And the gray abideth forever

[jhetley]

Cloudy again, with the possibility of minor snow/sleet/freezing rain later. The nuisance sort, suitable for greasing roads without providing sufficient cover for cross-country ski trails. I may attempt to fit in a walk before Stuff starts coming out of the sky.*

Finished up concept plans for the EPA Laundry Renovations. Will print them off and distribute them Tuesday, after which revisions will occur, as needed.

I find myself indifferent to the hanging of one ruthless tyrant among the many that oppress this world. Saddam set his own standards for justice and retribution, which his own death met. They call it "the principle of reciprocity" in college ethics courses.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

*EDIT: Noon news now predicts all snow. But only an inch, maybe two. Let's see how this progresses.

Comments

[odamoganak.livejournal.com]

This sounds like very New England weather. It's close to what I'm expecting tpday in Central Mass.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I find myself indifferent to the hanging of one ruthless tyrant among the many that oppress this world

That pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter too Jim.

[sagittaria.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

We've got snow! It started sometime after 1115. It's powder too.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

It was a very convenient execution for some people, though. Keeps him from ever being questioned about other things he did that were equally bad.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Now, now, conspiracy theories. Next thing, you'll start talking about black helicopters.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

How does that joke go? "And then they had an idea; they painted all their helicopters black, and now, no one would admit to having seen them."

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Yes, Saddam ordered people killed under the cover of the law, though he knew their deaths were unjust. That he could be killed by the law, even unjustly, doesn't disturb my sense of justice in the broad sense.

It still bothers me that the death penalty is an intentional killing that we are supposed to feel good about, in some way.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

>...an intentional killing that we are supposed to feel good about...

No, I don't feel good about it. "Indifferent" just about sums it up. I don't think I'd have voted to kill him, for a number of reasons. But those are all pragmatic rather than moral, including my sense that life in prison doesn't fit any reasonable definition of "mercy"...

Nobody asked me.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Nod. I wasn't using the personal "we", but the generic one. "We" are supposed to feel that justice has been carried out, or the condemned has been punished, or any one of those things. The courts have decided that this is what a society "should" do, that it's proper, etc.. Not that you, or I, or anyone else, necessarily feels that way, but that a society that has the death penalty has decided that it's better to kill someone than to leave them alive, but kept helpless.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Personally, I am considerably more willing to take on the responsibility of killing some people than I am to take on the responsibility of keeping them helpless, and caring for them like pets. The latter would feel as though *I* were the one being punished, not they.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I realize a lot of people will hate this concept, but I think a person can forfeit membership in the human race. After that, what was a moral question becomes pragmatic logistics.