HispanicVista Columnists
Now He is the Terminator
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By Steven J. Ybarra, JD/HispanicVista.com - December 27, 2005
- Notas por La Casa Politica
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I am opposed to the taking of life without a threat to one’s existence. The death penalty is such a taking. We remain the only "civilized" nation in the world with a death penalty. I wonder why.
Arnold became the Terminator by taking the life of Tookie Williams. Williams by all accounts was a bad child who in all probability took the lives of four innocent people who were in his way. One of the reasons why he was executed was that he neither admitted nor apologized for these takings.
My wife asked me whether I would allow Saddam Hussein to live if in his trial he was convicted of taking innocent lives. My answer is yes. The taking of life when the person no longer threatens the lives of others cannot be justified. Likewise, I understand that he needs to be removed from the society at large. I am not opposed to Devil’s Island. Give condemned murderers two goats, some seed corn and food for six months and wish them well.
Tookie was on death row for almost thirty years. It was a lifetime. At the time of his death he was a different man. Some say that he still ran the Crips from his death row cell. It is possible that those in that organization gave him that role. Yet no one rioted when he died and there is no renting of clothes or taking of revenge for his death.
I understand why some would want him dead. But it does nothing for the dead person he killed. It does nothing for him and makes us a nation of killers.
Arnold has killed a lot of people in his Hollywood fantasy world. Now he is truly responsible for the killing of one man (the person who Tookie was, actually died a long time ago).
Here is the question of the day - Should we not kill all those who are responsible for the meaningless taking of the lives of others? War criminals like Hitler, Hussein, and Bin Laden.
Each of these men allowed by action or inaction the deaths of thousands. Bush Senior allowed the Kurds to be attacked by Hussein after the end of the first Iraqi war even though he promised them support. Is he not a war criminal?
Bush Jr. has finally acknowledged that the Iraqi war is a war based on lies given to us by people who worked for him. Let us remember that Hitler used a lie to justify the invasion of Poland. We called that a war crime. Is Bush Jr. not a war criminal? Ultimately, he is responsible for the deaths of 30,000 Iraqis (his number) and 2000 Americans. He is also responsible for the injuries to 115,000 Americans and Iraqis soldiers and citizens. He has wiretapped American citizens without the force of law. Isn't that what Hitler did? He has held prisoners without an indictment for years after he declared that the war was over. Isn't that what Hitler did? He has funded the growing of opium in a nation that we conquered in violation of American law. Isn't that what Noriega did?
Now of course we have become the biggest supplier of illicit drugs to the world. We put drug dealers in jail. Should we not arrest our leaders who allow this drug dealing in Afghani opium to occur and execute them?
I am at a loss. If we are to kill those responsible for the unwarranted killing of the innocents, then should we not try our present leaders for these killings?
I had no objection to the war against Afghanistan they tried to kill us and were successful - so we killed them and took out their government. But Bush lite declared peace and an end to hostilities shouldn’t the people in prison be tried by a war tribunal from their own country?
It is almost time for the Christian celebration of Christmas. I want Christians to think about all of the above when they celebrate the holiday and remember that Jesus was also a victim of the Death penalty who would not apologize for nor recant his actions.
Ps-To the criminals who wiretap my phones like they did during the Vietnam War. Its ok I expect it.
©Steven J. Ybarra JD is a retired civil rights attorney who operates a consultant company in California. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee and a long time political activist. Contact Steven at: sjybarra@aol.com. This article is copyright by Steven J. Ybarra JD, originally published in www.Hispanicvista.com but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached.