I don't k now - are we stooping to his level, or are we in fact saving thousands more human beings from eliminating his influence? If the alternative were prison for him, would he not then be able to influence other inmates of his hatred, for them to act upon when they were released?
I don't think this is the same as executing someone on death row who has committed heinous crimes - for example, many inmates in the U.S.; these people are behind bars, and really, can they influence others? Not as likely.
The power of Saddam is obvious by his still followers - he is a cult leader. I think in hanging him it not only sets an example that his iron-fist politics will not be tolerated in the free world, but it rids the earth of more evil.

Absolutely not. The soldiers who found him should have shot him as soon as they had a positive id. A trial is ridiculous.

I would say run with the values your were taught, they will take you far.

This trial is political. The rules against kicking a sibling aren't exactly the same.

I would say yes. It might inspire some fear in other political rulers, that they cant get away with oppressing and murdering their own people.

Capital punishment is always wrong. Every human law must be viewed according to the commandments of God. Let God alone be the One to decide when Saddam dies .

I don't think I could ever get fully behind capital punishment. It's a very hard subject to tackle and I don't pretend to have the answer for it - but to me it just never sat right.

"If the alternative were prison for him, would he not then be able to influence other inmates of his hatred, for them to act upon when they were released?"

I don't think though, that if Saddam Hussein were imprisoned that he would be in some average prison in the general population. If imprisonment were an option, he would undoubtedly be in solitary confinement. And it would be what he deserves.

Would killing him solve anything? His followers are sure of their brand of righteousness. Would keeping him in solitary the rest of his days prove a solution? I don't know, the indignity of imprisonment for me would be worse than death. I guess this is one where I am glad not to have to make a decision.

to MusicGirl: I just want to say how refreshing it is to see a young person post here!

You go girl as they say! That's a question that has dogged manking since it's existance and will continue to do so. There's the belief, "an eye for eye & a tooth for a tooth" but, is it right? I believe your parents are correct and morally throughout your life, you should listen to their advice. The problem when you start to age is that we all realize the "politics" involved gets confusing at best. We're not talking about the "politics' of who we are voting into the House of Commons either. I don't like to admit it but, the other person who said "we" should have shot him on the spot when they opened his hiding spot is the answer that would have saved alot of expense and debate. But, we have evolved into what we preech is a Democratic society and let the courts and their laws decide the best punishment for the crime. So, that is what we are stcuk with as an answer to the Suddam question. Either way, none of us leave this planet alive, Saddam included. To put your mind at rest to this question of "fair" or not: Suddam already knows his outcome. "God" already helped find him and now "God's" job is done on planet earth. It's up to us humans to justify his means to an end. Bottome line, even if he went to jail for life, solitary confinement or not...those "inside" would finish him off and pronto. Don't let it bother you, Saddam is getting exactly what he deserves...righteous or not. Remember he still must meet his maker, if that is what you believe in.

My gut instinct is to say "yes" unfortunately.

But I had this wise liberal Christian teacher (who didn't believe in Satan btw) who said to me:

"What would you do if you came face to face with satan? Love him. How do you respond to evil? With love." That's not a platitude, I don't think.

I read in MacLean's magazine where it said that an FBI psychologist has said that part of Saddam's problem is that his mother wasn't affectionate enough with him.

Maybe Saddam just needs a hug? *joking*

I think he should be locked in some room with a big wide screen tv and be forced to memorize the names of the people he killed until he dies.

No one has given any person the right to kill another human being by deliberate design so having the state carry out a killing is quite simply wrong. That is the fundamental basis under which capital killing was abolished in the 60"s in many civilizations in the world. It is perfectly okay to remove him from society and we do so with many citizens in our own country. But killing him is not okay just as killing is not okay.

as much as I want to say 'yes', I still think cap. punishment is wrong... what is the point of killing him really?... if hes locked away suffering like hes made other people suffer isn't that better than giving him the easy out in killing him?

I agree with most of the replies. Killing another person is never morally correct. I shall always stand by that. It would make much more moral sense to put him in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. And ya never know, though it's a gigantically enormous long long long shot... he may actually find some kind of moral thought process while he was in there, giving him chance to change his ways. It's never too late for someone to change their ways, no matter how terrible a person they are, and I hate how we don't give people every chance possible to do so. We'd rather kill them and get them out of our lives than give god chance to work within them and change themselves.

I also know that if it were I that was hanging him, I wouldn't be able to live with killing another human being intentionally.

I don't imagine killing Saddam Hussein will do any good. He has been removed from his nation, and has no mroe political leverage- how would keeping him in solitary confinement for the rest of his natural life be any worse than killing him? If we remove his ability to interact with the outside world, we remove his influence, but do not stoop to his level.

In response to the question of why we need a trial: it's a symbol. mod justice is not how the 'coalition' does thigns, and the rule of law mst be observed if there is any hope of instituting democracy through 'leading by example.'

I do not agree with this! Jail him, but why let him be hanged..he should ponder long and hard in jail all the injustice he lashed on people. An eye for an eye is not a good solution.

I don't agree with the death penalty for anyone especially a political prisoner.A person has the right to a just trial and to be held accountable for his actions. In respect to the former president of Iraq his trial was rather a bit of a miscarriage of justice. If you execute such a person in such an unjust setting doesn't it make youselve responsible for in effect illegal actions ? In additions Iraq is not Canada. It has a different history, different traditions etc. It is a fairly new counry trying to establish itself in spite of tribal disagrements etc. Our own history was not a pretty one especially nation building in England and Scotland. Certainly Iraq has faced many challenges in the past in building unification. Who are we to Judge people in positions of power in other countries facing challenges that we know nothing about? i

Keep your friends close and keep those you don't agree with closer.
It is not an eye for an eye, THIS WILL NEVER WORK. Stand back,
get a different view !!! PEACE IS THE ONLY ANSWER!!!!!!!!!

Capital punishment is wrong. War is wrong.

I don't like the idea of killing any human being. I just don't think I could pull the trigger or the switch and feel like I was a better man than the one I had just killed...even if I and the rest of the world thought he deserved it. If you're struggling with this issue, it may be a good idea to listen to the song "Billy Austin" by Steve Earle. I don't suggest you put the words of anyone but God in your heart to rule your mind...only that the taking of a human life is a very important issue and I wouldn't want to be the one to pass the judgement and/or sentence.

If Saddam Hussien had killed my daughter, I'd pull the trigger in an instant...but I'm still not sure it would be the right thing to do.

Tough question! Yes, Saddam deserves to die. Is it right for us to kill him? I just don't know...

Hang Him? He is the only man Iran does fear.

is sylviac actually venturing in the world of the "grey zone", i.e. hang Hussein as a deterent/message to others? hmm.. maybe not so strict to Scriptures after all..

I'm rather indifferent to the question whether it's right to sentence him to hang or not. The whole thing is a spectacle set up by the Bush camp for various political reasons. While I'd rather keep to the ideal of no capital punishment, it seems that for Iraq to go forward in the complexity of their new world, they need to eliminate the most powerful icon of the former regime. A hanging is pure public spectacle, which surely will serve someone's interests. Hussein is not an innocent man, but neither is he completely guilty, as certain circumstances propelled him to be Iraq's leader in the first place.

Yes. I thought to myself, how deliciously ironic that Sylviac is so confident in her pronouncement that Saddam should hang, yet claims such obedience to the bible. Did Satan make you say it?

I can only respond to this with a thorough NO. Capital punishment is wrong. As simplistic as that is, how else can it be put? Who are we to have the superiority to take one's life? It's not us to decide who shall live, and who shall not. Saddam is a twisted man, and deserves to be locked up with little pleasures to prevent more pain that was inflicted upon his people.

Meh, put him behind bars for the rest of his life...with no internet access either!

I'm a big believer in judging a society by how it treats it's poorest people and also it's worst offenders.

I'm against capital punishment. Many reasons....I think it's barbaric and harks back to medieval times and is a blunt form of revenge. Plus (and I know this isn't the case with Saddam) but if you execute someone, then discover a mistake...then you're screwed for trying to make it up to the guy/girl aren't you?

If he's to be truly punished let him reflect on his deeds for the rest of his life every day without freedom in a prison.

I do not support capital punishment. That is after losing my dad to murder. What good does it do? Make another family experience your own pain. knowing that pain, how can you inflict it on another?

With all the money being poured into Iraq, don't you think they could afford something more than a rope? This is a public way of humiliating him and attempting to humiliate his followers or the believers in his message. Those who follow him will martyr him. His strength will grow out of his death. Seeing him hang there will let his message sink in their hearts. He will die for them and their beliefs. They share that. They will continue to do his work, in his name and memory.

Before, anyone tells me it is a sin to compare Saddam and Jesus. I didn't, you did. Your mind took what you know and made you need to come to your Saviour's defense. To some Saddam is their saviour. They will be equally as riled and will be for thousands of years.

War is a crime against humanity. That could be the leader of any country. If we put the world leaders in a room and told them they are all as guilty as Saddam, would the vote be to hang him? .

Is putting Saddam to death the most creative thing we can do as human beings? Are their not other options? What does it say about us as humans if all we can do is kill him? It seems to me Saddam is a symptom, not the problem itself. We may alleviate the symptom - the disease rages on.

Sadam Hussein is a waste of human life who has hurt countless others. Why keep him alive? War is not pleasant but it is part of human nature.

So-Damn-Insane (my son's name for him) should be taken back to Baghdad, chained to a post in the middle of the city square and left there.....see what happens :)

In Tuesday Toronto Star it was reported that "Iraq's top official in Canada says he would pursue any request to show Hussein's execution via closed-circuit TV if enough Iraqi Canadians contact the embassy." It further went on to say that some Iraqi's "have to see something to believe it's actually happened."

Do I think it's right to sentence Saddam Hussein to hang? Absolutely. I feel that Saddam is pure evil, and that he killed without regard. Would I choose to watch it? No. For me to take pleasure in his death would be unconscionable. But I do understand why some people would need to have that form of closure.

Leslie: "So-Damn-Insane (my son's name for him) should be taken back to Baghdad, chained to a post in the middle of the city square and left there.....see what happens :)"

I sincerely hope you were joking.

Nighthawk:

:)

i read somewhere that roseanne barr said that 'hanging is to quick and easy. he should have to endure a longer, more tortourous death, like being forced to marry tom arnold.'

i chuckled.

blah Just wondering which is more merciful, a quick death, left to rot in jail, or let the people of Iracque decide like Leslie says. Anyway Blah many times the Lord ovethrew his own people as an example to others.

madmonk Satan is pure evil in all forms. So how could you respond to him in love, as he would soon overpower you.

It's not about what the lord (supposedly) did though, surely. After all, it's not the lord slipping that noose over Hussein's neck, it''s people.

You have a very peculiar brand of Christianity, Sylvia. You support execution, you apparently support the murder, torture, imprisonment and vivisection of gay men... And yet you're anti-abortion and you tout the bible as the be-all and end-all by which people should all live their lives...

blah I beg your pardon I never said I condoned torture of anyone. It is you that said people shouldnt play God, yet you will agree a woman has a right over her own body, which when she aborts her fetus, is she not playing God? I just said I wonder which was more merciful, a quick death, or to rot in jail for the rest of his life. So read my posts a little more carefully, without jumping to conclusions.

blah your post was very accusatory almost bordering on slander and the Bible says not to be a false witness.

blah I have been very patient with you, but one more outburst like that and slandeing my posts, I am going to report you.

in chrisitan terms, it's wrong to hang anybody.

In practical terms, it's doesn't seem to make much difference. we've been hangning, electrocuting, beheading. boiling alive, etc. for thousands of years. But the Stalins and Saddams and Bushes keep coming.

However, if you really feel strongly about hanging Saddam, how about digging up reagan and pulling his body apart with horses since he supplied Saddam with, among other things, poison gas for his war on Iran. And maybe George Bush Sr. should be hanged for the term as CIA director and the 200,000 deaths in Guatemala during his watch. Actually, while we're at it, we could dig up churchill to answer for the bombing he ordered of civilians in what is now Iraq in the 1920s. Then you have Henry Kissinger, still alive and unhanged, though he advised the bombing of southeat asian cities that killed untold thousands.

Gee, now I think of it, George Bush Jr. has killed and and tortured as least as many innocent Iraqis as Saddam did. could we string him up, too? make it a double?

You can, of course. You can make yourseld a killer. And then somebody will look for the right to hang you.

Somehow, t hough, with all these years of experience, it seems to me there was a pretty good reason to say "Thou shalt not kill."

graeme

"I never said I condoned torture of anyone."

Yes, well now you've said that you don't condone it (on the other thread where we were discussing it), but at the time you were certainly making it seem
that way, apparently deliberately.

"It is you that said people shouldnt play God, yet you will agree a woman has a right over her own body, which when she aborts her fetus, is she not playing God? I just said I wonder which was more merciful, a quick death, or to rot in jail for the rest of his life. So read my posts a little more carefully, without jumping to conclusions."

No, I never said that. YOU said "Anyway Blah many times the Lord ovethrew his own people as an example to others." I simply pointed out that it's not the "lord" killing Hussein, it's people.

"blah I have been very patient with you, but one more outburst like that and slandeing my posts, I am going to report you."

Go right ahead. Would you like me to copy and paste all the posts where you went out of your way to make it appear that you supported the imprisonment, torture, vivisection and murder of gay men? Shall I remind you that when you were repeatedly asked if you DID support those things you chose not to respond, instead saying things like "it would depend on what they were doing"?

Listen, if you don't want people to object to your posts, then don't post objectionable things.

Yes, it's right.

No. If it is immoral for him to do it to other people, we shouldn't do it to him.

Hammy, that's an intelligent, logical and very clear answer. The problem is we have so many people who read the Bible not to find out how they should act, but looking for excuses to find how they can get away with not doing what they should.

graeme

I should have added that for proof of this, look up those groups which support capital punishment - and which support severe punishment in general. You will find that a very high proportion are Chrisitan web sites. Skipping lightly over Thou Shalt Not Kill, they seek out the more bloodthirsty passage from, say, Deuteronomy which advocate, among other things, stoning for any who attempt the convert people from the worship of Jehovah.

And they almost drool in their delight over the the torture passages in Revelation.

graeme

The hanging of Saddam was a comlete mockery of justice. I actually feel incensed on behalf of his victims, who deserved to have their grievances addressed in a proper trial and not a Bush-era reality-TV show.