Watching Someone Die

[Michelle]

There are clips on the net showing the uncensored execution of Saddam Hussein.

What I want to know is: What do you think about watching a clip of someone being put to death? Have you watched it?

I tried just a few minutes ago - my heart started pounding and I became upset before clicking away. I did not finish the video.

On some level, I think I should be able to watch it if my subjective reality allows it to take place.

What do you think?

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

I hadn't thought about this in the context of subjective reality until you mentioned it Michelle.

My personal belief though is that there are some images I would rather not have in my memory. I've seen a few pretty ugly things in my life, and they can replay themselves in my brain if I let them. I've done EFT on the memories of most of them, so they don't bother me emotionally so much these days, but I would rather have memories of happy scenes to replay. I reckon watching ugliness of any type is detrimental to my intention to see only love, beauty and joy. The ugly scenes, I had no choice about viewing, this execution, I do have a choice about viewing.

I didn't personally know Saddam Hussein, therefore his death is largely irrelevent to my life. So I've got better things to do with my time, and happier things to fill my memories with!

joy to you
Hazel

[Erki]

While I didn't have any feelings about seeing the execution, I still find it disgusting that they showed it on prime time tv on new year's eve.

[Dating Specialist]

For me, I usually will avoid seeing it in the first place. I know I have quite a vivid imagination, though we can control the imagery images but I'd prefer prevention rather than cure.

Just the thought of watching someone being put to death already shuts my mind and heart up. It just isn't that "humane" according to my definition.

But the mention of subjective reality is an interesting angle to look at this matter though

[Dating Specialist]

Originally Posted by Erki

While I didn't have any feelings about seeing the execution, I still find it disgusting that they showed it on prime time tv on new year's eve.

Gosh! You mean it's showed on public TV? While I can understand why the death of Saddam Hussein is an event that will go down history, but I don't really appreciate that being shown on TV on New Year's Eve, yes I agree with you Erki.

[Erki]

Yep, that's news mag for us. Usually when they show those crime programmes on tv, they warn that the sights can be graphic, this time there was no warning, and they didn't have to show it. I would have understood if there was an accident in live tv but they approached it like showing a casual news item which was a bit weird, haven't seen such attitude before...

[Dating Specialist]

Eeeks! Imagine children watching that

[Michelle]

Here on the news they showed Saddam with the noose around his neck standing on the platform waiting for "it" to happen. They did not show the event taking place.

It was only in the net that I found clips of the actual uncensored event, which I was not able to watch.

[Michael Chui]

Why is Saddam's hanging an event that will go down in history? "First real death broadcast on television"?

[Michelle]

For me the question has not so much to do with Saddam himself, rather more with watching someone being put to death. I think my heart would have pounded that way for a dog or any other person.

[Michael Chui]

It's important, I think, to have seen it and to respect it. Every form of death should be witnessed firsthand (and a net video is close enough, I'd say) when the opportunity presents itself.

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

I held my dog while she was put down humanely by the vet. It was hard to do and broke me for a while. Mainly becasue I'd loved her for 15 years, and she'd gone. Her death itself was very calm and loving.

I've been with relatives and close friends dying of cancer. Never been there when they actually passed, but very close. The sadness was there, but not pain. It was a release for them.

Saddam was killed. Not dying in his own time. It's a different thing. Seems to me like extreme violence, watching some one be killed like that. I reckon that has it's own effect. Rather than the death as such.

Joy and life to us all
Hazel

[TheColonel]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

It's important, I think, to have seen it and to respect it. Every form of death should be witnessed firsthand (and a net video is close enough, I'd say) when the opportunity presents itself.

WTF? Every form of death should be witnessed first hand? What does that mean? Why?

I gotta tell you, that statement comes off as ludicrous.

[stephencp]

I watched it because I was curious. Even on the net version, you don't actually see him "die", you see him falling through the floor...

[anglocon]

Originally Posted by Michelle

There are clips on the net showing the uncensored execution of Saddam Hussein.

What do you think?

Hi Michelle, yes I watched the full version. It did'nt upset me in any way, I am pretty neutral as to what happened to him.

What grabbed me was that here you had someone who knew it was all over in about 2 minutes time I had to wonder what he was thinking, regretting maybe, terrified maybe.

I suppose his bravado was still in place because he was swapping taunts with the spectators.

[Victoria]

It seems to me that people these days are just desensitized to violence and gore, and of course killing. Just think about movies like Saw and Black Christmas. It bugs me. If someone was killing me, I wouldn't want someone who was watching it to be ho-hum.

[Baltar]

I think there are only two purposes the recording of an execution serves: first to have a record that it actually happened, and second to show that it was done humanely. There's no reason to watch it unless you wish to confirm either of these two things. I personally don't have any reason to doubt either of these so I have no intention of ever watching it.

As far as death penalty goes in general, at one time I thought it made sense, then I became neutral to it, and now I'm starting to oppose it. It doesn't solve anything, and executing an old man like Saddam was even more pointless (he was going to be 70 years old in April, at which point his execution wouldn't have been allowed under Iraqi constitution).

[Matthew Shea]

Let me state first off that I'm generally opposed to the death penalty. I think that it's use was justified in the past, since only in recent history have we been able to truly remove criminals from society safely while keeping them alive in a separate institution (i.e. prison). Today, however, putting criminals to death only gives society a sense of vengeance, which I see as being wrong.

On that note, I have seen the video and found myself distinctly non-emotional. In Hussein's case, I think you can still make a strong argument that putting him to death is the only way to safely remove the threat of his re-gaining power since he's bound to have his own loyal supporters who might very well try to restore him to leadership. If this were nearly any other person I probably would have been very troubled to watch that.

On the other hand, I think that, despite the troublesome nature of executing people, it is important that we're aware of it's existence and choose not to deny it. Videos like this remind us of the reality of such things, whether we "choose" to let them enter our own reality or not. If any of us truly want to make a change for the better, we need to be aware of such things and channel the negative emotions these things cause into positive action, like supporting the international moratorium on the death penalty.

[madgeylou]

2 children mimicking what they saw on tv have died:

Webster boy mimicking Saddam's hanging dies | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

[elainevdw]

I didn't want to watch the death. But in some cases, I think it's important to watch atrocities happen.

For example, many people are familiar with the "idea" of someone being stoned to death, or the "idea" of someone having their hand or foot cut off for stealing. But no amount of written words prepared me for what it's really like. It's atrocious. And understanding atrocities can motivate people to make a change.

Personally, despite that the law decided that Saddam deserved death, I'm disturbed that they hanged him. I don't believe any human deserves to be hanged. Shoot him, electrocute him, lethal inject him... but hanging? Talk about the middle ages!

[Baltar]

Originally Posted by elainevdw

Personally, despite that the law decided that Saddam deserved death, I'm disturbed that they hanged him. I don't believe any human deserves to be hanged. Shoot him, electrocute him, lethal inject him... but hanging? Talk about the middle ages!

Hanging is actually a fairly humane form of execution if done properly. That is, if the neck is broken and the person doesn't suffocate to death. One of the most inhumane is electrocution, which is why it's no longer used in most US states. Only Nebraska has it as the sole method of execution (it's an option along with lethal injection in some others). Being shot by firing squad is probably not a great way to die either.. Lethal injection is currently considered the most humane, but it can have complications and is not easy to administer. The best option is not to execute people at all.

[Brad Isaac]

I am on the side of not subjecting your mind to unnecessarily watching someone die. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? Knowing what happened is enough.

Watching an execution doesn't give you any power to change anything, yet it can cause shock, anxiety and in the case of the boy above, a lifetime of anguish for a family.

Unless you are sitting on a jury, what benefit is derived from watching a death, rape or other scene of violence?

[rvgrinsven]

I really have no desire to watch Saddams execution. I am (like most of us here probably) opposed to the death penalty but that isn't even the reason why I won't watch it. I won't watch it because I don't want to feed my mind violent and bad pictures. no good (subconsconcious ) intentions

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by rvgrinsven

I won't watch it because I don't want to feed my mind violent and bad pictures. no good (subconsconcious ) intentions