Taxpayers have every right to witness where their money is going. And it should be no different when that money is funding the death penalty.

ABC-TV’s “Nightline” recently aired audio recordings of executions that occurred from 1983 to 1998 in Georgia. The tapes also were heard on public radio stations across the nation. The tapes were made from official audio recordings from state officials.

“Nightline” should be commended for airing these tapes. Journalists have the duty to let people know what the government is doing behind closed doors.

One’s stance on the death penalty is irrelevant when it comes to broadcasting executions. Taxpayer dollars pay for executions and the law states that they should be made public.

As long as adequate warnings are displayed by whomever is broadcasting the execution and provided it is on at a reasonably late time, there should not be any problems.

This isn’t just more violence in the media, capital punishment is really happening. People have a right to know what actually is happening in this country.

If someone is disgusted or offended by the broadcast, he or she simply can turn it off. It’s as simple as that.

Hopefully, these broadcasts will spark a more educated debate about the death penalty. People learn most about the death penalty from books and inside reports from witnesses.

It’s time everyone be allowed the chance to see what the death penalty really is like.

If people are against the death penalty, they can use the broadcasts to support their belief. If people are for it, they should be allowed the chance to experience what it is they are supporting.

Broadcasts of the execution must not be made in a sensationalized way, which can be easy to do. But everyone has a right to experience what they are paying for.