REVENGE AND THE SPECTACULAR EXECUTION: THE TIMOTHY MCVEIGH CASE

Abstract

This paper argues that contemporary executions by lethal injection represent spectacles of death. This spectacle of death upholds the sovereignty of the liberal state by evoking a sense of fear among the citizens. The State uses the apparently “painless” and “humane” form of execution by lethal injection to legitimize the death penalty in the U.S. I take the example of McVeigh’s execution to suggest that spectacles of execution continue in modern society, along with disciplinary processes that the liberal state depends on for its legitimacy. This paper, thus, aims to contribute towards a rethinking of a Foucauldian notion of power.

Citation

Lokaneeta, J. (2004), "REVENGE AND THE SPECTACULAR EXECUTION: THE TIMOTHY MCVEIGH CASE", Studies in Law, Politics and Society (Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 33), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 201-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1059-4337(04)33006-1