Death is not to be celebrated.

[arthoniel]

A man died this weekend.

He was one of more than fifty siblings, and fathered at least twenty-three children.

In the 1980's, he helped the U.S. by fighting in the U.S.-funded insurgency against Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

He was later nearly killed by the U.S.

In the 1990's, his family disowned him.

He has had a very difficult life.

And today, people

Comments

[mistytpednaem]

I find it particularly sickening that they're showing a photo of his corpse in the news.

I do not condone his actions either, of course, but people seem to be forgetting he was a human being too, no matter what he did to the US.

[arthoniel]

Yes, exactly. I mean, I understand why the news groups need to show a picture of his corpse- people won't believe them otherwise. But... then I also saw video of the route the soldiers took into his hideout on the news and it was still kind of bloody, and they keep showing the picture and... yeah. I'm not pleased with how... crass they are being about it.

[engelen]

I am so happy. So happy to see an American say this. Not because they are suspicious of "what's next to come" but because of the inherent wrong that is killing a fellow human being. It's even worse to celebrate it.

I am so proud of you. I am so proud of knowing you. I am so proud of being able to say we're buddies.

People like you are the kind that can actually make this world a better place.

Thank you so much for this.

[arthoniel]

Oh, honey. Thank you. That is what I always hope to do- to make people hope and believe in something. Anything. If I've managed to do that, then I am a very happy person... so it means a lot that it meant a lot to you.

[dudeandlulugirl]

Death doesn't always have to be sad

[arthoniel]

No, it doesn't always have to be sad. But it should never be happy.

[blendedchaitea]

So have your views changed on the death penalty?

[arthoniel]

No. I'm not sorry that he's dead. He was one of a few people in the world who really did deserve to die. Like I said, in an ideal world, it would have been after a capture and a fair trial, but I'm not upset that he's dead in the slightest. It's just not something we should be celebrating. It's never a good thing when someone dies; it's just a less bad thing.

[chromatic_coma]

Yes, THIS.

If we saw them celebrating the death of one of our leaders by dancing in the streets, we would call them barbarians. Bad man or not, this is a human life on which we are spitting and dancing and cheering. It's really... awful.

[arthoniel]

Yup, pretty much. I'm not sorry that he's gone... but to celebrate it is crass, and... very much not the point.

[chromatic_coma]

I agree. And then to watch Jon Stewart and Colbert throw parties that he's gone... well, that was a lot uncomfortable for me. Especially Stewart, since he's usually level headed.

[arthoniel]

Yeah, I mean that was... surprising. I didn't think that they'd go that route with it.