The Aftermath of Saddam's Hanging, is the Death Penalty Still a Good Idea?

I have to admit it; I watched Saddam Hussein's execution online. It wasn't hard to find after weeding through a few fake videos. The video was chopped and shaky at best and inaudible and black in most parts. Without describing the actual hanging, there was something in that video that just got to me. The masked executioners (they were wearing black hoods) began yelling "Muqtada!, Muqtada!" just before they hung him. Muqtada al Sader is the fourth son of the famous IraqiShia cleric, Grand AyatollahMohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and leader of an insurgent group, the Mahdi Army in Iraq. The U.S. has tried to capture or kill him with no success and now Muqtada claims to have given up his arms and wants to join the political process in Iraq. But most still believe he is involved in terrorism.

The mere fact alone that Saddam, although I have no sympathy for a man who killed thousands, was taunted during the last seconds of his life, is bad enough. But something else was wrong here. I didn't dawn on me immediately, but after day or so I figured out what was eating me. I read somewhere that Bush had stated that Saddam's execution was an important step in Iraq's road to democracy. This was it. It was the fact that we believe executing someone will help bring people together, in harmony with one another, and then will form a better government and society. I don't know about you, but this sounds insane to me.

How can killing someone help a country along in a democratic process? We want the killing of innocents and soldiers to stop but we want to use the example of executing the former dictator as a stepping stone. I'm not saying that Saddam didn't deserve death, I'm not that close to the divine, but I believe that humans should be able to determine whether or not someone is deserving of death. Our laws should determine how people can live together without killing each other, not determine who gets killed and who gets probation.

After viewing the video I'm now a firm abolitionist when it comes to the death penalty. It was easier to believe executions were ok for the worst of criminals before I saw the video, but now I can not see how any society could condone it. Our two bordering nations have done away with the death penalty along with Australia and most of Europe. I believe it's time we begin to start setting examples again for the world to follow. With DNA tests overturning death row convictions every year, we as Americans need to put pressure on our politicians to stop the killings.