Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility

For those we lost, We will not forget 09/11/2001

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
— The Continental Congress, July 4, 1776

“The task of statesmanship has always been the re-definition of these rights in terms of a changing and growing social order.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt (Commonwealth Club Address, 1932)

“Roosevelt was wrong! The principles laid down in the Declaration of Independence are the principles of individual liberty. Our unalienable rights, given to us by God are given to us as individuals. Our rights do not come from society or the government, and they cannot be redefined by politicians. The nature of these rights carries with it the implication of individual responsibility, without which we surrender them.”
— Perri Nelson, November 6, 2008

<< New York Times: Mission Accomplished | Main | News Roundup and Friday Open Trackbacks. >>

A necktie party in Iraq

Published Thu, Dec 28 2006 6:24 PM
Technorati Tags: News and Politics, War on Terror, United Nations

MSNBC is reporting that Saddam Hussein may be hanged as early as tomorrow.

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death for his role in 148 killings in 1982, will have his sentence carried out by Sunday, NBC News reported Thursday. According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins this Sunday.
The hanging could take place as early as Friday, NBC’s Richard Engel reported.

My oh my, justice is swift in Iraq!

The U.S. military received a formal request from the Iraqi government to transfer Saddam to Iraqi authorities, NBC reported on Thursday, which is one of the final steps required before his execution. His sentence, handed down last month, ordered that he be hanged within 30 days.
Earlier Thursday, Saddam’s chief lawyer implored world leaders to prevent the United States from handing over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities for execution, saying the former dictator should enjoy protection from his enemies as a “prisoner of war.”
“According to the international conventions, it is forbidden to hand a prisoner of war to his adversary,” Saddam’s lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, said in Amman, Jordan.
“I urge all the international and legal organizations, the United Nations secretary-general, the Arab League and all the leaders of the world to rapidly prevent the American administration from handing the president to the Iraqi authorities,” he told The Associated Press.

I urge all of the international and legal organizations to keep out of it. I urge the secretary-general of the United Nations to uphold the sovereignty of the Iraqi government. I urge the Arab League to get stuffed.

Saddam commited his crimes against Iraqi citizens. He was tried under Iraqi law by and Iraqi court. He was convicted based on evidence that included orders for the killings in his own hand. His appeal was heard by an Iraqi court and turned down.

Cardinal Renato Martino, Pope Benedict XVI’s top prelate for justice issues and a former Vatican envoy to the U.N., condemned the death sentence in a newspaper interview published Thursday, saying capital punishment goes against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

It's too bad that Iraq isn't being run by the Catholic Church then isn't it.

After his sentence was given, Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, urged Iraq to ensure a fair appeals process and to refrain from executing Saddam even if the sentence is upheld.

"Ensure a fair appeals process" and then ignore the result? I thought the U.N. was supposed to "uphold the rule of law". Of course we know now that the true purpose of the U.N. is to ensure the wealth of corrupt bureaucrats and to coddle murderous thugs and dictators.

Saddam deserves to die many times over for his crimes. I only regret that he has but one life to give to pay for them. Sunday's not soon enough. Neither is Friday, but it'll have to do.

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, The Random Yak, The HILL Chronicles, Don Surber, basil's blog, Pirate's Cove, Dumb Ox News, Jo's Cafe, Conservative Cat, and bRight & Early, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. A tip o' the hat to Iowa Voice.