The conflict over the wisdom of Nidal Hasan's public execution is not a new one. Americans at the republic's founding debated - and doubted - whether watching someone die would teach a useful lesson.
In communities across America, people recovering from floods, storms and wildfires have been left waiting much longer for federal aid - if it arrives at all.
There is no single way to tell the story of the 'Ramayana.' People from different religious traditions and cultural backgrounds have reimagined the epic in countless ways.