Saddam Hussein Hanged
So the news has arrived that Saddam has been hanged and the human race - once again - disgusts me. On a variety of forums I visit, I’ve seen people making jokes, laughing and throwing mini-parties about it. I can’t quite comprehend how you can actually be happy that someone’s life has been ended by another human (or, in this case, group of humans). Furthermore, how can you justify murder with murder? That’s not justice, it’s a revenge killing. Don’t get me wrong, I am truly appalled by the actions of Saddam Hussein during his reign in Iraq - but what gives any other human the right to kill a fellow human?
Aside from that, if you really wanted to punish the guy - how was ending his life (with him seeing himself as a martyr) ever going to be the best way? He should have been locked up in solitary confinement for the rest of his life, with only bread and water. No social contact, nothing to watch, nothing to do, no way to end his life himself short of starving himself - that’s punishment. And maybe, just maybe, he’d live to regret his choices. What has actually happened is a government has murdered a former dictator who was seen by himself, and countless others, as a martyr - even up until his final moments. Good job.
It’s on days like today that I think the human race has lost it’s humanity.
Edit: for anyone interested, Nick, Ben and I had a bit of a debate about this whole issue from a Biblical context over at Nick’s Blog.
Mark Twain said it best. “There are times when one would like to hang the whole human race, and finish the farce”, and “often it does seem a pity that Noah and his party did not miss the boat.”
December 30th, 2006 at 17:52Exactly.
I was quite sad to see Saddam hang. His trial was a farce, completely unfair and the sentance was disgusting. I don’t approve of any type of death sentance, loss of human life is tragic and no one should have the right to take it away. Like it or not we could have learned a lot from Saddam as we could any human about life but alas it is just one more human mind that shall never be understood…..
December 30th, 2006 at 18:09Well I agree with the revenge comment. I won’t be celebrating the death of him but i certaintly won’t be crying over it either.
December 30th, 2006 at 21:20“I was quite sad to see Saddam hang. His trial was a farce,”
just a question, would you have let him go?
December 31st, 2006 at 17:54There is middle ground between hanging and letting him go. Jail, for starters.
I have been thinking a lot about this topic, thanks to YOU James! ;). Darn it, stop making me think! </sarcasm> He definitely will be a martyr to his religion, and in that sense killing him probably wasn’t the best move. I don’t feel bad that he’s no longer alive, I feel that he deserved death, seeing as he killed so many thousands of men women and children. So a government taking his life doesn’t upset me. But am I rejoicing? No. Is God rejoicing, no, because one of his creation just began an eternity in Hell. You’re right, I have a hard time believing that God is happy with executions.
January 1st, 2007 at 00:54Well, glad I could get you thinking… at least it’s been slightly productive
… I agree 100%. It’s a sad commentary on the present condition we all share. We need to find our center again, as a people.
January 1st, 2007 at 03:46The tragedy is, some people are quite happy to walk blind leading the blind.
Of course, that way noone can see where they are going wrong! People would far rather carry on in ignorance than have to actually change something!
January 16th, 2007 at 00:00