STATEMENT FROM BISHOP GRUSS: The U.S. Department of War announced that the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the man convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009, would be publicly livestreamed.
The reported decision to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan is profoundly disturbing. While the crimes committed at Fort Hood caused immense suffering and grief, and justice must be served, but turning an execution into a public spectacle diminishes our common humanity.
The purpose of the justice system is to uphold law and order, not to provide public entertainment. As people of faith, we are called to build a civilization of life and human dignity. This public spectacle promotes a culture of death and must be reconsidered.
Sacred Scripture reminds us that every person possesses a God-given dignity: "God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them" (Genesis 1:27). Even when an individual has committed grave crimes, that fundamental human dignity is never erased. Therefore, publicly broadcasting an execution would not heal wounds, restore lives, or strengthen justice. Instead, it risks further coarsening our culture's regard for the dignity of the human person.
We pray for the victims of the Fort Hood tragedy, for their families, for all those affected by violence, and for a society that seeks justice while never losing sight of its moral responsibilities.