A sentiment by a class member. One echoed by people all over the country.
It's the sort of thing that floods my brain with so much cortisol that it can take years off my life. It's the sort of thing that makes me want to throw a chair across the room, smash things up, drop whoever said it into a truly unjust society. Somewhere where there is no real justice system, no 2000 years of trial and error. I ask this, how can a society that accepts murder as one of the highest crimes possible then go on to murder as punishment? An eye for an eye?
When a society adopts this kind of an attitude it becomes a norm. A value that is normal to those who grow up around it. The population becomes hardened to everyday murder. Is that what we want? Where does this lead?
Remember violence begets violence.
We know this.
Its an old lesson.....
2 comments:
I totally agree with you that violence isn't the answer.
However, surely what's good for the one is good for the other. It comes to something when a murderer or a rapist gets a slap on the wrist for committing an indictable offence. For the sake of the victim's family, it is good enough justice to see the offender permentely eradicated from society so they can not commit further offences. The victim's family can rebuild their life without the fear that in 10 years time the offender who caused them severe pain will be walking down their street an 'unchanged' person.
We mustn't sympathise with the villain here, do you honestly think they care about the people they hurt when attacking an innocent and vulnerable person?
Nowadays, it is rare judges charge the 'wrong person'. Like the old saying goes 'treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself'.
Things are never as black and white as you suppose. In a truly just society all are given second chances or all are put through a rehabilitation process. I accept not not all will be rehabilitated I just cannot believe that taking a life is the way forward. It smacks of an older way, a more ignorant approach. Largely the reason that people get a 'slap on the wrist' (although can you imagine ten years of your life taken away from you?) is because the prison system is overcrowded and under funded. Its the usual story, but this may distract from the principle. Furthermore how do you know that it is rare that judges get the wrong person? If even one man goes to his death because of a black and white system then surely it has failed.
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