In this episode of Creating the Future with Dr. Brent Simpson, where we dive into stories, truths, and deep questions that help shape our faith, our families, and our future, I sit down with Florida State Representative, attorney, and U.S. Army veteran Danny Alvarez to discuss one of the most unsettling questions surrounding the death penalty: Even when someone deserves to die for their crimes, should we want to watch it happen?
Nidal Hasan, the former Army major responsible for the horrific 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people, was sentenced to death. Now, plans for his execution by firing squad—and the possibility of broadcasting it to the public—raise profound questions about justice, revenge, human dignity, and the kind of society we're becoming.
I'm not opposed to the death penalty. But I do wonder what happens to us when the death of another human being becomes something we want to watch.
In this thought-provoking conversation, Danny and I explore the morality of firing squads, the psychological impact of witnessing real violence, the burden placed on those responsible for carrying out executions, and the troubling possibility that modern technology is turning punishment into entertainment.
Have we become more civilized, or have we simply replaced the Roman Colosseum with a smartphone?
We also wrestle with an important Christian tension: How do we uphold justice while remembering that even the most guilty human being was created in the image of God? Can we condemn evil without allowing our response to evil to diminish our own humanity?
⚖️ Justice can require the taking of a life without requiring us to take pleasure in it.
This isn't simply a conversation about capital punishment. It's about human nature, our growing desensitization to violence, and the moral responsibility we have for what we choose to watch, celebrate, and consume.
The question isn't just whether we have the right to execute someone. It's whether watching that execution makes us better—or less human.
💬 Join the conversation: Would you watch a public execution? Do you believe broadcasting an execution serves justice, or does it turn human suffering into entertainment? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Follow Florida Rep. Danny Alvarez on Instagram: @dannyalvarezsr
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