Why is capital punishment in the USA not public like it used to be?

Question

Capital punishment used to be conducted in public gatherings, but has since moved behind closed doors. If capital punishment is on behalf of the public, why can't the general public be witness to an act that is supposed to be as humane as possible? Is there something the public is missing? Is the government ashamed? Is the public weak? Is it because the majority of the public is pro capital punishment, but can't stomach the actual killing?

Answer 1

Hell, I'm suprised executions aren't on Pay-Per-View, already!

Answer 2

I think there are probably several reasons for this. Back when executions were conducted at public gatherings, it was for entertainment. People had nothing better to do and this was a source of entertainment and fellowship. You could get together with friends that you wouldn't normally see because everyone live far apart and had to walk or ride a horse or in a wagon to get together. Now we have other forms of entertainment available to us.

Also, it is probably out of respect for the victims families and even the privacy of the person being executed. The crime was between these people and they probably don't want to share it with the whole town.

I don't think the government is ashamed or hiding anything and I don't think it is because the general public can't stomach the execution. Have you not watched t.v. or been to a movie lately? I think it is just that we have better things to do with our time.

Answer 3

It is still public because there are usually a few members of the general public who can be in attendance at an execution. So the few citizens there "represent" everyone, and this way is more civilized than public executions. You can see public executions in Saudi Arabia and other countries that follow Islamic law, like the Taliban in Afghanistan, which had executions in soccer stadiums. This kind of execution is not acceptable in the USA because we have more respect for the individual and we protect the individual from the crowd. Crowds used to watch lynchings of blacks. The mob ruled then. Today if you are against capital punishment you can make your voice heard through the vote and your own voice.

Answer 4

Christ became very clean whilst he pronounced his Kingdom became no longer in this international, no longer meaning the planet, however the way this international is. on account that there's no hate or worry in Christ's international ('choose no longer", "forgive your enemies"), there's no choose for a punishment and it is not conceivable that a actual "Christian Capital Punishment" might exist. A human punishment device might desire to exist yet do no longer call it below Christ's or God's call. The worst crimes have been committed that way.

Answer 5

The people who decide whether to have public executions believe that they would experience a tremendous negative reaction if someone were put to death in public.

Answer 6

Death, though the biggest adventure you will ever have, i not a spectator sport, and be shared with the people closest to you, or the peoples lives you have effected, could you watch someone die in an electric-chair or lethal injection, that you didn't know, and not come out of it unchanged, if you answer yes, society has desensitized you, or you are cruel.

Answer 7

Mostly for the families of the victims and families of the person being executed. They don.t want a lot of people seeing it done.
I think it should be more public so crooks could see what happens to them if they get caught. We also need to kill them faster so we don't have to feed him when we are waiting to execute him...

Answer 8

Oh they still flog people in Eureka California, but we haven't had a good hanging or public beheading in years.