Is Celebrating Death Justifiable?

[Lokasenna]

As pretty much the whole world is aware, Mrs Thatcher died yesterday morning. Whilst it was inevitable that a figure who was so controversial in life should also cause controversy in death, I'll admit that I've been surprised at just how pronounced it has been.

I am by nature a very political person, and a lot of my friends consequently are politically interested: it was very noticeable that my facebook page yesterday was neatly divided into two camps, one of which was in grief and one of which was in jubilant mood. My comments were fairly non-commital at first: I recognised her as an important, if divisive figure. But as the day wore on, I began to find it increasingly ghoulish how certain groups were greeting the death of frail, demented old woman with almost seraphic joy - applause at the NUS conference, street parties in Brixton and Glasgow, the leader of the Durham Miners declaring it 'the happiest day of my life.'

Consequently, I ended up engaging in several FB debates on the subject, and was suprised at the manner in which several of my friends, who are intelligent and civilized people, were nevertheless declaring this behaviour as appropriate. I then, I must admit, I thought back to my reaction to the death of Hugo Chavez, and whilst I certainly did not crack open the champagne and take to dancing in the street over that, I must admit that I did express to several friends (in private, not in public) that 'my only regret was that he did not die swinging from a lamppost.' I would, however, argue that there was a world of difference between the situations of Chavez and Thatcher.

All this is a long preamble to asking the ethical question: is it ever justifiable to celebrate the death of someone? If it is, then to what extent? What factors affect whether or not it is justified? Obviously, we mustn't get drawn into discussing politics here - this must be a purely abstract/hypothetical discussion, but I am interested to hear views.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Well I strongly disagreed with her political views and a lot of the things she did and stood for, but I wasn’t celebrating her death yesterday. I don’t see a point to it, but I can understand why I suppose if someone was so personally affected so much. If I had lost my job because of her, lost my home, seen my whole community wiped out then I might have felt differently, I don’t know. Celebrating the death of someone just feels a bit odd and pointless to me though. Even in the most extreme situations. I feel more that I regret or disagree with a situation caused by it rather than celebrate the death of the person that caused it. If that makes sense.

[YesNo]

I am by nature a very political person, and a lot of my friends consequently are politically interested: it was very noticeable that my facebook page yesterday was neatly divided into two camps, one of which was in grief and one of which was in jubilant mood. My comments were fairly non-commital at first: I recognised her as an important, if divisive figure. But as the day wore on, I began to find it increasingly ghoulish how certain groups were greeting the death of frail, demented old woman with almost seraphic joy - applause at the NUS conference, street parties in Brixton and Glasgow, the leader of the Durham Miners declaring it 'the happiest day of my life.'

That does seem like an extreme reaction to someone's death. I do remember the crowds cheering when Osama bin Laden was reported to have been killed, but he was still active. I don't think she exercised any political influence anymore, but maybe she did.

[kev67]

I can't say I am surprised by it. Didn't Elvis Costello write a song called Tramp the Earth Down about celebrating her death? No other British politician was as much hated by so many British people, at least not in living memory. I didn't really like her much myself, but that was partly because she reminded me so much of a school headmistress, who was constantly telling us off. I remember when I was told she had resigned. That was a happy day. Still, although I don't expect people to pretend they didn't hate her or not to criticize her for her policies, people should behave with a bit more class. I can't really talk though, because I was jubilant when that daily irritant, Princess Di, bit the dust. Although she was a melodrama you could never escape, whether in the newspapers, on the television or on the clock radio when I woke up in the morning, I really should have been more grown up.

[Calidore]

The harm she did, she did while in office, to which she was elected three times before choosing to step down. People celebrating her death more than 20 years later simply calls attention to their inability to do anything when it would have mattered. Plus, crowing about nature's victory over an old woman just seems cowardly in the extreme.

[Emil Miller]

Read Pro Bono Publico by Emil Miller, it tells why she did what had to, repeat had to, be done.

[cafolini]

Ask the islanders of the Falklands what they thought. Ask Gadaffi & CO what they thought. And if your knowledge of history allows it, make an appointment with Alfred the Great, or Newton, or Queen Elizabeth to discuss the matter.

[Lokasenna]

I'm concious of the fact that this post is verging on to the political, which was not my intention - though I'm quire glad to hear that my friends on here are less jubilant than those on facebook. I'm involved in several debates with people who are arguing that they are justified in glorying in her death - and I must admit that some people are on the verge of losing a great deal of my respect.

So, are there any circumstances in which it is truly legitimate to celebrate the death of another human being?

[LitNetIsGreat]

So, are there any circumstances in which it is truly legitimate to celebrate the death of another human being?

I don't think so, as I said before, but I can understand why some people might feel so in extreme situations. By extreme situations I'm thinking of serious offenders, prisoners, murderers, rapists etc. Whether it is legitimate will depend upon the individual and the circumstances though surely?

[Calidore]

So, are there any circumstances in which it is truly legitimate to celebrate the death of another human being?

People who are actively engaged in evil, and whose death prevents or lessens further harm.

[cacian]

I think regardless of what she did she was a Prime Minister and on that title alone she is due her celebratory death and much of media coverage. Historically she was the first woman to make it into office and Westminster let's face it is a man's world. So in the eyes of etiquettes and what is seen ''right'' from the outside does not unfortunately take into account deeds on whether they were abominable or not.
Celebrating the fact that she died however is out of touch wrong and reporting it on TV is even more so because it shows how the media plays up to the notion of duality good and evil . This provokes ultimately thoughts and is belittling of the whole concept of the prime ministerial itself. The media never prises it presides and plays games to stir people into little causalities of their own confusion about what is going in the public life and the reality of it behind closed doors.
Something like this leaves little to the imagination because what public life media celebrities personalities and decorum is all about is a lot of noise much ado and nothing much about to the foundations of right and wrong.

[JBI]

well, if she has inspired such a response then it is deserved. One's merits will always be judged posthumously

[Volya]

I don't think the death of anybody can be celebrated. What can be celebrated in some cases is that justice has been done and that an evil influence has been removed from the world.

[cafolini]

Thatcher took England back to the strongly meritorious psychology that made the UK the strongest power. If you need witnesses, talk to Gallileo under Bellarmino, Brahe, Kepler and Halley. Study the period of UK history known as The Glorious Revolution. And Newton? Check The House of Coin. It was the first English or American style Federal Reserve. Explain why the pound is still the strongest coin in the world. And of course, we Americans of the USA have it that way. Personally, I also very much have it that way. We don't want it, we HAVE it.

[Shaman_Raman]

I don't think the death of anybody can be celebrated. What can be celebrated in some cases is that justice has been done and that an evil influence has been removed from the world.

I agree completely with this. I remember the crowds roaring in cheer to Bin Laden's death. Was he evil? Yes. Is the world better without his influence? I'd say so. But cheering about someone's death seems to be what Bin Laden's philosophy was focused on: "death to all infidels." So if we're above such a wrong morality, we ought to behave with more maturity. Justice has been served, let's move on.