Vessels of Wrath

For chapter five, I found the arguments to be a little confusing as they were presented. Maybe I was just missing the links, because it seemed a little scattered and contradictory at times. To me the most difficult part of the topic of the existence of Hell is that it can't be argued against with simple logic. I think here the Bible may be our only resource for explaining the existence of Hell.
In the end of the chapter, the final reason for damnation is that people choose it and that even from Hell they will not desire to be under God's authority rather than suffer eternally. That, however, still doesn't answer the final question of why Hell has to be Hell. It could just be nothingness or anihilation as the Jehovah's Witnesses believe. They would ask why an evil act done in time must be punished for all of eternity. These questions can't be so easily dismissed as to say that in eternity the only people in Hell are those who want to be there. While that may be true, it doesn't answer the question of why Hell must be as opposed to just making the damned cease to exist.
Although it is not an easy answer to understand for myself, let alone easy to explain, I think we must answer this question by turning to the divine attributes of Justice and Sovereignty. We have to admit that if God's love and/or mercy are more important parts of his character than Justice, then he could change the hearts of the damned as easily as he changed the heart of you and me. Ultimately if God is sovereign, in one way he wills that there be souls in Hell. If "God's wrath is not a cranky explosion, but his settled opposition to the cancer...which is eating out the insides of the human race he loves with his wole being," as is quoted on pg. 73 of chapter 5, then he could eliminate the cancer completely from everyone.
What if God withholds himself from certain people, allowing them to eternally follow their own selfish wills in order that he may display his justice in eternity through their punishment? What if God's justice is of equal importance to his mercy and love and will therefore be demonstrated forever through his creation. What if God created certain people for this very purpose? I think we must address these issues to fully answer the question of how a loving God could send people to Hell.
Thoughts? Corrections?
ed
ps. This song reminds me of my deserved place in Hell and the Grace by which I get out of it.
http://www.last.fm/music/Matthew+Mayfield/_/The+Devil+Within