Why do we feel it is ok for SOME people to commit crimes? Why is it ok for a man to steal bread to feed his family? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, huh? How about THOU SHALL NOT STEAL? How about that? Does God view the homeless theif any different from the rich one?
Do I believe in rehabilitating criminals? Do I believe that people have the capacity to do good? That's not my issue, really. My question is is this our responsibility as citizens?
What about the criminals who CANNOT be rehablitated? We just keep spending money and time on them? WHY?
WHY is our justice system REACTIVE instead of PROACTIVE? Why do we WAIT until someone COMMITS a crime before we try to PREVENT it from happening AGAIN?
That is all I'm saying. What country was it that caned ol' dude for graffiti (sp)? What is their crime rate? Is that country's prisons overcrowded? Americans thought that that punishment was TOO harsh. I'm willing to bet that country has WAAAY less graffiti than we do.
Would people live in fear, yes they would. Would I care that they are not committing crimes just out of fear and not respect? Not really. Ask the Columbine survivors about fear and respect. Ask the Oklahoma City bombing survivors and families about fear and respect. Ask the battered woman who is afraid her husband will KILL her about fear and respect. Ask the woman who has been raped but hasn't come forward about living in fear.
What REALLY is the difference between my system and the death penalty? Can not those who kill be reformed? Aren't killers capable of doing both good and evil. Don't killers have the capacity to do good? Do I care? Not at all.
The way I look at it, everything has a cause and an effect. Everything you do has an action and a reaction. Everything has a consequence. People need to start thinking about the consequences of their actions. Once people THINK about these consequences, maybe they will then THINK abot WHY they are in place. Once they THINK about that, maybe they will think about how THEY would feel if the same crime were committed against THEM. Then, maybe they will NOT commit the crime out of respect, and no longer not commit out of fear.
Everything has a PROCESS. I'm not saying that my society would live in fear forever. But aren't we living that way now? Why are there metal detectors in our SCHOOLS? Because people are AFRAID of the KIDS??? WTF? Let's all live in FEAR of our criminals, and allow them the power to control how we live. Nah, not me.
Also, I'm not saying my system is perfect, or that I wouldn't change anything in it. I'm sure it has many flaws. But it's no more flawless than the system we live in now.
(can yall tell i don't feel like working today, either? that's the story of my life, lol)
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