The decision by the justice minister of Scotland to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person ever convicted in the bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 270 people on the plane and on the ground has caused great consternation on both sides of the Atlantic. Scottish law permits release on compassionate grounds. Mr. Megrahi is dying of cancer and has only months to live. Letting him go home to die among his family is surely an example of compassion which is not the same as justice. Many people including President Obama have raised objections and criticized the decision. I am not sure if people do not understand that compassion by its very definition is different from justice. Of course, this is not justice. Or, perhaps, people are upset by what our media described as a “hero’s welcome” when he arrived in Libya. From all I have read, the people at the airport were members of his tribe who turned out to welcome their family member home. There was no government recognition of the return nor government official present at his homecoming. I have even read that Scotland must be getting some economic benefit from Libya. I am going to suggest that this is just what it is said to be: a compassionate move in keeping with Scottish law.
Who thinks Scotland made a mistake?
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It's really difficult to say that Scotland made a mistake. I would tend on the side of compassion. The complication that bothered me was not even the reception at the airport, but the implication later that the UK somehow made a connection between the release and an oil deal. That would soil the compassionate intent. But when I read about it, it may be that others have made the connection of the two actions, but they were not, in reality, connected. I hope not.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the Scotts have a very nice way of doing things. If he's going to die soon anyway and isn't going to do much harm in his current state, they why not let him go home? The government didn't even recognize his coming home! I wouldn't argue against my fellow Scotts anyway, but I do think that they did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough call to make. However, I have to say that I think Scotland needs to be much stricter when it comes to convicted criminals. I think showing compassion is not something the judicial system can afford to do. Especially not when it's publicized like this.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the rest of the population of Scotland goes: with knowledge of this compassionate release, what is there to stop an evil-hearted man with terminal illness from comitting mass murder?
And to be fair: Yes, it is a nice thought that a sick man went home to his family and was able to say his goodbyes. However, considering who this man is, I'm sure it is not a nice thought for the 270 families who were affected by this man's actions. They were never given the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. I think it's more important to serve justice to the victim's families than it is to show compassion for this man.
Justice versus compassion. It is a tough call. I don't know what was to be gained by keeping a dying man in prison. That seems more like revenge than justice.
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