A Wednesday - Be Not Afraid

My husband and I went to watch A Wednesday on Sunday afternoon, a Hindi movie starring veteran thespians Anupam Kher and Naseruddin Shah. It's a very well executed thriller, and it kept both of us on the edge of our seats, while giving us an insider's view on how things are set in motion by the powers that be when there are bomb scares in India.

The film prompted a very engaging discussion between my husband and I, about moral ambiguity, crime and punishment and the burgeoning, growing question of whether the legal system as it exists in democratic societies today is adequate to deal with the most dangerous, mutant form of crime - terrorism. 

Here were some of our key points (some taken from the film - these aren't spoilers, but they do lay the foundation for the film's philosophy):

First, history breaks down in the wake of terrorism. Historically, no matter what form of governance has existed, crime led to punishment at varying levels of imprisonment and torture, with the ultimate punishment of course, being death. However, even if the most gruesome execution methods of the past were to be reinstated (like say, drawing and quartering), the inherent philosophy of martyrdom induces no fear among those who have been trained to die for a cause.

This is where things get murky and grey. To maintain the law, the process of a trial, the pronouncement of judgment, potentially culminating in an execution must be followed, even when there is an admission on the part of the accused. But how do you punish someone who considers himself a martyr, and who fears nothing, not even death? And how do you deal with someone who is so invested in something as abstract as religion or the mere idea of heaven? 

I am sure I am not the only one who believes it is time laws were revised and rewritten to deal with this unprecedented threat. I just wonder how it can be done when we are so entrenched in a certain set of values that stem from those laws. How can a tree change its roots? Are we ready for that kind of an evolutionary transformation (so to speak)? As an ordinary person with no experience or knowledge of the law, it is really hard for me to imagine or envision a new system of law that would genuinely work to dissuade people from taking to terrorism. 

I also wonder, as an ordinary person, if I am doomed to helplessness. Having delegated the law and the tools and rights to uphold the law to others, am I completely reliant on the system for my defense? Must that change in some way? If so, how? When I have no personal enmity with the individual or organization, and my only crime is that I belong to a different country or religion and subscribe to a differen ideology, how do I even begin to outline my expectations for safety?

What I am most curious to learn about is whether slowly, silently, the wheels of the process are indeed turning towards bringing a new legal system into the world. I do not believe, and I don't think anyone believes it begins and ends with the Patriot Act or other forms of stealth governance. There must be something else at work here; something that is approaching ever so slowly, to prove my optimism and faith right.