I just watched the Bali bomber on TV rejoicing as he was given the death penalty and, in a sickening gesture, turning to the crowd in the courtroom to give them two thumbs up, his face beaming with an ear-to-ear grin. It’s at a moment like this that you realize just how dangerous these fanatics are (not that I ever really doubted that).
I am no big fan of the death penalty. But in this case, I am delighted, and hope that however they kill him, they do it slowly. Bastard.
1
By Edwin
Will take about 3-6 yrs before they execute coz he’s appealing and also it’s by firing squad – so it’s a quick death.
Creepy he was laughing but perhaps his laughing was just a sign of his fear.
August 7, 2003 @ 4:00 pm | Comment
2
By Michael
He is a perfectly sane, shameless, little man who did an insane thing for one reason, notoriety. Sadly, he has managed to trash millions who just happened to have been of the same nationality. It will take a long time to remove the distrust the homunculus has generated.
August 7, 2003 @ 5:07 pm | Comment
3
By Idle
It’s too easy a way for him to go. I mean, this guy wants to be a martyr and the court just handed him his wish. They should imprison him for life and make him watch 80’s tv reruns or listen to infidel music. Even if he does get executed, I’d like to see him do that Braveheart execution scene!
August 8, 2003 @ 3:46 am | Comment
4
By richard
Was it simply thirst for notoriety? I am not convinced. You can gain notoriety in ways that do not necessarily result in your own death. No, to do what he did knowing the inevitable consequences, and then celebrating over it — this is true martyrdom, a belief so strong that what he did was right and just and that he will be greatly rewarded for it in death. He is your ideal suicide bomber type, willing to carry out the most execrable crimes with gusto. There seem to be so many of these types willing to end their lives in the act of slaughtering innocents, I have to wonder how we can ever “win the war on terror.”
August 8, 2003 @ 7:04 am | Comment
5
By Michael
I assume you were responding to my post about how a mass murderer managed such a notorious “notoriety.” In short, you argue that his “celebration” of that terrible act was one of ‘true martyrdom’ and conclude, perhaps, there is no apparent response sufficient to “win” the war or terror.
I disagree. Martyrdom has to do with suffering, the profound and conscious assumption of burdens so that others might not suffer the same fate—something deeply religious and not of this world. Clearly, that ‘smiling’ bomber is not religious. He willingly inflicted grievous pain and suffering for the victims and their families and then gloated about the entire affair—something ever so worldly and murderously psychotic.
What strikes me about the use, or rather misuse of religion today is the ability of psychopaths to channel hate so effectively to a broader, worldwide audience that apparently accepts this projection of weakness, uncritically even willingly, by second guessing themselves.
No. The homunculus is nothing more than a gory, glory hound and the way to ‘win’ is to recognize that fact and understand this just another new type of crime and that crime does not just ‘go’ away but morphs to fit the situation.
August 9, 2003 @ 5:10 pm | Comment