Bottom's up

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has died at the age of 91. Pinochet came to power in 1973 through a military coup, largely supported by the United States and Britain, deposing Chile's democratically-elected president. Millions of Chileans were killed, tortured, and persecuted under Pinochet's regime. You can read more about it all here.

I happened to catch some of the reaction to Pinochet's death on the evening news last night. Now while I can't even begin to know how those who were tortured and persecuted, and those who lost family members to Pinochet's regime must feel, I hardly think dancing in the streets and popping bottles of champagne is the proper reaction. In fact, I find it quite disturbing.

Death, anyone's death, should force us all to ponder our own mortality, and examine our own faults and shortcomings, not celebrate and get drunk.