Filming Saddam's execution wrong

By Roujin Mozaffarimehr

Over the winter break, I unfortunately had to witness Saddam Hussein walk to his death over and over on CNN. It was not exactly an image I wanted to see. The image of a man, walking to the gallows with a noose around his neck, was a sobering moment for me; it seemed medieval and barbaric. I put the image of hanging in the same category as burning a person at the stake: inhumane and indecent. Capital punishment is a widely debated issue; I myself am against the death penalty.

But the death penalty is not what is at hand -- it's the issue of human decency and the world's responsibility in protecting it. With the overwhelming investment by various countries of manpower, ideas and lives in Iraq, the conflict should be scrutinized, especially in regards to the death of Saddam. But I feel nothing has changed. What happened to our responsibility to human decency?

I want to repeat: This is not a plea against the death penalty. That is a whole other issue that needs to be analyzed. My issue lies with the overwhelming footage of Saddam's death now on the Internet via camera phone.

When did the world become so hypocritical? Promptly after Saddam's death, different nations released statements in response, many condemning capital punishment and the "indecency" of Saddam's hanging. Soldiers are risking their lives in Iraq for freedom and democracy, so where was that example when Saddam was hanged? With the amount of leverage other nations have in Iraq, one would think that Saddam would not have been sentenced to the barbaric punishment of hanging. And, if he was, the clips of Saddam walking to his death would not have been televised.

What are we doing watching a man walk to his death in the gallows? And how was someone allowed to have any sort of device with which to record Saddam's death? Where is the decency? Where is the influence of the world's powerhouse nations in Iraq?

Maybe I'm missing something. Don't get me wrong. Saddam is guilty of horrendous, inhumane actions against innocent people. But at the same time, I question the integrity of other nations. How are we decent as a race when we allow a man to be hung, have it televised, and follow with criticism on how it was administered? If we cared so much about decency, why was I watching Saddam walk to the gallows? Why was I able to find the video of Saddam's death on the Internet?

The bottom line is this: Different world leaders that faced war tribunals never made it to Saddam's situation because they either died or were killed before sentencing. More importantly, Saddam's trial was the fastest and by far the sloppiest approach to fixing the "war crime perpetrator" problem. We sit and we criticize the killing of this man, but I ask you: How are we decent in allowing hanging as capital punishment? How are we decent in watching a 30-second clip of Saddam walking to his death?

We need to realize our responsibility to human decency. Isn't that why we're in Iraq, to protect and free a nation from such indecency? I'm not so sure anymore.

Roujin Mozaffarimehr is a junior political science and Italian double major.