R.I.P. Saddam Hussein

The coverage I've seen of the slaying of Saddam has been vile. Every word seems calculated to justify his death, with no room for the remotest possibility that he was a human being for whom we might feel compassion. There is no justice in killing people, only sometimes, under certain conditions, a reason that can't be ignored. The reason here is something called revenge, and revenge is bestial. We are not at our best when we hang people, shoot people in the head, put poison in people's veins, send large amounts of electricity through people's bodies. Some people are guiltier than others. Some people have more blood on their hands. But we have a great deal of blood on our hands, we solemn executioners.