The death sentence

The death sentence

No one for some considerable time has faced a firing squad in
Indonesia, despite receiving the death sentence for his or her
crimes. The decision to go ahead and execute the proven guilty is
never easy, but in the case of terrorists and mass murderers it
would seem to be more than justified.

Easy to struggle with one's conscious over the rights and
wrongs of such a final decision, for final it is, as death is
certain. Almost the entire world would go along with the thinking
that mass murderers have no channel whatsoever to a God, no
matter their rantings and claims on the subject. It is clearly an
inhumane act to knowingly and intentionally murder innocent
people, and one that logically could only be carried out by
people who have totally lost their sanity.

We can all relate to the problems that cause people to react
in a violent way, that violence of course subject to varying
degrees. Indonesia has clearly shown in the cases of the Bali
bombers that it can handle such highly emotive cases in its
courts, a more than unenviable task for all those concerned.

Eventually the time may come when the fate of those found
guilty and subsequently sentenced to death will be in the hands
of the Indonesian government, which may well feel justified in
taking that final step. We should bear in mind that such a
decision would most likely be double-edged, as a deserved end
would likely invite unwanted repercussions.

When dealing with people who have no consideration whatsoever
for rules, humanity or any kind of decency, we have to be brave
enough to accept that challenge, but in doing so, must also be
prepared to face the consequences.

Another aspect to consider would be the exchange of future
hostages for convicted terrorists, which perhaps contributes to
the case for execution. Whatever the outcome, the decisions are
never easy, and events will always prove the decision to be wrong
no matter what it was.

DAVID WALLIS, Medan, North Sumatra