Mercy for Mass Murderer?
Scotland's Justice Minister didn't cite Micah
6:8 in his decision to release the terminally ill
Lockerbie bomber and allow him to die at his home in Libya, but he
seemed to be referring to that famous biblical passage that says the
Lord requires us to "act justly and to love mercy."
Mass murderers deserve justice, but mercy?
"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but
compassion be available. Our beliefs dictate that justice be served,
but mercy be shown," Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill wrote in his decision.
"Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to
live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the
severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated."
It's a courageous and controversial stand for any government
official to take, but is it correct? Should Libyan agent Abdel Baset
al-Megrahi, convicted of taking part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on Dec. 21,
1988, which resulted in the death of 270 people, be shown mercy and
compassion when he becomes terminally ill?
Rev. John Mosey of Britain thinks
so. His daughter Helga, 19, died in the attack. Wednesday he told
reporters he would be glad to see al-Megrahi return home. Al-Megrahi,
who has served eight years of a life sentence, has terminal cancer. "It
is right he should go home to die in dignity with his family. I believe
it is our Christian duty to show mercy," he said.
Kara Wepz of Mt. Laurel, New
Jersey, disagrees. Her 20-year-old brother Richard Monetti was on board
Pan Am Flight 103. "I don't understand how the Scots can show
compassion. It's an utter insult and utterly disgusting," she told
reporters. "It's horrible. I don't show compassion for someone who
showed no remorse."
In his decision, MacAskill says he is following Scottish law which
allows for compassionate release of prisoners, and Scottish values.
"In Scotland, we are a people who pride ourselves on our
humanity," he wrote. "It is viewed as a defining characteristic of
Scotland and the Scottish people. The perpetration of an atrocity and
outrage cannot and should not be a basis for losing sight of who we
are, the values we seek to uphold, and the faith and beliefs by which
we seek to live.
"Mr. Al-Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or
compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their
families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No
compassion was shown by him to them. But, that alone is not a reason
for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days."
The prophet Micah instructed us to "love mercy." That doesn't mean
we have to like it, but does it mean we should apply it in cases like
this? Do mass murderers deserve mercy?
By
David Waters
| August 20, 2009
