On the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, a gleeful Pete Hegseth announced the livestreaming of the public execution by firing squad of Nidal Hassan. The Secretary of War claimed this heinous action would help people understand “consequences.” His desire to use the Fort Hood massacre as a distraction has already been taken off the table. However, the fact that it was in his head and he gave it temporary life when he said it reveals the demented character of someone with enormous power to kill people.

The public lynching of Rainey Bethea in 1936 is often said to be the last public execution in the U.S. Bethea was convicted of the rape and murder of a white woman in Kentucky. A jury of all white men convicted him of the charges. The young Black man who maintained his innocence until his death didn’t stand a chance.

A white man in Missouri was publicly hanged in 1937 for the robbery and murder of another white man. Roscoe “Red” Jackson admitted his guilt, and only 500 showed up at his hanging. An estimated 20,000 came from miles around to be a part of the festive occasion that witnessed the end of life for Bethea. Like several high-profile lynchings of Black men, the spectacle was turned into a marketing tool that generated revenue from hotel accommodations to photos of the gruesome act.

We ca quibble over which was the last public execution in the U.S., but all the incidents are a testament to the radical violence that undergirds the judicial process. There has never been “equal justice under the law” for people of color or poor people.

Pete Hegseth’s adult life, particularly his decisions as a member of the Trump administration, offers vivid examples of how he does not understand consequences. From sexual assault to purging top brass in the military, Hegseth has proven he doesn’t understand consequences. For a person with this kind of power, it is extremely frightening.

In the wake of the World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, we should elevate the abolition of the death penalty debate in the U.S. The botched execution of Christa Pike and Hehseth’s dream should make it easier to have such a discussion before the incidents fade from headline news.

Wisconsin abolished capital punishment in 1852. It still has a role to play in the public discourse on why it is an ineffective deterrent to crime. The state can be a leading voice in why the death penalty. Yet certain lawmakers believe we should maintain the uncivilized tradition. The U.S. is in the dim company of countries such as China, Iran and Korea in its avid practice of the death penalty, and several others have moratoriums on the barbaric practice even though it may still be on the books. American opinion is turning away from the death penalty despite the dogged minority support.

It is impossible to talk about state-sanctioned murder without addressing the white pathology that permeates U.S. society. As we reimagine our democracy beyond the MAGA agenda, those of us who believe in freedom, justice and equality will be tested on how to actualize a new, civilized society. A society that makes a clean break from the racist, sexist, and homophobic threads that are fraying because the majority of us desire something different and fair.

Resisting backwards ideas like public executions is essential. More importantly, we must make the humane security of our democracy a top priority by investing in people and the healthy environments they need to thrive.