Comments on: Saddam Is Dead http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/ The manic mind of the minister -- Auntie Mame Meets Cotton Mather Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:05:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Amy http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3450 Amy Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:28:43 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3450 <i>I just feel that the human community has every right to fight against evil incarnate when it is unleashed among them. Jesus and I argue about this a lot. </i><br/><br/>I think you and Jesus could both agree on your first sentence. Where the argument might come in is that Jesus, as I read him, says we have to fight that evil within ourselves as well. Calling one person (even a Hussein) "evil incarnate" and ignoring the way evil is incarnated in each of us takes us down a bad road.<br/><br/>Ian addressed this well in his comment, and William Schulz said pretty much the same thing in his recent Berry Street Essay & <a HREF="http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/6555.shtml" REL="nofollow">UU World article</a>. It's only human nature to want to kill, maim, torture the people who hurt people we love. A wise and just society stays our hand. <br/><br/>So a question for Bush might be, "How does this execution create a more just society?" I just feel that the human community has every right to fight against evil incarnate when it is unleashed among them. Jesus and I argue about this a lot.

I think you and Jesus could both agree on your first sentence. Where the argument might come in is that Jesus, as I read him, says we have to fight that evil within ourselves as well. Calling one person (even a Hussein) “evil incarnate” and ignoring the way evil is incarnated in each of us takes us down a bad road.

Ian addressed this well in his comment, and William Schulz said pretty much the same thing in his recent Berry Street Essay & UU World article. It’s only human nature to want to kill, maim, torture the people who hurt people we love. A wise and just society stays our hand.

So a question for Bush might be, “How does this execution create a more just society?”

]]> By: Jaume http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3449 Jaume Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:58:56 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3449 I am very saddened when I see the USA in the same list as China, North Korea, Arabia, Iran, etc., as one of the countries in which the death penalty is regularly applied and more casualties are legally caused by the state. I want to see the USA in the list of those democratic countries which have made a moral decision to stop applying the death penalty. It is only a recent achievement in our civilization that the death penalty is not to be applied, and the USA cannot wait any longer and remain in the company of tyrannies on this shameful issue. I am very saddened when I see the USA in the same list as China, North Korea, Arabia, Iran, etc., as one of the countries in which the death penalty is regularly applied and more casualties are legally caused by the state. I want to see the USA in the list of those democratic countries which have made a moral decision to stop applying the death penalty. It is only a recent achievement in our civilization that the death penalty is not to be applied, and the USA cannot wait any longer and remain in the company of tyrannies on this shameful issue.

]]> By: anniesmom http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3448 anniesmom Sun, 31 Dec 2006 03:42:15 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3448 While Saddam Hussein got a fair trial and the sentence was legally (and swiftly) carried out, I still take no joy in his death. (Nor does it please me that his pistol is mounted on W's office wall.) While Saddam Hussein got a fair trial and the sentence was legally (and swiftly) carried out, I still take no joy in his death. (Nor does it please me that his pistol is mounted on W’s office wall.)

]]> By: Ian http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3447 Ian Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:28:10 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3447 I remember Dukakis getting blasted for his "weak" response to the capital punishment question presented to him in the form of what his response would be if someone attacked Kitty. I've long thought that his response should have been "I'd want to kill the %&*%, but I'd also want society to stop me from doing it." There are so many good reasons to oppose capital punishment, not least of which is that revenge does nothing. But I'm just enough of an idealist to ask my society to rise above baser human instincts and, well, do "the Christian thing."<br/><br/>Yes, Saddam was a monster, but there is something about his execution that saddens me. I remember Dukakis getting blasted for his “weak” response to the capital punishment question presented to him in the form of what his response would be if someone attacked Kitty. I’ve long thought that his response should have been “I’d want to kill the %&*%, but I’d also want society to stop me from doing it.” There are so many good reasons to oppose capital punishment, not least of which is that revenge does nothing. But I’m just enough of an idealist to ask my society to rise above baser human instincts and, well, do “the Christian thing.”

Yes, Saddam was a monster, but there is something about his execution that saddens me.

]]> By: PeaceBang http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3446 PeaceBang Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:10:58 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3446 I know, I know. So many times as I worked at my computer today I heard snips and bits of descriptions of him, and it was like, "Wait a second. Are they talking about Saddam or Bush? Let me turn up the radio." I know, I know. So many times as I worked at my computer today I heard snips and bits of descriptions of him, and it was like, “Wait a second. Are they talking about Saddam or Bush? Let me turn up the radio.”

]]> By: Jaume http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3445 Jaume Sun, 31 Dec 2006 01:09:22 +0000 http://www.peacebang.com/2006/12/30/saddam-is-dead/#comment-3445 Let me see, are we talking about a man who sent a army to occupy a whole region in the Middle East, killing thousands of innocent civilians, just to satisfy his thirst for power and oil?<br/><br/>Yes, the man could be Saddam. Who else would do something so obnoxious? ;-)<br/><br/>BTW, I am against the death penalty. All of them, anywhere. The American democracy will not be a model again for anyone until it gets rid of it. Let me see, are we talking about a man who sent a army to occupy a whole region in the Middle East, killing thousands of innocent civilians, just to satisfy his thirst for power and oil?

Yes, the man could be Saddam. Who else would do something so obnoxious? ;-)

BTW, I am against the death penalty. All of them, anywhere. The American democracy will not be a model again for anyone until it gets rid of it.

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