Capital Punishment Essay: Should Execution of Inmates be Televised?

Should the Execution of Death Row Inmates be Televised?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On discussing the appeal of the highly-rated CBS television show, "Survivor," host Jeff Probst said the "appeal of the show lies in the idea that it is truly a human experience" (Mason par. 3).   Now imagine a show in which American television viewers are permitted to watch the live execution of a Death Row inmate.   Would broadcasting a live execution have the same "appeal" as "Survivor"?   Or would televising an inmate's execution have horrific and harmful consequences on the American public, putting the issue of capital punishment, as well as their ethical standards, in jeopardy?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Televisions are present in 98-99% of American households, (comma splice) basically they are present in every American house.   American viewers watch televisions frequently and for a long duration of time, regarding what is seen on television as the most "credible, complete, intelligent, and unbiased source of news" (Leighton par. 10).   Therefore, because of this fact, proponents of televising executions believe that in doing so, the public creates a deterrent, allowing the whole process of the United States criminal justice system to play out in front of the American public via the most popular medium for doing so, the television ("Debate Lives On" par. 3).   A deterrent is a notion that the pain of punishment, (in this case, the pain of execution), will prevent human beings from committing crimes.   Therefore, if the American public could bear witness to the execution of a convicted man or woman, the image would be so shocking t o that viewers mind that the ability or desire of that person to commit a "death penalty" crime would decrease.   In essence, proponents of te... ... 2 June 2000.   Online.   Internet.   Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/06/02//fpl13sl-csm.shtml Miller, Matthew.   "Forget Conventions-televise executions."   Los Angeles Times Syndicate.   29 June 2000.   Online.   Internet.   Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.reporter-news.com/opinion/forgetconvensions/exe.htm Shapiro, Andrew L.   "State Killing: America's New Spectator Sport?"   Salon Magazine.   28 July 1997.   Online.   Internet.   Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.salonmagazine.com/mediacircus.html   "State Killing is Not the Answer."   Amnesty International-USA.   Press Release.   Guatamala.   26 June 200.   Online.   Internet.   Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.rights.amnesty.org/ainews.html White, James.   Contempory Moral Problems.   Fifth Edition.   West Publishing Company.   Minneapolis, 1997.