Bob Dooley kindly sent the message you see further down to Francisco Gomes de Matos (Friday, December 09, 2005)

Dear Prof. Francisco,

I applaud your concern with humiliation, as I have applauded all of your peace initiatives. As I looked at your checklist, I was reminded of a law of ancient Israel with the same object in mind:

Deuteronomy 25.1-3: “When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty. If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and have him flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves, but he must not give him more than forty lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes."

I think the fact of power is a sociolinguistic given. Governmental power in particular is a given unless there is anarchy. But in this ancient law we see a reasoned limitation on governmental power, given by Israel's God and based on the concept of brotherhood: one who is our brother, we may need to punish but we do not humiliate. How much we need to remember & practice that in a world where humiliation is too often seen as a legitimate tool of power.

Bob Dooley