He is the man who planted the bomb that blew up the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Ind. The families of some victims of that tragedy want to watch the execution. Perhaps a little of that common desire to be present when historic things happen, such as inaugurations and shuttle landings. The execution of Timothy McVeigh will be filmed and observed on closed circuit television. More than 200 people will be allowed in a special Oklahoma prison room to watch the big-screen event.
Federal law prohibits recording an execution.
There will be no videotape of this death. The transmission will be encrypted to prevent hackers from intercepting it, making a copy and providing it to the highest bidder. Perhaps the execution of Timothy McVeigh is a matter of public access, like the ballots in Florida. I think about all this, also about another man convicted of a crime, whose execution on the outskirts of an ancient walled city was a matter of public observation. His death has been a source of curiosity, controversy and conviction for 2,000 years.