An opinion piece by SeattleNiceGuy
Should Saddam Hussein Die?
Saddam Hussein is single-handedly responsible for the death and injury of millions of people. Now that he is in captivity, the world waits for the trial that will finally deliver justice to the Iraqi people and the world. That Saddam is guilty of crimes against humanity is not in question. What we should do about him, however, is.
When I saw the pictures of the captured Saddam a few days ago, bearded and disheveled, I was hit with a feeling I did not expect: human compassion. It is hard for us not to feel compassion for an old man who is obviously confused and disoriented. What followed was a flash of compacted thought and feeling in me that whispered, Perhaps the obvious course of action is not the right one.
Millions of people would like to see Saddam dead. A public hanging is undoubtedly the fondest desire in the hearts of many Americans and Iraqis alike. Admittedly, the desire for vindictive justice is strong in us. In a complex world, it offers a swift and simple solution. An eye for an eye seems fair, just. But the more I think about it, the less productive I think it would be to kill Saddam. It would accomplish nothing but a fleeting feeling of vengeful satisfaction. The news of his death would not make up for all the wrongs he has committed, and it would have no lasting impact on the world scene.
I believe that one of the most essential, most fundamental aspects of humanity is our ability to change course. When we read literature, we identify with and feel compassion for characters that effect change in their lives. When we read real-life experiences of people who have made major turnabouts after intense soul-searching, such as Ray Franz, we are moved at the most core level. Each of us knows from personal experience with the organization that when inside it, we never dreamed we would leave. Contrary to all expectations ? our own and those of others ? it slowly dawned on us that our life was based on wrong premises. The reason we are here on this board is that we understand the difficulty of taking such a course, and we love and feel deep empathy for those who are striving to do so.
When I was a Witness, I was always powerfully moved by the account of Manasseh. His life was filled with terror and bloodguilt. But he changed. Imagine how the account would read if he were simply wiped out and not given the chance to repent. It wouldn?t even be part of history. It would be no different from every other act of vindictive justice: meaningless.
Imagine if Saddam Hussein were allowed to live. Not on a farm in the country. Not in a home being given preferential treatment. Imagine that he were given decent human treatment and limited access to members of his family. As he nears the end of his life and reflects on what he has done, what blood-soaked hands are his, what fate befell his sons, imagine that true remorse and the deep desire to make atonement wash over him. If Saddam Hussein were to write an account ? personal memoirs from a dictator ? reflecting over his life, his mistakes, his shift in views, imagine how powerful that account would be. Nothing we could ever do or say, no propaganda war, no friendly diplomatic relations, could ever impact people in the Middle East like those memoirs could. They would strike directly at the hearts of millions of extremists and fundamentalists who read them. Such words would literally have the power to change the world.
I do not think it is necessary for us to judge the likelihood of such a conversion for Saddam. Such things are impossible to predict. As long as a human being lives, there is a chance for that person to look inside and make changes. One person who makes such a change can powerfully influence the lives of millions, who will thereafter affect the lives of even more.
Put in this light, killing Saddam Hussein seems pointless. To do so would be to squander a possibility that I believe exists, however remote. His death would mean nothing great in a practical sense; his conversion would hold infinitely greater meaning and power, both immediately and historically.
My position is not one of sympathy for the person of Saddam Hussein. It is one of faith in the nature of humanity. It is a passionate hope in what is possible for us. I intensely believe in that which makes us most human: the prospect for change.
