October 11th, 2026
There have been two recent news stories about executions on the Internet that have made me think. One story is about Christa Pike, and the other is about Nidal Hasan. Both individuals are convicted murderers who committed heinous crimes. Their stories have caused me to remember a quote from The Lord of the Rings by J.R. R. Tolkien. This particular passage is something that the wizard Gandalf said to a young hobbit, Frodo, regarding a vicious creature called Gollum. Frodo had told Gandalf that Gollum was a vile thing that deserved death. Gandalf answered him in this way:
“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
I am of the opinion that our government leaders cannot counted as being among the very wise, and it is clear that they are quite willing to deal out death. The war with Iran is just the most glaring example of this bloodlust. The two executions that I mentioned are also instances of an institutional desire to kill.
Christa Pike was sentenced to death in 1996. She has been held in solitary confinement ever since then. What is it like to be in the hole for thirty years, knowing that you are going to be killed eventually? The State of Tennessee recently attempted to execute her, and the officials of the state botched it. So, now what happens? The woman is back in prison. Will the state try to execute her again? When is enough “enough”? When does the need for justice become vengeance? When does the rule of law become sadism?
Does she deserve to die? Undoubtedly. Is it right for the state to attempt another execution? I don’t think so.
Nidal Hasan is due to be executed by a firing squad. Does he deserve that punishment? Yes. Does it make sense to do so? I don’t know. I don’t think it will deter others who wish to commit acts of terrorism. If anything, the execution of Hasan on live stream will make him instantly into a martyr to those people who wish to emulate him. Has Secretary Hesgeth thought about that? Does he “see all ends”. Probably not.
We imagine our culture and our nation to be civilized. Public executions are not hallmarks of civilized countries. In some ways we are enlightened, and we can be examples to the rest of the world. However, our addiction to violence is a corrosive element in our society. It is causing us to slowly descend into barbarism.
