I usually keep the blog well out of the way of politics, in fact I usually dont watch much of the news at all.
But I have to talk about this!
Scotlands law, rightly or wrongly, allow a person with a terminal illness to be sent home to die.
The Lockerbie bomber was imprisoned in Scotland under Scottish law.
That should be the end of the matter. If one of our people commits a crime in another country they are subjected to their rules. Our governments may petition for people not to get the death sentence or something but at the end of the day we have no power to do anything.
But no
America tried to bully us and England has turned its back on us and condemned us.
I for one am actually really proud that our politicians refused to be forced to go against our law.
I am happy that our small country isnt forced to shell out for the security that would have been needed to allow this man to die in one of our hospitals surrounded by police.
I am sorry that our compassion caused people to wish to boycott our country but I am so proud that we were strong enough to stand up for ourselves and not be bullied.
Scotland will not benefit from any oil deals or anything, if there was any deals (which I dont believe there was - else England would have been happy with us) then it would be England, as always, getting the money.
Scotts, be proud of us having the strength to stand up for our laws we can hold our heads up high.
And 270 other people, including at least 11 Scots, would have liked to have been accorded the same right - to die in their own country with their families around them, at the right time.
ReplyDeleteYes of course, I never said the bombing was anything but a horrific thing. We drove past there on the way to my Grandparents the week that happend and I have many friends who lived round the area and saw it all first hand.
ReplyDeleteBut he was tried and convicted under Scottish law so the choice as to what happens to him is goverend by that law.
It is a very big thing to show someone more kindness than they show you, might show other nations that not all the western world is bloodthirsty.
Thanks for doing that post - I was glad to hear a Scottish person's perspective on this issue. As an American, an Obama supporter, and a Buddhist (where heavy emphasis is placed on compassion and proper care for the dying), I'm very conflicted about it. I completely agree, however, that Scotland did the right thing in honoring its own laws rather than succumbing to the bullying of other nations (including mine); thus, you all deserve our respect.
ReplyDeleteEmptyknits, thankyou
ReplyDeleteI know all about the personal conflict. I felt the same way too when I first heard I was like 'no way that is wrong' then when I realised it was our law, and then I thought about the horrible circus that would be happening just now outside the hospital he would be in, the beds that would be lost to press and police (and of course the people who would die cos they couldnt get a bed) and then finally, just because he showed no compassion to the families does not mean we cannot be the bigger people and show compassion to his family.