# Televised execution **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 12, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786 "2026-10-12T18:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/81 "2026-10-13T20:30:51Z")
As has been discussed elsewhere on the topic, the firing squad reloads.\* > **[Eddie Slovik | Execution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik#Execution)** > > The execution by firing squad was carried out at 10:04 a.m. on January 31, 1945, near the village of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. The defiant Slovik said to the soldiers whose duty it was to prepare him for the firing squad before they led him to the place of execution: > On the command of “Fire”, Slovik was hit by eleven bullets, at least four of them being fatal. The wounds ranged from high in the neck region out to the left shoulder, over the left chest, and under the heart. One bullet was in the left upper arm. **An Army physician quickly determined Slovik had not been immediately killed. As the firing squad’s rifles were being reloaded to fire another volley,** Slovik died. (Emphasis added.) \*Technically, I guess it’s more accurate to say that the weapons are reloaded by someone else and given to the firing squad, since they’d want to preserve the fiction of uncertainty as to who has the non-lethal round. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/82 "2026-10-13T20:32:08Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Well, in Christa Pike’s case, they gave her a second injection, but still it wasn’t enough to kill her. In her case, there was no doctor involved at all as far as I know. The people trying to execute her had no medical training. But reportedly, with her vein condition it would be difficult to do it properly even for a real doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/83 "2026-10-13T20:41:07Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > But what if the firing squad are aiming badly and the victim gets shot, but not fatally? We review the training given to members of the military? Because clearly something went wrong if that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/84 "2026-10-13T20:44:53Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Well, in Christa Pike’s case, they gave her a second injection, but still it wasn’t enough to kill her. Could happen the same with a second round by firing squad. When do you stop?. You probably don’t. With lethal injection, there’s a level of faux civility around the whole procedure, as if it is a standard visit to a doctor’s office, to appeal to our civilian sensibilities. A military execution by firing squad is inherently more brutal than an execution by lethal injection, so I doubt they’re going to get squeamish about additional rounds. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/85 "2026-10-13T20:46:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > We review the training given to members of the military? Because clearly something went wrong if that happens. Yeah, I also think it’s improbable, but human error always can be a factor, even where you don’t expect it. Especially in such stressful circumstances for everyone involved. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/86 "2026-10-13T20:50:41Z")
There is an American expression, “He can’t hit the broad side of a barn.” That’s the level of poor marksmanship that would be necessary for an execution to go wrong like that. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/87 "2026-10-13T21:15:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That’s the level of poor marksmanship that would be necessary for an execution to go wrong like that. “Only stormtroopers are so precise.” ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/88 "2026-10-13T21:20:53Z")
This is a military execution not an ICE execution. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/89 "2026-10-13T21:22:17Z")
How many of the shooters are happy to be doing this today? Some might rather be elsewhere. Looking at that poor dude in a wheelchair 15 or 20 feet away it might be easy to persuade yourself to point in the general direction, close your eyes, and squeeze the trigger. At those ranges, anyone who’s actually trying to hit center of mass or whatever designated aimpoint will succeed within an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/90 "2026-10-13T21:27:19Z")
If you are an experienced marksman, can you tell the difference between shooting a live round and shooting a blank? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/91 "2026-10-13T21:27:35Z")
No! So many here have the wrong attitude about this: listen to an expert! > **[George Carlin on Televised Executions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lY5JZgWvzQ%2F)** > > George Carlin talks about televised executions with sponsors!This clip is from his 1996 stand up special "Back in Town" An extract from: > **[George Carlin - Death Penalty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDO6HV6xTmI%2F)** > > George Carlin talks about the death penalty, i didn't see this one up so i thought i might upload it ;\] If you like George Carlin, you might want to check ou... ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/92 "2026-10-13T21:29:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > At those ranges, anyone who’s actually trying to hit center of mass or whatever designated aimpoint will succeed within an inch. If the weapons are sighted in for 25 meters (AI tells me that’s the off-the-shelf standard), they’re going to hit high if they don’t compensate. If they do compensate, whether they hit the target is really dependent on the skill of the shooter. Granted, anything firing a 5.56mm round shoots pretty flat, but I’d bet the firing squad won’t get a lot of range time to prepare for such a short shot. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/93 "2026-10-13T21:31:13Z")
In a bizarre sidenote to this whole barbaric, sickening mess, the only livestreaming platforms that have said that streaming a public execution violates their TOS are… Kick and TikTok. > **[YouTube, Meta, and Twitch won’t say if they’ll allow the US government to...](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/1008722/youtube-meta-twitch-government-execution-livestream)** > > It’s not clear where the US government will broadcast the execution. I mean, what? Kick are the ones taking the moral high ground over YouTube and Twitch? The world truly has gone mad. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/94 "2026-10-13T21:34:33Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > I mean, what? Kick are the ones taking the moral high ground over YouTube and Twitch? The world truly has gone mad. Yeah, Kick is the platform people end up on when they get banned from Twitch. That’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/95 "2026-10-13T21:36:55Z")
I love my youtube! If they stream that, I’m done with them. (I would respect it if they announced publicly that they won’t stream it.) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/96 "2026-10-13T21:37:10Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Kick are the ones taking the moral high ground over YouTube and Twitch? That’s not surprising at all - Twitch allows people to Livestream footage of terrorist attacks while celebrating their actions with no penalty, showing an execution would be small potatoes by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/97 "2026-10-13T21:42:06Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I love my youtube! If they stream that, I’m done with them. > (I would respect it if they announced publicly that they won’t stream it.) I hope that YouTube won’t. ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/98 "2026-10-13T22:24:20Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > This is what happens when you put Percy Wetmore in charge of DOD. Just wanted to single this out because this comparison really hit home for me. I’d never thought about it like that, but you’re right. Hegseth is very much a Percy Wetmore type character. Just a cruel, vicious, _tiny_ little guy. The list of people I despise more than Donald Trump is very short, but Hegseth’s just earned his way on it. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/99 "2026-10-13T22:37:01Z")
Or Panem, for that matter? I’ve seen two interviews so far with people who had been shot by him; one plans to attend and the other does not, but they both found the idea of televising it despicable. Even putting it on Tor would be disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786/100 "2026-10-14T00:23:05Z")
Trump is apparently reconsidering because nobody told him Hasan is paraplegic. > **[Trump debates calling off livestream of firing squad execution after learning...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/13/politics/trump-fort-hood-shooter-livestream-execution?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit)** > > President Donald Trump and his advisers are debating whether to call off plans to livestream the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter, with Trump having remarked privately that he did not initially know that Nidal Hasan was paralyzed from... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-execution/1033786.md?page=6)