To put the subject of this essay in its proper perspective, the reader should know that I am not a scholar, academic, researcher or a writer, just a person with an opinion
The reader should also know two other facts about me. One, I do believe in rehabilitation/second chances and forgiveness, plus the reality of medical mental illnesses/diseases of a chemical, neurological, organic nature.
And I do believe when any person criminally takes the life of another, they must pay with their own life.
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The important word is “criminally” and the payment not be the death penalty.
Why do I feel this way ? Because life is humankind’s greatest single gift which is unrestorative or unduplicative.
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Equally imperative is that the loved ones of murdered victims suffer unmeasurable anguish for the rest of their lives and the pain is worsened when they learn the murderer can walk free out of prison while they are locked up in a prison of sorrow and grief for their lives.
Here is an example. Two men see a beautiful sixteen old girl walking home in a dark evening.
They follow her, drag her behind a house and attempt to sexually assault her. She fights them off, so one crushes her skull with a hunk of cement. The other then tries to assault her and when he fails, he stabs her to death with a knife.
The two killers are arrested, tried and sentenced to 25 years to life. Neither expresses guilt, regret, remorse or shame. Neither apologizes. And they are paroled. One is only 60 years old with many years of freedom to enjoy. Simultaneously, the young lady’s Mother will never be free of her anguish which is fortified by knowing her 16 year old killer will be walking around among us.
Justice is herein not served.
And this is happening all over, not in the interest of Justice, but for economic reasons, or nor is it in the interest of humanitarianism or compassion when the victim’s loved one’s anguish is ignored.
The victims should take precedence. The above example is from a real case. The murder of Paula Bohovesky of Pearl River. The living victims are Paula’s Mother and Brother. And with the rise in senseless criminal murders, we shall sure see more of this.