Imagine the ratings for McVeigh's execution during sweeps week. Meanwhile, the lawsuits have begun. Last week, a federal judge rejected an Internet company's request to show live video of McVeigh's execution over the web. The legislatures of every state that has executions, and the federal government, have decided that executions should not be public spectacles. ENI chief executive David Marshlack said an appeal was planned.
More lawsuits are likely to follow.
Reporters will surely seek access to watch and record the reactions of those who see the closed-circuit broadcast at a Bureau of Prisons facility in Oklahoma City. All Americans were deeply harmed by McVeigh as we watched in horror while the dead were pulled from the rubble. Let us all see his final minutes. Televise the execution for public consumption, and let the entire world see how the United States deals with its worst criminals. The Saudi Arabians will understand.