No

by Dexter Dextrose

Created on: May 03, 2011

As a human, death is an ultimate and inevitable consequence. There is no way to dodge the end of one's life, nor can one predict when that fateful day will arrive. As such, death should be treated with an air of respect and solemnity, or, at the very least, a cognizance of its finality. Taking pleasure in the end of another human's life is akin to wielding the sickle yourself. It is a primal, visceral response lacking the trappings of reason and humanity. To be fair, there are many people this Earth would almost certainly be better off without, at least at face value. However, regardless of how evil or wicked a person is, rejoicing in their death is never a good thing. The old adage, "Two wrongs don't make a right" rings like a bell of righteousness in this scenario.

By relishing in the fall of another, one is actually contributing to their own demise. To say that it is good that someone else has died is to ignore that which separates humans from animals. The vengeful soul that celebrates the death of Osama bin Laden does not much differ from the lion who rejoices in a fresh kill. The lone difference is that the lion killed to survive, while the human merely takes pleasure in what he or she feels is right and just. However, life is a precious and delicate balance, one that should not lend itself to vigilantism, but one that should be held with gentle hands. This is not to say that someone who is a threat to the overall well being of the human race should be allowed freedom to continue to harm, but it is to suggest that when such a person meets their end, it should not be viewed as a cause for celebration.

Instead of celebrating when an evil person passes, humans should reflect on their own lives. Reflect on what we are doing wrong and try to remedy it while we are still alive. Humans should also reflect on what is being done right, and try wholeheartedly to encourage its continuity. These are two productive measures one can take in the wake of another's death. Reveling in someone else's decease accomplishes nothing of a positive nature. It does, however, serve to commemorate the wicked individual of whom the celebrators are happy to have seen pass. It provides for an environment where these people can focus on negative aspects of a negative person. There is absolutely no way such behavior can breed anything but further negativity. Such negativity may not be immediately obvious, but it will find it's way into the fragile balance of this world somehow.

Death is something that every human fears, whether or not they will admit to it. It is something everyone must face. It is cyclic and unknown, much like many other aspects of the universe we reside in. Instead of rejoicing in the death of a wicked individual, humans should rejoice in the remaining life we have left. Use the time in a way that creates a better world, no matter how small of a step one takes. A million tiny positive steps are much better than a million vengeful jeers.  

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