Comments on: Smokescreen

By: plain(s)feminist

plain(s)feminist — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:36:44 +0000

I’m late to this party, but I’m standing up in front of computer screen and applauding your post.

By: catherine

catherine — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:19:03 +0000

I absolutely agree Lily. I find myself ambivalent when it comes to the death penalty/executions, but one thing I firmly believe is that the taking of a human life–even one that has been as grossly perverted and used to bring so much harm, suffering, and death to others, as the life of Saddam Hussein’s–is never a time for celebration, or jubilation. That a person acts in such a way to make so many of his peers feel the only suitable punishment is death…is terribly sad and disturbing; and is says as much about those carrying out and watching the execution, as it does the person being punished.

By: gerry rosser

gerry rosser — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:32:18 +0000

I had an evidence professor, his name was Mr. Hughes [I only give the name because people deserve to be remembered] he said, fairly frequently: “The beginning of wisdom is calling things by their right name.”

I, too, am frustrated, even angered, by the circumlocutions which are the daily fodder fed to us. The press is as guilty as the government.

Saddam Hussein was, I suppose, a bad man. Apparently a lot of his countrymen are bad men.

Here’s my little saying [pace Mr. Hughes]: “There is one way to tell what people want: watch what they do.”

By: melanie

melanie — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:43:39 +0000

Bravo.

The video is a snuff film, and the Bush administration is doing its usual bait and switch: they (i.e., the Iraqi government, which is beyond an oxymoron) arrested the man who filmed the lynching. It’s like going after whomever took the pictures at Abu Ghirab — it’s utterly the wrong direction.

(I posted a short rant before the execution.
http://teabird17.blogspot.com/2006/12/just-short-rant.html )

Do you know the poem “Naming of Parts”? It’s apt, unfortunately.
http://www.solearabiantree.net/namingofparts/namingofparts.html

By: (un)relaxeddad

(un)relaxeddad — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:58:30 +0000

Naming things is a powerful tool. It’s good to know that there’s a whole crowd of people out there, yourself including, who aren’t afraid to do so.

By: Cas Stavert

Cas Stavert — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:51:30 +0000

Bravo! Let’s make it a resolution to call things by their proper names. It wasn’t justice, it’s not friendly fire or collateral damage.

Thank you for making this post. Happy New Year.

By: renee

renee — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:02:16 +0000

Bloglily- I don’t comment very often, but after I read your post today I wanted to let you know how inspired I am by all your posts. You always have wonderful, insightful things to say– and beautiful photographs as well. Even if you don’t hear from me very often, I’m here reading. Happy New Year.

By: tobeme

tobeme — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 15:39:04 +0000

BlogLily,
Excellent post! You are very correct in your observation of this execution. It is less a statement about Sadam as it is a statement about all of us. Thank-you for having the courage to make this post.

By: davidbdale

davidbdale — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 05:46:29 +0000

Bravo for standing up and starting the year with a shoutout BlogLily. I almost agree with you. Iraq is in civil war, and Americans are responsible. But so are Iraqis. And so are we all, whether we’re Americans, or Iraqis, or citizens of any country in the world. It may seem to the rest of the world as if Americans could have stopped the war, but it doesn’t feel that way to us Americans. We feel just as powerless about it as anyone else. That’s what governments do to their people, make them feel powerless. I’m sure Iraqis felt powerless to eliminate Hussein. I feel powerless to eliminate Mr Bush as long as my countrymen keep electing him. If we’re all responsible for murders in Darfur, then we’re all responsible for Sunis and Shia. We can’t start drawing national boundaries if we’re calling things by their proper names.

By: Polaris

Polaris — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 03:06:19 +0000

Thanks for concisely and clearly pointing out what is wrong with mob mentality regarding the execution. As someone who is opposed to capital punishment, it fills me with silent disgust to imagine that, in this day and age, a state can be so cruel that it makes an execution public, and that people can be so cruel that they can rush to watch the killing and cheer for it.

By: Edwinek

Edwinek — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:19:41 +0000

No, can’t think of anything more to say. You said it all, Lily.

By: Heather T.

Heather T. — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:22:24 +0000

Giving something a name is a very powerful thing. I have refused to watch the video in question…I don’t want to see this. That people are watching it and rejoicing disturbs me. I wish I had the answers.

By: smokey

smokey — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:17:43 +0000

It would be so good to keep Lily’s call for honest words going. All the way to some serious politician who has a chance for a big leadership role. Someone who has influence has to give the equivalent of the “I’m mad and I won’t take it anymore” declaration, which has to demand a reversal of our establishment’s arrogance that American greed, power, and unilateral actions are good for the entire world. (The “establishment” includes a lot more than the reigning goverment.) Every person running for president should have to take a position on whether the U.S. is doing what is best for the world. Make it the number one question for every candidate. And make sure the B.S. detectors are turned on.
Defining, and admitting to, our own greed will challenge each of us to find right and honest words.

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:37:00 +0000

While I understand and agree with parts of what you are saying it is not looking at the big picture to completely blame America for the troubles in Iraq. Even if it was wrong for us to go over there when and how we did Saddam nor the Iraqi people who allowed him to rule can be completely exonerated for the parts they played in the world they now live in. We each have personal responsibility as well as civil and national responsibility. It was the actions of the whole that have led up to what the world is today, not just one country or one man.

Saddam’s execution was a tragedy from the standpoint of a life wasted. He had the potential to make his country great and life good for his people and even at the end it was all about him. Very, very sad. Sure, it doesn’t change anything major, but for those who suffered for attrocities at Saddam’s hands I’m sure they feel some vindication regardless of the state their country is in today.

I refuse to watch the video and think the fervor around it is ridiculous, but lets remember that it is the same kind of fervor that happens when Paris Hilton has a sex tape, or Brittany Spears does something stupid. We are a world that has been spoon fed instananeous images of ‘news’, regardless of its merit, for decades now and the people crave it as much as they loathe it. That to me is sad in an of itself.

By: Ann

Ann — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 14:55:38 +0000

In ‘Henry IV Pt. II’ Shakespeare has the dying Henry IV advise his son, Prince Hal, to divert his subjects’ eyes from the problems in their own land by making war abroad. That land was England. We have as much to be ashamed about in this area as the US. I’ve found the news fervour around the execution obscene. Fortunately, it has slipped from the headlines here today.