canada does not have the death penalty. anywhere at all. i have mixed feelings about that, and a lot of canadians do. there are rare circumstances where it seems like the death penalty is the correct outcome, but there are reasons we don't do it that are logically sound, and it's generally inadvisable to suggest they are reconsidered for the sake of a few extreme counter-examples.

the united states does have the death penalty, although i realize that many states do not carry it out or have not carried it out in years or decades. i have at times called for the application of the death penalty in the united states, where it does happen, and is not banned, in the context of these rare cases. i would consider both the menendez brothers case and the christa pike case to be the kind of rare case where a sentence of death is justified.

i do not see a contradiction in resisting the application of capital punishment in canada, a jurisdiction where it is completely banned, and supporting it in the united states, where it is not banned. i very rarely make political or legal decisions based on moral considerations. i do not believe in god. should the united states move to ban the death penalty, i would support that, and also resist it's use in the united states, even in those rare cases where it's justified. i understand that this is complex reasoning, but it's logically consistent, because it's a legal question and not a moral question.

in no context would i ever support live streaming a firing squad. that is disturbing and sick. in situations where somebody should die as a combination of the need for excessive punishment, the absence of any doubt as to guilt (including a clear and reliable confession) and the need for public safety, it is something that should be done amongst reflection and sombre attention to the gravity of the decision to extract such an extreme level of legal retribution. it is not a normal punishment. it's certainly nothing to gawk about.

trump's support for this reminds us that he is a reflection of the religious extremists in other parts of the world, including in the middle east, which is why he wants to negotiate with these people instead of wipe them out. you expect something like this in palestine, iran or saudi arabia. you don't expect it in the united states.

i'm admittedly not fully educated about the subtleties of state rights in the american union, but if the congress has the power to ban live streaming of capital punishment, it should. further, streaming sites should take steps to block the state from utilizing their services for that purpose.