actual violence defies reason. Congress needs to act – to prevent this miscarriage of the administration of justice, and to prevent the sitting US Secretary of War from committing unconstitutional acts.