I was awakened early this morning by a lovely phone call from my brother. While we chatted he mentioned Saddam had been executed just an hour or so earlier. After hanging up I went to several major news sites and read the articles pertaining to his death.
Even as I write this a lump is in my throat. Not simply for Saddam but for Iraq in general. I’m emotional – frustrated and saddened at the news of capital punishment in a place where death and chaos already reign. The thought of celebrations erupting make me sick to my stomach.
One quote stood out as particularly upsetting: “Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him” by Iraqi judge al-Maliki. The preservation of life at all costs is a human right, not the ability to end it.
I don’t doubt that there will be some celebrating – in Iraq, in the region, and in America. People will undoubtedly say, “Good riddance, he deserved to die… the world is a slightly better place now.” Yes, he did many evil things – he deserved to be brought to trial for crimes against humanity and for killing Kurds and others but I don’t support capital punishment – not even for a man like Saddam. By encouraging the Iraqis to continue with state-sponsored killing it has ensured that many in the future will be unjustly and unfairly put to death, and that this savage practice will continue in yet another country.
I refuse to accept killing as a form of punishment for killing. I can’t accept it on moral grounds, political grounds, or religious grounds. In America we have one of the best judicial branches in the world, with technological capabilities during trials that most places in the world only dream of, and yet, we have repeatedly wrongly executed innocent men and women. (Even the term “wrongly executed” is a nice way for saying murdered by the state with our tax dollars.)
I know there are pro-lifers who disagree and mourn when a baby fetus is purposely killed, but don’t mourn when criminals are put to death; I’m not one of them – I believe life is sacred from conception to death. For the security of the majority some should be locked away, but killing does not vindicate anything – execution is just another kind of tragedy.
My prayer is that the tide will swing with my generation and that we will become more progressive in ensuring the fundamental right to life for all people – even those of criminals.
