News, Neb. town considers turning defunct electric chair into tourist attraction. (Lincoln: 2009, houses)

[John1960]

LINCOLN, Neb. — Residents of a small southwest Nebraska town have a question for state officials: You're not doing anything with that old electric chair, are you?

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that the state's use of the electric chair was unconstitutional because it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Neb. town considers turning defunct electric chair into tourist attraction - USATODAY.com

[mattpoulsen]

Even though this is pretty morbid, the electric chair should probably be put in a museum somewhere. Its certainly a part of Nebraska history. That said, I don't know why it should be put in McCook?! And to put it in a display relating to a "use for electricity" is unbelievably insensitive and void of the associated human element. It belongs in some sort of criminal, legal, or judicial display.

It should be a museum relic...NOT a tourist attraction. There is a difference.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Even though this is pretty morbid, the electric chair should probably be put in a museum somewhere. Its certainly a part of Nebraska history. That said, I don't know why it should be put in McCook?! And to put it in a display relating to a "use for electricity" is unbelievably insensitive and void of the associated human element. It belongs in some sort of criminal, legal, or judicial display.

It should be a museum relic...NOT a tourist attraction. There is a difference.

Let's all be proud of our history of morbid execution as a way to strike fear in a public..

[Go Ne]

And of all places, why McCook?

[GraniteStater]

In a morbid way they might have picked McCook because many people use electric ranges, and the chair is electric.

[Cunucu Beach]

Mark Christensen is an idiot if he thinks people will be flocking to McCook to see an electric chair. Pioneer Village in Minden would be a better place for it.

[SCGranny]

Really?

Do you know how many people flock to areas to see "Hanging Trees" in both the West and the South? I used to live not far from a road named "Gibbet Road" - because on that road, there was the area's 'hanging tree'. Even though a politically correct County Council later changed the name of the road to "Giblet Road" - the history remained, and tourists and new people alike would stop at folks' houses on that road to ask where the hanging tree was. Put a sign up that says, "This way to McCook - home of Nebraska's Last Electric Chair!" and yes you WILL get tourists. Some folks go to see battlefields, some folks to see churches, some to see architecture... depending on the marketing, you can draw crowds and tourist dollars to pretty much anything.

[soundforlanguage81]

I've criss-crossed this country dozens of times over and one thing that i've learned is that your typical American travelers/tourists are some of the most impressionable fools i've ever seen. Wether it involves spending thousands of dollars at an overcrowded, overpriced theme park in Florida or gazing in awe at an antique electric chair in McCook, Nebraska.....It never fails, like a gnat to a bug zapper.

That said, this is an idiotic idea.

"Geez honey, nothing like learnin' the history of government sponsored murder...huh huh"

[SCGranny]

True, but if there is one born every minute, and two to take advantage of him - which would you rather be? The whole idea of tourism is to drag them in... and then keep them there as long as possible, spending their money.

LOL I lived 350 miles from Orlando and NEVER went to the theme park. But I can't resist going to the wild beauty of the Badlands again and again... different strokes for different folks.

[soundforlanguage81]

Yeah I was born and raised in western NC mere minutes from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, The smokies, Cherokee, Asheville etc...The year-round tourists are awful and it's a big reason why I left.

No one just gets intentionally lost these days, give me an option between a wallet-sucking tourist trap or hiking the wildcat hills, or riding the Maah daah hey trail..you can bet i'll choose the latter.