JUSTICE?

I strongly hold a somewhat unpopular view. While at times I believe that many people share my belief, there are other times, times like tonight, when people cannot understand how I am able to take my belief to extremes.

I do not support capital punishment. The act has been abolished throughout most of Europe, South America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and yet when it occurs there are people who rejoice and are happy to see it happen. In my mind killing begets killing. Killing a killer creates another killer. It sends a message that killing another individual under the 'right' circumstances makes it OK. For myself, it is never OK. I am unwavering on this stance.

On December 30, 2006 Saddam Hussein was executed (sentenced to death by hanging) after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity. I remember when I saw the headline. I was walking by Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and felt nothing but sadness. It is quite difficult to express clearly all of the reasons why, at that moment, I felt sad. Was I going to mourn Hussein? No, the chances of that happening were not likely. However I did mourn the loss of a human life at the hands of other human hands.

Saddam Hussein did many terrible things in life so it is understandable why so many people in the world would hate him and even wish him dead. And even though I did not share the same wish, I could understand it nonetheless. I didn't hear much of the event once it had happened. I saw the headline and that was about as far as it went with me. I never heard about it again.

Today it was announced by the United States President Barack Obama that US military forces had attacked and killed Osama Bin Laden. And here we are again. The death of a leader who had committed many terrible deeds. While Obama spoke of the events he was congratulating the troops and all who worked to make it happen. He was not arrogant, nor foolish and recognized that this one death is not an end. Bin Laden's death will undoubtedly be seen by many as justice being served. I see it as capital punishment, minus the courts and sentencing.

I am often asked what the proper alternative would be. Jail? Perhaps. I do not claim to have answers or alternative solutions, but I do believe that killing is never the answer.

In fairy tales, comic books and various different stories the difference between the heroes and the villains is that the villains are willing to kill for what they believe in while the heroes almost always believe that there is another way. True enough issues are never black and white, but it makes me wonder what people think when they see the military rush in to kill the bad guy. Killing is OK because he was bad? Adults may be able to pick apart the issues and come up with reasons to justify the act, but when kids see their heroes killing the bad guys are we simply teaching each generation that killing is the answer? Is the message at all being sent that maybe it's something that is done as a last resort? And does that make it OK? I would argue no, it does not make it OK.

It would be so much easier I think if I could sit back and agree with what goes on in the world. Kill them. Why waste resources keeping them locked up for life. They are like a cancer that needs to be cut out and destroyed. But life isn't that easy, and I cannot think that way.

The newsfeed on my facebook account is filled with people celebrating the death of Bin Laden. I am hoping that, given some time, the world will stop celebrating the death of another human being and begin to celebrate the fact that there is one less individual actively working to bring harm to others.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Later all... ;)