Four for Friday

FOUR FOR FRIDAY

Q1 - Iraq: On Monday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he opposed the death penalty for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but that his trial had reminded the world of the deposed leader's brutality. Even if Hussein loses his appeal and dies on the gallows, it probably will have little effect on the future of Iraq, experts say. What do you think...should Saddam Hussein's death penalty be carried out, and if so, what kind of impact do you think it will have in the U.S. action in Iraq?

I don't agree with the death penalty in most cases, but I think Hussein should be accountable to the laws of his own country. If others found guilty of crimes similar to him were executed, then so should he be. You make your bed, you have to lie in it, dude. No sympathy here.

Q2 - College: If you went to college, did you learn more from the social or academic aspects of the experience? If you didn't go to college, do you wish you had?

My learning curve in college was pretty steep in the social aspect. I learned a lot in classes, too. However, I suspect that the social part was the longest-lasting.

Q3 - Life and Religion: A friend's teenage son recently said that one of the problems he has with fundamental religion is that it teaches that we are all bad and that we are only going to be rewarded if we make all the right choices and do all the right things. He then said, "Life isn't the test; it's a time for learning." Your thoughts?

I agree with him, with the proviso that part of learning is screwing up quite often. The reality is sometimes, quite often, we blow it. How we handle the failures can be a great learning experience. Learning that we have value in spite of our disasters is critical.

Q4 - Whodunit: If you could solve any unsolved crime in history (or prove with certainty that a particular crime was incorrectly solved, and resolve it), which one would you choose?

I have sat here for several minutes trying to pick one: Lindbergh baby kidnapping, Jack the Ripper, JonBenet Ramsay, Nicole Brown Simpson/Ron Goldman, the Rosenbergs, Lee Harvey Oswald's death, the Salem witch trials.... I can't pick just one.