Thursday 20 August 2009

Justice

Today I listened to the Scottish Justice Minister being interviewed on BBC Radio 4 about the decision to send back to Libya the terrorist guilty of the Pan Am bombing. Regardless of his decision which I know many will disagree with, it was a pleasure to hear a politician actually prepared to stand by his decision, to be prepared to defend it, to talk about principles at a time when many politicians are displaying their lack of them. To hear a politician finally talking about civilised society demonstrating compassion and humanity, instead of acting with equal or greater brutality was heart warming. The reporter unable to break through the statements about acting with compassion went on to challenge the statement that the terrorist was now under sentence of a higher power. Despite the efforts of the reporter to draw out whether he meant God or Allah (aren't they the same God - both abrahamic religions?) or Gaia or some other power, he stuck to his principles simply stating that the man was dying, something that not court or opinion can stop therefore entitled under Scottish Law to release on compassionate grounds. Great to hear, other politicians please take note, we want politicians we feel will stand up for what is right, not for who contributes the most, the biggest profit or headline. Even better to see that despite massive outside pressure, especially from the US (remember the compassionate country that challenges healthcare for all as been a 'social' construct, a country where states retain the death penalty, where people live in tent cities, and don't get federal help in a disaster because they are the wrong colour - the land of the free as long as you contribute to profitability, where international aid is given as long as you agree to trade restrictions, to rules on contraception, and of course that the world has only existed for a few thousand years, etc. The obvious experts on compassion!!) the Scottish stick to their principles - well done!