What Kind of People Are They?

When the Lockerbie bomber: al-Megrahi was sent home to die of prostate cancer a few months back, I was incensed to say the least. At the time, I thought that the decision-makers might as well have slapped the families of the victims in the face. I also remember silently remonstrating with Alex Salmond, the Scottish Prime Minister and the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for letting their feelings of magnanimity and mercy overcome their feelings of outrage for what this man had done.

Al-Megrahi's cancer was terminal, we were told and he wasn't expected to live more than a few weeks. Yet, months later, he is blissfully happy living in his home land, receiving heroe status, after receiving a heroe's welcome.

According to popular opinion, the decision to release the man wasn't out of mercy, so much as greed. It's being whispered in some very prominent places that this odious man was exhanged for an oil deal with Lybia. It occured to me at the time that dirty tricks might have been involved here, but I didn't want to think that politicians on my side of the Atlantic could be so insensitive as to put oil before people's grief. But, in the face of many heart-driven denials by Salmond and the Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, many people believe that this is exactly what has happened.

If it is true, then my view of the men and women of Westminster and Holyrood has plumetted from viewing them as weaklings, with an iffy sense of integrity, to lying, cheating, self-centred miscreants.

I don't blame President Obama for being angry and, as a British woman, I can only speak of my shame that my fellow countrymen have sunk to such a low-level of crassness.