Saddam to Be Killed By Sunday

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by War Emblem

The processes of judicial hanging...

http://www.richard.clark32.btinterne.../hanging2.html

You know as bad as the person was I think to execute a person, to take matters into our own hands is wrong. I believe that only God can be the judge and executioner. Regardless of how much pain he has caused to others. We have no right in this matter. I am against capital punishment. May God have mercy on his soul.

I agree...as I've said so often, systems are the enemy, not men! Sadam was a ruthless murderer and will answer for his acts, but there is no need to kill him...he can be incarcerated for life and not be a threat to anyone. Once executed, he may well become a martyr to the radical Islamists regardless of the truth of his life. The focus should be on ending the civil war in Iraq and addressing all the hatred, not killing some old harmless man. I know if it was my family that he tortured, I'd want revenge...but that's what it would be...revenge, not justice.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

I agree...as I've said so often, systems are the enemy, not men! Sadam was a ruthless murderer and will answer for his acts, but there is no need to kill him...he can be incarcerated for life and not be a threat to anyone. Once executed, he may well become a martyr to the radical Islamists regardless of the truth of his life. The focus should be on ending the civil war in Iraq and addressing all the hatred, not killing some old harmless man. I know if it was my family that he tortured, I'd want revenge...but that's what it would be...revenge, not justice.

Somerfrost,
I'm hesitant to express my thoughts, though others seem quite willing to have theirs heard.
That said, I do not disagree with your opinion.
Please consider this:
1) If Saddam is executed, even though it will satisfy the need for revenge, it will be seen by many in Iraq as a "puppet government" doing the will of the invaders. Pouring "gasoline on a fire" has dire consequences. Perhaps some do not wish to see the fire extinguished.
2) In my humble view, the granting of a reduced sentence (life without parole) would be a much wiser decision. Creation of a martyr is not timely.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

I agree...as I've said so often, systems are the enemy, not men! Sadam was a ruthless murderer and will answer for his acts, but there is no need to kill him...he can be incarcerated for life and not be a threat to anyone. Once executed, he may well become a martyr to the radical Islamists regardless of the truth of his life. The focus should be on ending the civil war in Iraq and addressing all the hatred, not killing some old harmless man. I know if it was my family that he tortured, I'd want revenge...but that's what it would be...revenge, not justice.

my problem isn't with man being judge and jury as was mentioned above-society has laws and rules-and they are applied to everyone. my main issue with the death penalty is with those cases where justice wasn't served, and an innocent man may be put to death.


as for saddam....i'd hate for him to achieve martyrdom. but obviously he isn't an innocent man. i won't lose sleep no matter how it turns out.

[GenuineRisk]

I just find it indicative of our absolute bungling of Middle East policy that a secular madman now appears on track to becoming a martyr to the radical Islamists. The radical Islamists hated him as much as we did until we went in, deposed him, f*cked up reconstruction, thereby opening up Iraq as a breeding ground for them. Now I fear they're happy to use his death as a poster child to gather more foot soldiers against the West.

But I guess it depends on how you feel about the death penalty. If a man (or woman) is to be put to death, I think it should only be so that society as a whole is safer (Ted Bundy, the Broomstick Killer, etc. are to me, excellent examples of when the death penalty is necessary). In this case, I fear executing Saddam will not do that and may only incite violence.

But I'd be thrilled to be wrong on this one. Maybe he's been out of power long enough no one will care. I guess we'll find out soon.

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I just find it indicative of our absolute bungling of Middle East policy that a secular madman now appears on track to becoming a martyr to the radical Islamists. The radical Islamists hated him as much as we did until we went in, deposed him, f*cked up reconstruction, thereby opening up Iraq as a breeding ground for them. Now I fear they're happy to use his death as a poster child to gather more foot soldiers against the West.

But I guess it depends on how you feel about the death penalty. If a man (or woman) is to be put to death, I think it should only be so that society as a whole is safer (Ted Bundy, the Broomstick Killer, etc. are to me, excellent examples of when the death penalty is necessary). In this case, I fear executing Saddam will not do that and may only incite violence.

But I'd be thrilled to be wrong on this one. Maybe he's been out of power long enough no one will care. I guess we'll find out soon.

Well, I don't believe the radical leaders will miss this opportunity...of course, Sadam was as much a Muslim as is George Bush but it won't matter. My issue is of course with the death penalty itself. The US can't really say much here when we still execute men, women and children in this country...not to mention pre-born babies. We can hardly claim any moral high ground here! And the blood-lust of our people is evident even in some of the posts here...killing Sadam may comfort some folks, but their lives sure as hell won't be any safer!

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I just find it indicative of our absolute bungling of Middle East policy that a secular madman now appears on track to becoming a martyr to the radical Islamists. The radical Islamists hated him as much as we did until we went in, deposed him, f*cked up reconstruction, thereby opening up Iraq as a breeding ground for them. Now I fear they're happy to use his death as a poster child to gather more foot soldiers against the West.

But I guess it depends on how you feel about the death penalty. If a man (or woman) is to be put to death, I think it should only be so that society as a whole is safer (Ted Bundy, the Broomstick Killer, etc. are to me, excellent examples of when the death penalty is necessary). In this case, I fear executing Saddam will not do that and may only incite violence.

But I'd be thrilled to be wrong on this one. Maybe he's been out of power long enough no one will care. I guess we'll find out soon.

GR.
After I saw a show how different families deal with the death of a convicted killer that had taken their loved one... I sorta got mixed up. A number of people cannot handle the fact that the killer lives, and go into serious depression, and a number of them actually commit suicide. The families that got their justice, came out very satisfied and went back to living a normal life. However, some families got no satisfaction whatsoever from the execution. In fact some felt worse, even though they wanted the killer executed.
So I focused more on the real victims, the living victims. And came out very confused.

[Danzig]

now they're saying by saturday....oh, and saturday in bagdad--starts about 45 mins from NOW.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by Danzig188

now they're saying by saturday....oh, and saturday in bagdad--starts about 45 mins from NOW.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061229/...mi_ea/saddam_6

[31lengths]

I heard by 10 PM est tonight.

This has to be one of the biggest events to occur in my lifetime. When was the last time a head of state was executed?

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by pgardn

GR.
After I saw a show how different families deal with the death of a convicted killer that had taken their loved one... I sorta got mixed up. A number of people cannot handle the fact that the killer lives, and go into serious depression, and a number of them actually commit suicide. The families that got their justice, came out very satisfied and went back to living a normal life. However, some families got no satisfaction whatsoever from the execution. In fact some felt worse, even though they wanted the killer executed.
So I focused more on the real victims, the living victims. And came out very confused.

That sounds like a fascinating show; I wish I'd seen it.

I guess one's position depends on what one's agenda with punishment for violent crimes is. I don't see the value in the death penalty, except in a very few, select cases, where I think society is safer with someone executed. I'm not a big believer in it as a deterrent and if it's for vengeance, I think it would be far more horrendous punishment to lock someone up in solitary confinement, with no access to the outdoors or to other people, including family, no books, no TV, no entertainment of any kind, for the rest of their lives. Which is horrifically cruel punishment and would probably drive them batsh*t crazy in a few years, if it took that long. I don't think death is the worst thing that can happen to a person (which doesn't make me any less reluctant to face it before I have to, mind you!). So I don't see what its use as punishment is in most cases, if the intent is to "even the score" or whatever.

Another sobering thought is that people get wrongly convicted of crimes and sentences to life in prison, also, but when someone gets sentenced to life in prison, as opposed to the death penalty, it's very hard to get the case appealed, so there are currently innocent people languishing in prison for the rest of their lives for things they didn't do. But because they didn't get the death penalty, we as a society, feel free to forget about them. Talk about cruelty...

Anyway, my deep thoughts (ha ha ha) on the death penalty. As I said, in some cases, I think it's necessary-- what finally convinced me was reading about Kenneth Allen McDuff, whose death sentence was commuted to life in 1969, but was still paroled 17 years later due to prison overcrowding and as soon as he got out, started killing again (he was executed in 1998). So in very, very rare circumstances, I think it's best for society's safety to remove someone permanently. If this man had been excuted the first time, some Texas women would still be alive today. So, in rare cases, I don't see how anyone could argue against it.