This morning's New York Times tells me that Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad. I have no love or sympathy for the man whatsoever, but the news made me a bit queazy. Death on the front page.

I think he deserved a far more severe punishment, like keeping him locked up and isolated for the rest of his life. Deprive him of the same basic human rights from which he deprived his population. I am not an advocate for the death penalty,. I'm sure my opinion would shift if somebody murdered a loved on, but I think most of my loved ones do not believe in the death penalty either so in their honor I could never ask for that kind of punishment.

I think that what bothers me the most is that while Saddam Hussein got death, every other dictator responsible for human rights abuses and thousands of deaths did not and has not received the same punishment. In fact, those that have been favored by the U.S. government have eluded all punishment whatsoever. I think they all deserve the same punishment, if you commit crimes against humanity, no matter what your political affiliation, you should be held accountable.

Makes me think, if the U.S. were invaded and occupied by a foreign nation who would have to face trial? Rumsfeld? Kissinger? Would all the buildings named after Ronald Reagan have their names changed? Would we tear down all the monuments of slave-owners?

Just like beauty, morality seems to also be "in the eye of the beholder".