Ambition and the Airlock
I guess different species have different ideas of what constitutes making an honest living. Or at least tolerating making an honest living.
Monday has come yet again. And with news of Saddam Hussein’s sentencing. Death by hanging. Not that I’m really complaining, but hanging? Doesn’t that seem a little….old west? I’m not really sure where I stand on capital punishment anymore. I used to be completely for it, and I still lean that way, but the basis for that belief has me changing my mind.
Speaking out of character here, I grew up in the Christian church and as a result, became a young adult who believed the death penalty was biblical based on “an eye for an eye…” However, as a slightly (ahem) older adult, I’ve come to believe that most Old Testament law was meant to prove a point. A point that Jesus made quite well on the cross hundreds of years later. And now, aren’t we supposed to be a lot more compassionate? When I hear people oppose capital punishment and they say that we as a society shouldn’t stoop to the low level of the criminal by killing them, well…that seems to have a ring of truth to it. But also, are we as a society supposed to then pay the living expenses for our lowest citizens for the rest of their lives? That doesn’t seem like justice either.
Any thoughts?
November 14th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
there is a difference between the responsibilities of a government and the responsibilities of an individual. i’m not a fan of the death penalty, but understand the governments responsibility in the matter to detour criminal acts and punish those who have become a danger to those around them. i’m with you though, what once was a matter of fact and clear is a little more cloudy as i get older.
November 14th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Good point, it hadn’t occured to me that there is a difference between us citizens and our societal leaders in the matter. That does shed a different light on things.