Ask500

| Login

Scotland was right to release the Libyan Megrahi. Ask a Question

Scotland was right to release the Libyan Megrahi.
Click to vote
6 Answers

This comment was deleted.

1 Replies to deleted user's answer

He is the only person convicted of the terrorist attack on the Pan Am flight that blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland. He was released yesterday by the law of Scotland that allows for compassionate release for terminal prisoners. He supposedly has only a few months to live...

http://www.ask500people.com/questions/scotland-was-right-to-release-the-libyan-megrahi#comments

I was in the UK the last weeks where it was discussed a lot in the local media. One comments I heard was something like this: "Government gets only a limited number of chances to show compassion, to decide not to use such a chance one needs very solid arguments". In my opinion it is the humane thing to do, to let a terminally ill person die outside of prison. There is no risk that Megrahi will repeat his crime while free, nor will any of his many victims be brought back to life by letting him die in prison.

6 Replies to pollewop's answer

With thousands of Libyans youths celebrating him as a hero upon his arrival, is that the message his fellow Libyans should portray ?

What thousands of (brainwashed?) Libyans do or think is irrelevant to the question if letting a terminally ill person die in or outside of prison is humane. And I only looked at the humane side here, not the political nor emotional ones.

When you look politically you might consider things like the response in Lybia (for instance the effect of creating a martyr who died in a Scottish cell would have had), when your response is emotional one might wish him to "rot in hell".

I would prefer he die in jail than to receive a hero's welcome at home for committing a horrible crime (you do agree that mass murder, even of infidels, is a crime?)

When the people, especially the younger children that weren't alive when this crime occurred, see that he is a national hero then they might aspire to one day be a national hero too, and to come home triumphantly released from jail after killing hundreds of innocent infidels themselves.

This comment was deleted.

This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)

What makes you question if mass murder ("even of infidels") would be a crime in my book? Anyway to answer your question, yes I do consider that a crime (and I make no distinction between murder of "infidels" and others).

You are absolutely right about his homecoming celebration being a wrong signal to young children, but the only one to be blamed for that is the Libyan government. Not Scotland and not Megrahi. By the way I don't know why you use the word infidel, it suggests to me some kind of religiously motivated terrorism while I do not think religion is the top priority for the Khadafi regime that was behind the bombing.

Many Americans, including S of S Clinton. Protested against Megrahi's release. I think Scotland was right to let him go if only to show that they will not be bullied by US opinion.

1 Replies to peterf's answer

Exactly, I think the US (nor British politicians for that matter) should not interfere with Scotlands legal system. However I think Clinton's words where more meant for internal political reasons than to put any real pressure on Scotland.

Which douchebag decided that it'd be a good idea to release him?

24 Replies to iMatt's answer

The "douchebag" to be the first member of any government on this island to outright refuse to fall to US pressure.

This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)

This comment was deleted.

Sorry, BlackOrchid, but I don't understand what you mean with "What's it like not to be speaking German?" Would you please explain? Thank you.

He probably thinks if Hitler won WWII we'd all be speaking German now.

Thank you, Chipmonk, that is very kind of you to answer my question instead of BlackOrchid. Yes, thinking about it I believe, you are correct. Now I understand and don't have to ask myself any longer what might be behind that "secret".

I am German and grew up during WWII. When I read or hear H... I become immediately goose bumps just like right now. BlackOrchid must know I am German, but that is not a reason not to answer me.

The more I appreciate your response, Chipmonk, and won't forget that. Thank you so very much. I wish you a wonderful, healthy and sunny weekend. :)

This comment was deleted.

This comment was deleted by JWBrothers .

So his national tragedy is off limits and it's OK to celebrate a terrorist victory over us? Get real.

This comment was deleted.

This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)

This comment was deleted.

This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)

This comment was deleted.

Well, technically there was a Libyan celebration for when he (the terrorist) returned home...

This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)

This comment was deleted.

Come on you should know better, fighting terrorism is not about letting a terminally ill criminal die in jail and making a martyr out of him. I don't know what the exact arguments were for the Scottish judges, but I strongly doubt that "resisting US pressure" was on their agenda. I think your last line is quite tasteless.

Just exactly as tasteless as his.

They could've treated him in the prison hospital like all the others..

Man that was low, did you celebrate when the shock and awe^H^H^H horror campaign started?

Joshuadrooney delivered another slap in the face when he celebrated the decision as standing up against the US. I slapped him back. It wasn't very nice, but he deserved it.

You may think keeping Megrahi in prison for afew more months would 'stop terrorism' but I do not.

Whose side am I on? In fact I think the threat from Islam is intense and not taken seriously enough. I also think that it not for the US to call the shots and for the rest of us to trail along meekly behind.

Two thoughts about this...

Sending Megrahi home to Libya to a hero's welcome is extremely offensive to the families of those who were killed. That was the message Secretary of State Clinton sent to the Scottish court.

Like you, I really don't like other countries telling us what to do. I guess the difference is that I saw Clinton as asking the Scottish Court if they think that the slap on the face of the victims is less important than showing mercy to the terrorist. The Scottish Court decided that (mercy to) the terrorist was more important than the families of the innocents killed. We think that their decision is backwards.

I also believe that it gives aid and comfort to the terrorists. If it was done in the US, it would be treason.

It shows compassion for the killer and takes justice away from the victims. I think it's the wrong thing to do.

5 Replies to JWBrothers's answer

What do you think Jesus would have done?

Taken care of him. He certainly would not have sent him home to a hero's welcome.

Now that things have calmed down a bit, I'll do a better job of answering your question.

Jesus told me to be good. My mother told me to be nice.

That's a difference that nearly all agnostics and many Christians never get. Jesus taught that we were to oppose wrong to our last breath. He never said, "Be ye nice above all things." If opposing evil or being nice is the choice, opposing evil wins. If opposing evil or showing mercy is the choice, you find a way to do both, not do one and ignore the other.

Maybe you should look up "Cubana Flight 455" some time or "Luis Posada Carriles" one of the CIA agents involved in the bombing of a Cuban airliner.

What would that prove?

This comment was deleted.

2 Replies to deleted user's answer

That is correct! I am wondering why he was not killed in prison by his fellow inmates.

I have heart, prisoners would have an "honor codex", meaning they kill who killed a child, and on the plane were children as well.

agree!!