I think no one has mentioned the release of the

ThreeShadows

Quid me anxia?
Lockerby bomber. I'm appalled. I remember when it happened and a woman was writhing on the floor at the airport, screaming "My baby! My baby!". Some official type ordered the man who was with her to "get her off the floor". I wanted to put my hands around his neck and tell him to LET HER GRIEVE IN PEACE!
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Yes, I heard there was outrage that he was released. I wonder if there was some political motivation to send him back to Libya.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
From what I saw, he was released because he has terminal prostate cancer and isn't expected to live very much longer. The Scotts acknowledged the controversy about his release but said that it was appropriate with their level of mercy. (I'm guessing within their legal system?)

I couldn't help but wonder if he was nervous about getting on a plane after his release was announced worldwide.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
I watched a bit on tv last night about interviewing some folks who had lost their loved ones in the crash. I remember the crash. Dude wasn't even born yet.

The interesting thing to me was that some people who had lost a loved one have been able to move on and let go in their grieving process. A nice couple who lost their daughter were almost ambivilent about this man being allowed to die with his family. They said - they had forgiven him in their own way because they felt their daughter would have wanted them to move on and find peace.

Then there was a woman who said I hope he burns in Hades. She was obviously still not over the grief and was very bitter, angry and distraught. The mere mention of this mans name made her tense up and just seethe.

So as I'm watching this program I was thinking to myself about things in my own life that have happened and how I've dealt with them. Then I thought about how; If I were to be interviewed twenty years later which of the two examples I'd rather be for the world. The couple who had let go and found peace or the woman who had spent her time being miserable and bitter and wouldn't let go of the anger.

Both families had lost a loved one. Neither's loss was greater or lesser than the other. Both families had a choice to go on with their lives and either be as happy as they could or waste their time being miserable and angry people. It really made me think again about my own life.

So I hope that since there is no reversing this decison and returning this man to Scotland that maybe the world looks at this situation and the people TWENTY years later and it sends a message that there are horrible people in the world, and there are horrible things that happen to us and our families. Somtimes there is nothing we can do about it, but how we move on in our lives is up to us. Do we waste our time or do we make the best of it in honor of those who have left us behind?

In the very least - he's not getting one over on the Almighty.
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I think this points up one reason so many people are in favor of the death penalty. Personally, I'm opposed to it but I feel that for someone who has committed so heinous a crime, the sentence should be life without parole. When people like this are released, it just confirms the suspicion that there is no such thing as no parole. I do think that people have to forgive and go on with their lives, but I also think he should have to pay the full penalty. The people he killed didn't get to die at home with their families; why should he?
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
How could they not have forseen that he would be greeted by cheering throngs of thousands at the airport? I fail to see how this man deserves compassion. He's going to die, who cares where he dies at? Why let him die as a hero to his people where he can see it and reap the benefits of it? He should die alone and in fear, like most of the people he killed.
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
I heard there was suspicion that there were some "oil conversations" involved.

I was sickened.

I never thought I'd live to see the day that Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme would be released from prison...but she was.

And I certainly never EVER expected this.

I think it is an abomination. I am enraged for those families.

Suz
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
What the heck is wrong with the world? All of these people are being freed, yet I just heard that parole for Leonard Peltier has been denied even though he has been a political prisoner in this country for over 30 years. His story has been on the 60 Minutes TV show, his freedom has been lobbied for by a couple of popes, Desmond Tutu, the United Nations, etc., he is sick, he is old, and there is little evidence he is guilty and much that he is not, yet he is to stay where he is. Sometimes I feel like turning off the news and ignoring everything because it is just too upsetting.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I can understand the reasons for releasing him. I don't know how ill he is, but they said he is definitely dying, so I suspect he's not enjoying life much right now. If he's beinghero-worshipped, he's not going to have long to enjoy it.

BUT - I heard the press release from the Scottish officials. I agree with them. The bomber was not compassionate, he showed no compassion at all. But that doesn't mean the Scots have to lower themselves to his level. They are bigger than that.

And one point nobody has mentioned or considered - what about the costs of his medical care? Even if all he's getting now is palliative care, it still costs. Why should Scotland have to fork out when they can pass the costs back to Lybia.

If Scotland's generosity makes them feel better, so be it. And how must it feel to terrorists, to have to acknowledge the generosity of Christian charity?

The thing is, the Scots have chosen to do this, for a range of reasons. This guy is no danger to anybody, either in or out of prison. Let him be a burden back in his home country.

As for comparing this case to others - I don't think you can. Different courts have administered the cases you mention, in different countries. The Brits recently remitted Ronnie Biggs' sentence under similar circumstances.

I had another thought - I know in Britain that terminal end-stage cancer patients are able to get heroin supplied on prescription, to help them deal with the pain. It works better than morphine without sedating, so people can actually live active, productive lives for a lot longer than on morphine.

I don't think it's possible to get heroin in prescription in Lybia.

Marg
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
They cheered him at the airport? This is a man who murdered hundreds of people. I think I'm more sickened by that than his release.

I guess I get why they released him, because they have this mercy clause thing in their laws and they've done it for others in similar situations, but surely they must have known that this was going to cause international controversy. If anything, they should have kept him there and let his family come. The airport thing makes me sick.
 

1905

Well-Known Member
There should be no compassion shown for this animal. Like Susan Cohen said-the mother of one of the victims- No one is in prison for this crime, it's like it never happened. The fact that he had a hero's welcome sickens me. Why should he have any comfort or happiness?
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
Maybe in Libya they need a reason to celebrate? It seems like they will take any opportunity. They have been blinded by all of the years of evil rule and fighting.
Desperation does some pretty strange things to people minds.

I am saddened for the families and feel sorry for the reactions of Libya.
 
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