Dear Michael and Other Tipsters, On CNN, there was a very interesting interview with the Scottish politician who made the decision and accepted that "the buck stops here". Despite goading by Wolf Blitzer that he would be forever associated with his decision and that he would have to live with it for the rest of his life, he stuck to a clear, well-formulated argument.
Agree or disagree with him, his plain speaking was a welcome breath of fresh air. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/20/transcript.lockerbie.bomber/ All Hail, MacAskill! Sincerely, Stuart _____________________________________________________ "Floreat Labore" [cid:[email protected]] "Recti cultus pectora roborant" Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., Phone: 819 822 9600 x 2402 Department of Psychology, Fax: 819 822 9661 Bishop's University, 2600 rue College, Sherbrooke, Québec J1M 1Z7, Canada. E-mail: [email protected] (or [email protected]) Bishop's University Psychology Department Web Page: http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy<blocked::http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy> Floreat Labore" [cid:[email protected]] [cid:[email protected]]_______________________________________________________ From: michael sylvester [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: August 21, 2009 11:43 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] The compassion of Braveheart The release of the Libyan terrorist by Scottish authorities so that he could spend his terminal days at home and with family is an example of differential cross-cultural attitudes between Europe and the U.S. Obviously it demonstrates that Scottish judges took into account that there is more to justice than the tit-for-tat mentality of the Americans. It is interesting that the Europeans weigh various aspects of consequences of certain actions and did not blindly reject the human element that to even in our worse hour , being compassionate is truly the quintessential human quality. There are other attitudes that distinguishes Europeans from the Americans in terms of prostitution,addiction,euthanasia,death penalty and many other. One distinguishing characteristic between the two continents is that there is an ambivalence about values in U.S culture and Americans appear to have a need to seek approval.As the cross-cultural dude on Tips,the Sottish justice system seem to take into account that justice may lead to some incarceration,compassion is right and needs no consensus from across the ocean.We all regret the loss of lives,but two wrongs do not make a right. This is beginning to remind me of bumper stickers I used to see in Florida "We don't care how you do it up North." Europeans may be expressing a similar theme-"We don't care how you do it in the U.S" I understand that in some European countries even the a life sentence is viewed as cruel. So Stuart Mc Kelvie-Hail Scotland! Michael Sylvester.PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
<<inline: image005.gif>>
<<inline: image006.jpg>>
<<inline: image007.jpg>>
