Frankly, I found this story to be rather chilling. The Attorney General of Utah used Twitter to confirm last night that he had ordered the execution of a prisoner by firing squad, to the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10348685.stm
But Mr Shurtleff’s 134-character composition was no ordinary post. This was not a piece of miscellany from the 53-year-old’s home life, a link chosen to amuse or interest his followers, nor even a political prod at his Democratic rivals.
“I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims,” the attorney general wrote.
Later on, he sent out another tweet:
“We will be streaming live my press conference as soon as I’m told Gardner is dead. Watch it at www.attorneygeneral.Utah.gov/live.html” he wrote.
Is this really the most appropriate way to announce the execution of a man to the world? A brief message on an iPhone? Before he even confirmed this officially? It just seems so brief and… impersonal.