"Dear Editor"
Dear Editor.
Amrozi, the cold blooded killer who helped to organize the Bali bombing will be executed
(Editorial, Aug 9, 2003), which is the form of punishment that clearly grants him exactly what he
was hoping for.
Some people welcomed this sentence, some not - suggesting other forms of punishment, and
some, to my astonishment, are calling for a "humanitarian resolution" in a sense of forgiveness
(Letters, Aug. 9, 2003). A forgiveness..? For the terrorist who didn't show one shred of compassion
of remorse? It is like granting them the right to continue that sick crime they are committing. One
of the important things here to appeal is not to get intimidated and do nothing but to apply effective
ways and forces to help to minimize this sort of crime.
I agree with the editorial that the penalties for terror must deter. In my appeal the death penalty
in this case is clearly not a very effective way to serve the law, because Amrozi is one of those
people who has no regard for the human life, not even his own.
It should be considered with much
greater care if punishment granted is really the right punishment in itself for the particular offender.
Unfortunately, this sentence is very likely to be used as an excuse for further terror. This is
also very ironic since terrorists often voluntarily choose to die for their course. It is a dangerous
psychological game which needs to be looked at from different point of views than any other serious
crime.
"An uneven equation?" - of course it's uneven. People have died. A lot of other people are
left with physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives. Nothing can ever change that. No
matter what the punishment, the equation will...