The noose

I cannot describe the strange feeling that was looming as I saw Saddam being noosed to death. I cannot explain the emotion when I saw him dangling flaccidly, lifeless in the second-hand video clip version of his chastisement-cum-spectacle.

A death penalty, which according to the first reports on the media by the executioners, was carried out professionally and with consideration towards the dignity of the person!

Now, let me lay the cards on the table: some, many or most, may have been quite happy with what was happening to this monster! "He deserved it" they say! I have no commiseration towards this man, if what has been presented as evidence in his trial was genuine and legitimate. But, this is 2007 civilisation we are talking about, aren't we? Was the consequence to 'his' ghastly deeds an act of justice or vindication, righteousness or vendetta, even-handedness or vengeance?

This was nothing less than a grotesque, gruesome and ghastly reaction by those who claim they hold justice to heart! Others would say that this is only an hors d'oeuvre of what he made people go through. While I can rationalise these arguments, in particular, those coming from people who were candidly involved with this man, I still have my reservations about the verdict and the corollary.

Capital punishment has been argued as being a social deterrent, a cost-effective strategy to get rid of its 'losers'. While disapproving of such lingo, how have these so-called 'losers', come about? Who has contributed or endorsed the construction of this conduct? As a globalised society we need to carry the responsibility of having such a bigwig. Getting rid of people is no solution. 'Killing' for 'murder' sounds awfully paradoxical, absurd and ridiculous to me.

Capital punishment and the act of noosing we have witnessed in the media recently are nothing but a feat of human degradation. The continued existence of humanity depends on decorum and respect for social justice. Is capital punishment a form of fair dealing or is it a way of sweeping responsibilities under the carpet? How will society deal with the reality of inserting a malevolent mentality if this mode of reprimand persists?

There are some frightful statistics: 3,374 prisoners, at year ending 2003, were held under sentence of death; 60 inmates in 2005 in the US were executed; 1,004 people were executed in the US alone since the use of the death penalty was resumed in 1977.

According to Amnesty International 2,148 people, during 2005, were executed in 22 countries, 94 per cent in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the US.

Meanwhile, 5,186 people were sentenced to death in 53 countries; 20,000 prisoners are on death row across the world; 1,770 people, according to Amnesty International, are estimated as having been executed in China during 2005. The true figures are believed to be much higher. A Chinese legal expert was recently quoted as stating the figure for executions is closer to 8,000 people, based on information from local officials and judges. 19,000 and 24,000 people are currently condemned to death and awaiting execution.

Scientific studies have consistently failed to find convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other punishments. The most recent survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations in 1988 and updated in 2002, concluded: "...it is not prudent to accept the hypothesis that capital punishment deters murder to a marginally greater extent than does the threat and application of the supposedly lesser punishment of life imprisonment."

Bloodlust, that's what this is all about! We slay each other and instead of bereaving the tragedy we want the state to satisfy our bloodlust by killing the reprobate. We must learn to deal with these people who are in our midst - reprimand and condemn, but not become them!