McVeigh Wants Execution Broadcast
Updated: Sat, Feb 10 09:36 PM EST

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh wrote in a published letter that his execution should be broadcast publicly.
In a letter published in The Sunday Oklahoman, McVeigh questioned the fairness of limiting the number of witnesses to his execution. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is considering a closed-circuit broadcast to accommodate survivors and relatives of victims.

"Because the closed-circuit telecast of my execution raises these fundamental equal access concerns, and because I am otherwise not opposed to such a telecast, a reasonable solution seems obvious: hold a true public execution - allow a public broadcast," he wrote.

McVeigh, 32, is set to be executed May 16 by injection at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., for his role in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The bombing killed 168 people and injured 500.

McVeigh's attorney, Rob Nigh Jr., confirmed that McVeigh wrote the letter and is serious about broadcasting his execution.

"He is in favor of public scrutiny of government action, including his execution," Nigh told the newspaper.

About 250 people who survived or lost family members in the bombing have asked to see McVeigh's execution, but only eight seats are available for witnesses on behalf of victims.

A national broadcast is not an option, bureau spokesman Dan Dunne said.

"It hasn't been considered. It won't happen," Dunne said.

Closed-circuit television has been a part of McVeigh's legal process from the start. His Denver trial was shown to bombing victims at an auditorium in Oklahoma City.

In McVeigh's Feb. 1 handwritten letter, he wondered who would be considered for watching his execution.

"It has ... been said that all of Oklahoma was a victim of the bombing. Can all of Oklahoma watch?" he wrote.

He also complained in the letter about the limits put on his witness list. McVeigh can have six witnesses, including one spiritual adviser, two lawyers and three adult relatives or friends.

McVeigh would be the first federal inmate executed since 1963. He dropped all appeals in January and has until Friday to seek clemency from President Bush.

The idea of televising executions is not new in the United States. Several states, including Oklahoma, have allowed relatives of murder victims to watch executions on closed-circuit television.

In 1994, former talk-show host Phil Donahue tried to get permission to televise the execution of murderer David Lawson, but was denied by the North Carolina Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

McVeigh will not make a legal push for a public execution, but Nigh said he supports the idea.

"If it is our collective judgment that capital punishment is a reasonable response to crime, we need to come to grips with what it actually is," he said.

Yeah!! And we should ban all guns so this will never happen again!!! 168 people dead because...

Oh wait... he didn't need a gun did he? But... but.. he killed a bunch of people.. you needs guns for that... right? If you ban all guns... awful crimes like this won't happen, right? if guns were banned... would those 168 people still be alive today? ...well actually.. no..

maybe we should ban cow shit and gas, oh and Ryder trucks and be required to regiester U-Haul trucks with the DOJ and only put a 10 gallon gas tank in them.


Thats it.

Post ban cow shit $1.99/lb. Pre ban cow shit $ 10.99/lb. I better go buy a cow!!! [:D]



McDookie King

I don't want uncle sams sticky fingers anywhere near my satellite dish. [:D]

I personally like the idea of public executions. And hangin' is at the top. Where people from all around gather for a picnic or something, almost make a holiday of it.

Like John Wayne described it in one movie (Chisum?, True Grit? I can't recall just now) "gruesome, that's what it is, gruesome".

Now some of the kids watching this would have nightmares and stuff, but kids are tough they'll survive, and they'll think long and hard about doing anything that'll lead them up the gallows.

Just my rant and .02 worth.

But think about it, "for the children"

I'm with JonnieG, actions have consequences.  Live broadcast would remind a few of this.

Put his a$$ on pay per view and introduce the brand new and highly innovative "Needle-Cam".

Take the tens of millions gernerated from the show and use it for restitution for the victims and victims families.

Anyone see Hannibal yet? How about the pig scene.....think lil' Timmy McVeigh would like that?

Hanging? Nah. Beheading, NOW we're talking! Facing the "Headsman's axe," and all that.

[size=2]I have always tought that public eicutions would be a good deturant for crime.  McVeigh should have his slinny a$$ tied up to a U-Haul with 300 lbs of furtilizer and diesel fuel in it and blown up.  (eye for and eye)[/size=2]

Maybe this is far out there - but I wonder if McVeigh wants to be looked at as some sort of martyr. The Murray Federal building was supposedly bombed because of the execution of a Aryan nations guy right before the bombing. So - maybe they were pissed off about Waco or whatever. When the news first came out I do remember hearing that an Aryan Nations supporter who had murdered has JUST been executed. Not sure if there is a connection - but I seriously wonder if McVeigh is trying to look like a martyr for whatever cause he supports. No one can deny that blowing up a building of innocent people is wrong - I'm just wondering WHY he wants a public execution.    

He wants a public execusion for juat that reason...to be some sort of martyr. On one hand, let him die alone, in a dark, cold, and damp dungeon somewhere.
On the other hand, a public execusion would do wonders towards preventing some of tomarrow's crimes. If kids can actuallt SEE what will happen to them, they just might think twice.

I'm not opposed to capitol punishment but in this case lethal injection is too good for him.  

He should be forced to live out his life in prison with the walls of his cell covered with pics of the babies he killed.

I agree about current methods of execution being too tame. Why should we care whether the means of execution is humane? The root of the word "humane" is "human," something which none of these condemned criminals are in my book. I'm all for being humane when killing stupid (4-legged) animals since they haven't done anything to deserve undue pain, but murderers? Rapists? Child molesters? Make 'em scream, and if they pass out from the pain, revive them and keep going. I personally like the idea starting off with chemical torture (injected or ingested chemicals) that cause excruciating pain but little or no physical harm - that comes when the flaying by 1/4" strips starts. The goal ought to be to keep the criminal screaming for a solid week before death.

FrankTheSpank:
Dont forget the "multiple gallons purchase form" if you buy more then 1 gallon of gasoline per week.  Also, a Seriously Harmful Intestinal Tract liscense (abreviated S.H.I.T. liscense) is required for those dealing in, or possessing, bovines and other animals which are known for S.H.I.T.  A S.H.I.T liscense requires a $200 transfer tax per animal, and a $200 tax on the creation of a new animal.

Kharn

I really hate to chime in here but I have to point out to some of you that "cruel and unusual punishment" is unconstitutional. Read the eighth amendment. I find it ironic that some you of talk so much about the second amendment but sometimes forget the rest.

ThePrisoner wrote :"cruel and unusual punishment" is unconstitutional

Just what I was thinking......

how about NOT EXECUTING tim,until we can bring the rest of the BOY"S to the party.should'nt (THEY)
be tried and convicted.
this is a DISGRACE for our country.

Saturday Night Live's "newscast" had a great line: "McVeigh want a public execution, there is talk of auctioning off the 8 seats to the public, everyone know that the front row seats will be filled by industy people....."
Classic!!
McVeigh should not be executed, instead he should be allowed to live out the rest of his life in an 8 X 8 cell.
Of course he may not be executed, (aluminum foil hat on) it may be a hoax, he may end up in a secret little dungon somewhere ala X-Files. I say that chemical mind melting should be done on him to get to the bottom of what the fuck did happen and who really did it.
Aunty Janet is gone.

Those who have read Unintended Consequences will remember on page 581.  There this incident is talked about at length.

How "Master Bomber" McVeigh managed to nearly level the building with a low grade ANFO explosive is one of the questions that will never be answered.

To quote, "If McVeigh accomplished such a feat, he is a genius with explosives."

[>:/]