Death Penalty: Saddam: Are we so high up now that we can judge people and decide whether they live or die?

Question

Or are we just basing our actions on emotions such as revenge, anger, or a false sense of justice?

Ok when I say we, I mean as humans not iraqi, not america, not any nation just as human beings in general.

Answer 1

What about the Iraqi that was sentenced to death when he threw out a newspaper that had a picture of Saddam on it and his Iraqi police force witnessed it and turned him in? But nonetheless, Saddam was tried in an Iraqi court not American. The Iraqis wanted him out to begin with, that is why you would see them rubbing the soles of their shoes over the statue they pulled down (In Middle East culture it is a huge disgrace to have soles of feet rubbed on another due to it is the sole of the foot that touches the ground, so saying you are lower than the dirt I walk on). Iraqis judged him we supplied him.

Answer 2

In any society, penalties for crime serve a variety of functions. These include punishment for an offense, rehabilitation, deterrance, and, yes, to some extent, retribution for a wrong. The trick is balancing these factors. Historically, the death penalty was a way to address wrongs that were determined, by a society, to be so heinous as to merit the ultimate penalty.

Of course, the death penalty has its downsides i.e. risk of being wrong, lenghty appeals, how to carry it out humanely (if that is possible - some argue it is not) and the fact that most modern, industrial, democratic societies have done away with it. The U.S. will continue to struggle with this due to the historic place the death penalty has had in our jurisprudence, the desire of politicians to avoid such a hot-button issue, and, frankly, the fact that there are still a number of criminals outh there committing crimes that just seem to cause a visceral reaction in favor of execution.

Answer 3

I am a strong advocate against the death penalty. I agree that there are people that do committ disgusting crimes and deserve to be punished for what they did. However, I do not think that the state has the right to take away the life of another person.

Using the death penalty does not really punish the criminal - they are dead. It is their family that suffers and mourns.

I also think that by killing Saddam, there is the risk that he will become a martyr to extremists.

Good question!

Answer 4

I personally believe that the death penalty is an immoral punishment. Man should not have the right to judge death a necessary punishment. Though in times of war it is often unavoidable, death should not be sought as a way to end any conflict.

However, it should be remembered that Saddam was judged by Iraqi courts, and it was not the U.S. who authorized it. I am disappointed, however, that the U.S. did not attempt to stop his execution.

Answer 5

Well, I understand that you mean "humans," but Americans are one of the few who think we are "high up" enough to decide, and that's led by our executioner-in-chief, Dubya. And since he favors the executions of mentally-retarded sixteen-year-olds, I'm sure it's not too much of a jump for him to want to execute Saddam, too.

Answer 6

yes we are above, them all, it all, and everything. i also think we should do away with all the stupid people, who can't spell or write a decent sentance.
waite till the chinese take over, you'll see how they look at human life. and, it won't be nice.
we need a reason, they don't.
show me a killer who's been put to death, and i'll show you a person who is NOT a repeat offender.

Answer 7

He should have been on trial for war crimes like the Nazis (who killed millions more than Hussein), not executed like we're in some lawless third-world dictatorship. I would have liked to have seen him along with GW on trial for all of their crimes. I guess Hussein's testimony on trial would have made the Bush & Co. look too bad and would have implicated them as well.

Answer 8

The Iraqi court sentenced him to death and executed him, not America.

Answer 9

Sadam was judged by an Iraqi court...

Answer 10

Uh huh