Why I Am Not Celebrating the Death of Saddam Hussein

After Saddam Hussein's hanging I was a bit surprised to find that the coverage on this event was limited to say the least. This was world news, this was news that would affect so many things to come in the conflict with Iraq and probably even relations with the rest of the world. Saddam Hussein had done horrible things and yet most of the world seemed to barely look up and notice that this icon of evil had finally met his end. I was confused why would President Bush choose to sleep through such a moment?

Over the past few days I have come to understand that the news on the hanging of Saddam Hussein has been downplayed for more than coverage of a Former President's funeral and certainly about more than the impending New Year. Saddam Hussein was evil in the most obvious form and giving his death any more attention that absolutely necessary would distract from the reason that Saddam Hussein found himself standing at the gallows. I suppose President Bush felt as many do; giving any more attention to such a monster would only dishonor his victims.

The sentence was imposed based on only a small fraction of Hussein's crimes against humanity as in the end he was found guilty of the murder of less than one hundred fifty people. One only has to read the news to understand that Saddam's Hussein's reign of terror included torturing and taking the lives of countless others. He held a country captive by fear and he ruled with a 9MM. If you speak to many soldiers who have been to Iraq and around the Iraqi people they will tell that they can walk down any street with an M-16 and nobody even notices them but if anyone has a 9MM the civilians are running for cover as fast as they can. The 9MM was Saddam Hussein's weapon of choice and he didn't hesitate to use it for any reason. Nobody dared to disagree with the former dictator because they knew if he didn't like what they said he would use that 9MM and never look back.

The list of Saddam Hussein's crimes are too many to list but if you read though any report each crime seems to be worst than the last. The man had rape chambers and torture chambers the likes the world had never imagined in the past and because of this I won't be celebrating the death of Saddam Hussein instead I will spend the time praying for those that he tortured, maimed and killed during his reign, I will pray for the families that suffered the loss of their loved one and I will pray for the troops who will suffer the backlash of Hussein supporters and the families they will also leave behind. Saddam Hussein is not worth my celebration but the innocents that he has hurt are most worthy of my compassion and prayers.

I do now understand why the hanging of Saddam Hussein was not the top news story and as a human being I can only hope that his victims where ever they may be now have found some justice and peace in knowing that he will never again impose his evil on another.