At 21:51 03/01/2007, you wrote:
>I am glad the monster is dead but sad that it ended like it did. I am=20
>against the death penalty, even for people like Saddam. Personally I woul=
>d=20
>find naturel life imprisonment a far worse punishment than a black but fi=
>nal=20
>end. I believe a study of 'Lifers' in the states said a similar thing. Hi=
>s=20
>death will only cause others death.
>There has been criticism that it was undignified. Surely 'dignified=20
>execution' is a non sequiter?
FWIW like you I oppose the death penalty. For me the reason is what
the death penalty says to and does to the rest of society.
In this case that was more than obvious.
Of course all sorts of penalties and events risk the lives of the
innocent - and I have opposed the death penalty on those grounds too,
because I cannot imagine anything more horrific that being executed
for a crime that one has not committed, but that is not relevant in this case.
What Saddam achieved once again, with the collusion of others - once
again, was the brutalization of the Iraqi people and perhaps people
more generally - once again.
Death is undignified, but the onlookers don't have to be, they get a choice.
Julian
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