Confessions of a Misguided Trio

From the Desk of the Misguided Geriatric

The death penalty is the delivery of revenge that is sought by angry people, it is not the provision of justice.

In reference to the death penalty, the Dalai Lama stated; “The death penalty is pure violence, a barbaric and useless violence. Dangerous even, because it can only lead to other acts of violence – as all violence does. The supreme punishment ought to be a life sentence, and without brutality.”

Now, I understand that George W. Bush and John Howard are not Buddhists and I wonder if George even knows who the Dalai Lama is! But he knows who Jesus Christ is, because George has ‘God on his side’, just as the insurgents in Iraq claim to have the Big Guy in their corner, just as claimed by both the Allied and the Axis forces in World War 2, as Bob Dylan told us in ‘With God on our side’, “For you don't count the dead When God's on your side”.

However, I am not sure how well George W. knows or understands the teachings of good old ‘J.C.’. The last time I checked the Bible, J.C. was still insisting that in response to violence we turn the other cheek. There is nowhere in the New Testament where I can find a reference to George W.’s Saviour ordering that wrongdoers be put to death, in fact I recall an incident at his arrest where J.C. intervened in a fight between his apostles and the Roman soldiers during which a Roman had his ear chopped off, J.C. healed the Roman before the Roman arrested him.

Look, nobody would expect us to turn the other cheek to Saddam’s crimes but most of us would expect justice to be served in a fair manner to all involved because if the justice system is reduced to being a purveyor of violence then it will simply provide that example to both their enemies and friends as an acceptable form of justice. Governments must not murder people, especially in the name of ‘justice’.

Aw gosh! Maybe it is time that I come to my senses, in the past I have been accused of being a gullible dreamer and someone who is confused and unable to accept reality, I think that I am beginning to realise that when God is on your side, you can do no wrong, ask Bob Dylan if you don’t believe me.


M.G.

Labels: Bob Dylan, George W. Bush, John Howard, Misguided Geriatric

posted by Mark @ 4:44 PM