Month: December 2006

Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging yesterday morning. While I feel that the world will not miss him, I can’t really see how executing him solved any of the problems that the world currently faces, especially in the Middle East. I have never felt that capital punishment is the right answer to anything. I have yet to see how a society can call itself civilized when they have a systematic system in place for killing their own members, no matter how heinous that member of society is. I suppose I might want the person who killed someone in my family dead, but is that justice? I think it is just revenge. I am all for making criminal’s lives unpleasant, but there is no pain after you die. I would rather have someone be reminded every day of the horrible things they have done and be forced to work and pay for their food and healthcare, while any and all luxuries would be denied… that, to me is punishment. I don’t think that many of the flotsam and jetsam who commit these crimes actually fear death anyway. Living without freedom is punishment. Execution makes the victims feel better, but all the perpetrator  gets out of it is the time and date of his death. It is hardly justice and not much different or painful than learning you have six months to live from cancer. Call me a pacifist if you want, but I think I want something much worse than death for these individuals.

I would also like to take this time to say I have no respect for anyone who claims that human life is sacred, but supports the death penalty! Either you elevate the human, or you don’t… there is no in between. If we are “playing God” with a fetus, or even an embryo, than what gives us the right to do so with a full grown human, no matter how despicable?

There is so much we need to be doing to make this world a better place. Saddam Husein stopped from oppressing and killing people is a good thing. His execution by hanging does nothing for the world.