Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utcsstat.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!utcsstat!anthony From: anthony@utcsstat.UUCP Newsgroups: can.general Subject: war criminals Message-ID: <2185@utcsstat.UUCP> Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 14:23:22 EST Article-I.D.: utcsstat.2185 Posted: Wed Apr 17 14:23:22 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 15:03:32 EST Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada Lines: 57 Subject: Re: Rebuttal to new testement > Summary: what's that about turning the other cheek? > > I agree with much of what Tony Ayiomamitis wrote, but I can't let > this one pass: > > || my favorite contradiction is the remark that [Jews] > ||believe in forgiveness ("turning the other cheek") BUT they then turn > ||around and hunt down war criminals. > > Pardon me? Judaism has no concept of "turning the other cheek". > That's a Christian concept. > Dave, "turning the other cheek" was not meant to be interpreted as being ad verbatim from Judaism but was rather used for illustrative and/or clarification purposes. Nevertheless, this is seemingly a minor point in lieu of the discussion below. > Furthermore, war criminals are not appopriate objects for > "forgiveness". The scale of what happened to Jewish communities > during the Holocaust is so horrible that justice - even justice > delayed by 40 years - should be done. > I would like to raise two arguments here for possible (future) disc- ussion. The first argument reads as follows: Let's assume individuals A, B and C are caught and succefully con- victed for war crimes and they are imprisoned for life. What does that really accomplish? First and foremost, it does not help alleviate the pain, suffering and mental agony suffered by survivors and/or relatives of survivors/victims nor does it erase these bad memories. With these guys in jail, they are assured of "peace of mind" as they would have a roof to sleep under, with three warm meals a day, a color tv and newspapers to keep up with the happenings in the world, etc., full access to medical services when in need etc. Conversely, if they are left alone purposely (without knowing this is purposeful), they will always be on the run and wondering when the day will come, if it comes, when they have to "explain" their actions. In other words, no "peace of mind". Granted they may be well-established (ex. Barbi in Canada), and hence have few worries about food, shelter, ..... the mere pos- sibility of their capture is overwhelming. My second argument, and in possible contradiction with the first, is as follows: It is GENERALLY agreed upon that with age comes wisdom. Given that 40 years or so have passed since these crimes took place, it would seem that possibly they have had the time, as a result of their isolation and self- inflicted continuous exile, to give a little more thought to the events that took place and have come to appreciate and understand their actions - to such an extent that they realize that they were caught up in one man's idiosyncracy that got carried away too far. By punishing them, when they are in their eighties or nineties, would seem to be an overkill (NO pun intended!). Without doubt, their immediate punishment following the war would seem quite justified. But by the course of events that did take place, punishing them 40 years or more later makes me wonder somewhat if anything is really ac- complished ?! -- {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!utcsstat!anthony {ihnp4|decvax|utzoo|utcsrgv}!utcs!utzoo!utcsstat!anthony