Last night I watched “The Boondock Saints.” It’s about two Irish Catholic brothers in Boston who decide to clean up the neighbourhood by going around executing all the mafia (and a few other sinners). They feel it is their God-given mission to rise above the apathy and rid the world of the evil-doers (while everyone else sits back and lets it happen). I would only recommend it if you can sit through constant swearing and bloody violence. I certainly found it interesting. It was a good story.

I also read something yesterday, in “Living in the Light” (Shakti Gawain), that said we need to be the change we want to see in the world. As more people follow the example of compassionate people, then more compassion will spread. So Shakti Gawain might disagree with the Brothers McManus.

Fighting violence with violence only seems to breed more violence. (Witness Iraq.) Nelson Mandela used violence for years to fight apartheid in South Africa. Only when he was willing to forgive, and preach compassion, was he able to succeed in making a real change.

On the other hand (for those of us who have three hands), consider the words of a comedian who said, “There’s a whole lot of crazy people out there, and sometimes you just need to thin the herd.” (Sorry, I don’t remember the comedian’s name.)

What do you think? Capital punishment or not? Which is more effective, blowing the heads off terrorists, or practicing compassion towards all?