I'm not saying she didn't deserve life in prison or even the death penalty (although I hesitate to say that anyone deserves the death penalty), but it seems like you folks are denying that her life had any value whatsoever, when even the victims' families admitted that she had done good works while in prison.
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During the roughly six-hour-long hearing, Debra Tate asked the board commissioners not to free Atkins.
"There has never been any hate in my heart for these people," she said. "I am incapable of hating. I commend them -- always have commended them -- for their good deeds that they have managed to accomplish within the walls of confinement. However, I do believe that the death of my sister, my nephew -- which would be turning 40 years old right now, this week -- is not an irrelevant cause."
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/25/...manson.atkins/
Quote:
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In prison, Atkins embraced Christianity and apologized for her role in the crimes. Prison staff endorsed her release at a hearing in 2005, but she was denied parole for the 13th time.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/obituari...2.story?page=1
For what it's worth, the apologized part is conflicting other reports - the Tate family denies that she ever apologized to them.
I'm not saying that she didn't live a very depraved and horrible life, for the most part, but I'm not sure people are thinking about the fact that Charles Manson brainwashed and pretty much controlled an entire group of people who would do ANYTHING for him, even kill. Yes, they are ultimately responsible for their actions, but no one at this point is talking about the culpability that Manson holds in her fate.
Did she commit a horrible crime? Yes. Did she deserve to be punished? Yes. But, if one believes in God, she's in God's hands now, and it's no longer society's place to condemn her. Cancer, especially brain cancer, is a horrible experience, and I wouldn't wish it on even my worst enemy. Also, I wouldn't wish the experience of moving on after surviving someone who passed due to cancer, even if they're in prison.
I feel bad for her husband and child. I'm sure they're going through a pretty rough time. I feel bad for her victims' families as well, it seems that they've never gotten full closure and I'm sure they're doing some mourning of their own as well.