Does Tweeting From the Execution Chamber Go Too Far?

Did Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff go too far last Thursday when he tweeted the news of Ronnie Lee Gardner's firing squad execution?

The tweet circled the web this weekend, prompting a general response of shock and disgust. People are comparing the tweet to televising an execution and accusing Shurtleff of trivializing a serious matter for personal gain. I couldn't disagree more.

Back in April, when Ohio was thinking about tweeting executions, I wrote: "If we rule out tweeting executions as inappropriate, we could be denying ourselves a chance to speak directly to officials that run a system like Ohio's." That's exactly how I feel about Shurtleff's act. If Shurtleff hadn't tweeted, we wouldn't have the same channels through which to express our outrage at state-sponsored executions. An execution like Gardner's — which involved six rifles aimed at the heart of the prisoner, and commemorative coins for the officers who participated — deserves public comment, and Twitter is a great platform for that.

As controversy exploded over his tweet, Shurtleff explained himself (in another tweet) the next day: "I believe in an informed public. As elected official I use social media to communicate directly with people..." he wrote. Thanks to Twitter, Shurtleff has heard views on the death penalty, the firing squad and his social media strategy from people around the world. If he'd put a press release on his website, he would never have heard a peep.

Take a look at the tweets yourself. Think what you want about Shurtleff's decision to tweet at the moment of execution, but you can't deny that Shurtleff's tweet opened a new, global conversation about capital punishment.

I'm not alone in supporting Shurtleff's decision to tweet for these reasons, either. One tweeter, named Alox, wrote: "I'm rather glad state agents are announcing when they use morally disputed state power. Beats wiretaps." And, as he added with another message: "Citizenry, when the state does stuff you find deplorable — act to change it. Don't complain about hearing about it."

(Shurtleff appears to be listening, but he also went on to get both defensive and cheesy in subsequent tweets, calling critics "retweet whiners" and warning followers that "If u can't stand the TWEET, get out of the TWITCHEN." Groan.)

Complaining about a tweet is counterproductive. With his tweets from Gardner's execution, Mark Shurtleff has opened the door for a vital national conversation.

Photo Credit: Twitter