|
2000 Soap Box Archives Crime And Punishment A man was executed in Tennessee this week, the first one in forty years or so. I was saddened, although I was not opposed to him being put to death. He had raped and brutally mutilated an eight year old girl, and in my opinion, if anybody ever deserved the death penalty it was him. He didn’t deny committing this horrible crime and after twenty years or so of losing in appeal courts his lawyers started with that tired old insanity plea. Not that he was insane when he did the crime but that he was insane now and shouldn’t be executed for that reason. The courts saw through this farce and after delays and stays that reached all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States. His time finally ran out and he was given a lethal injection, which is the proscribed punishment for the crime he committed. Of course, there were the usual demonstrations and vigils by people who are opposed to the death penalty. They believe that it’s inhumane for society to put people to death for committing crimes, no matter how heinous. While I respect the opinions of these people I vehemently disagree with them. My sympathies lie with the family of this little girl who have to live with the memory of the fiendish death she died, who will always wonder what the last few minutes of her life were like. Who will never get another good night hug, never attend her graduation, never hold the grandchildren she might have given them. There will always be an empty chair at the dinner table, an empty bedroom and an empty place in their hearts. This animal cut down a tender flower before it even reached full bloom. Who knows what potential this young girl might have had, what kind of contribution she might have made to society. I can see no reason why this man should have been permitted to live, in fact he died a much easier death than the one he inflicted on this precious child. Of all the criminals who plague society the child abuser is the very worst and most despicable. They prey on helpless victims who are totally unable to protect themselves. They destroy families, spread fear and violate innocence and I do not believe that anybody can be crazy enough not to know better. I am the last man in the world to want to see an innocent person put to death, but in this day and age of DNA and sophisticated investigative procedures guilt can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in most violent crimes, so why should lawyers be able to prolong the appeal efforts for so many years. I believe in swift and decisive justice, especially in the cases of child abusers and when the penalty is applicable and the case merits it the death penalty should be imposed and carried out. Send a message to these scum bag perverts, if you touch our children you are going to pay the ultimate price. I take absolutely no joy in the death penalty being carried out even on the worst of criminals, but I do believe in it. What do you think? God
Bless America
|
