Lately I’ve been appalled at some of the stories. To be honest they made me question the punitive power of legal systems and prisons around the world. Like most parents nowadays I think the police, lawyers and prison guards are no longer saying, “What do we do with these people?” They are now saying, “What CAN we do with these people?” I’ve talked about bubble wrap kids and how I think parents are far too limited in their, how shall I put it, disciplinary creativity by laws, rules and social groups nowadays. That doesn’t really cover it, it’s child raising as a whole. Far too many rules!
But what about criminals? When I compare my life to that of, say, a guy who threw acid into the face of another person and got a prison sentence, I have to wonder, was it sulfuric or hydrochloric? Seriously, I don’t have freedom to go where I want, do what I want, eat what I want either. I also don’t have the availability of organized sport, hobbies, education, social groups, religious services, television etc. for free. I have to work 42 hours a week, sleep during the day, hell I’m trying to type this as quietly as I can because it’s 2:30 in the AM and I’m the only one up here where I live. As always on my days off, the only time I am wide awake is when there is nobody else up and nothing to do if they were. But let’s say I didn’t work midnights. If I want to join a gym to stay in shape – 100 bucks a month. If I want to play baseball or basketball with friends – league fees and equipment and gym rental. If I want to take a course in, for example, computers I practically have to rob a bank to do it. Because if I don’t get caught I can afford it and if I DO get caught I can take it for free in whatever prison I wind up in. Without the prison walls protecting me from ravenous, money gluttons in every business from the corner store to government, I also have less money on the outside than I would in prison where you can always find work.
Prison’s only deterrents for me are that I probably wouldn’t be able to do this: write my blog or go online, and of course the ultra-liberal social functions that may or may not be on a volunteer basis. BUT, (only one T mind you), my social life would explode; I’d exercise more; I’d sleep during the night and would no longer combust in direct sunlight; I’d join some sports clubs and pump iron; I’d go out more, (actually the “more” might be superfluous in that sentence), you know on movie night, yoga classes or Vegas night; I’d eat better and healthier; I’d have more energy, more friends and more fun. So weigh that against an offline existence with the occasional hoopjob and I dunno, I think a guy could get used to that. Conrad Black writes from prison. And maybe if I got an ass tatt that said, “Exit only”…
And speaking of tatt, I got to thinking about tit for tat. Not just that I wish I had a tatt for every time a well built girl used the phrase, “tit for tat,” but I wondered if our North American jurisprudence shouldn’t contain a little bit more of it. Tit for tat.
http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=6097300
This is a good example. Why can’t we just put these folks in windowless rooms with small blankets and put THEM on a bit of a diet for a while? It’s a no-brainer, really. Until you start getting into hypothetically proven facts called psychology. Well, will this serve as a deterrent? What does it say about a society who would do this? Are we really any better than the grandparents?
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Italian+father+throws+toddler+bridge+into+river/6102969/story.html
This is another one. Not in North America but MAMA MIA throwa dee Papa offa dee bridge!!! If he drowns, oh well. If not at least tie a couple bricks to him and throw him off again. To make his experience as close as possible to exactly what he put his child through.
I’m not saying this sort of sentence would work all the time. For a serial sex offender, for example, I’m not sure it’s punishment enough to have several of his victims turn the tables on him/her. It might be the exact opposite of punishment actually. But sometimes I can see the wisdom in an eye for an eye. This is a phrase found several times in the Bible. The Code of Hammurabi was a Babylonian system of law over 3000 years ago under which this sort of punishment was practiced.
Another similar system would be Sharia law and a really good example, (actually alluded to earlier unbeknownst to you), (if it was beknownst I commend you on your knowledge of current events), would be the trial of Iranian Majid Movahedi who threw acid into the face of Ameneh Bahrami, a woman who refused to marry him. Under Sharia law he was rendered unconscious and his victim, Bahrami, was allowed to drop 5 drops of acid into each of his eyes. I know it sounds hideous but look at the picture!
I think he’s getting off VERY easy in that he will not feel the pain she felt. He will also not be so disfigured. If I were the judge I’d go so far as to ask Ameneh if she wanted to change her mind and marry this dirtbag since, I hate to say it but she won’t be getting many other offers. And she can spend a lifetime describing beautiful sunsets he’s missing and making him answer the iron. Things like that. Sharia law. An eye for an eye LITERALLY in this case.Now I’ve heard the popular platitude, “If we all practiced an eye for an eye the whole world would be blind.” It’s catchy and seems pretty clever until you give it more than a moment’s thought. If we practiced an eye for an eye people would only go blind if a) they couldn’t learn their lesson from object lessons or the mistakes of other people or b) they couldn’t learn their lesson after the first time. Two eyes, two chances folks. It’s a fantastic way to test the deterrent power of this method. Technically, everybody wouldn’t be blind at all. Only recidivist criminals would be blinded by the state. I wonder how many there would be. There certainly wouldn't be too many people who committed their crime MORE than twice! "Excuse me but, I'm blind. Would you mind terribly standing in front of this gun while I shoot it?" Just about any violent crime would be a real challenge!
In Canada there are reported to be 116 people in prison for every 100,000. In the States, where they have the most in the world, it’s 715 per 100,000. If you’re wondering Iran is 226 so you might draw from this statistic that Sharia Law is not working in Iran. But I don’t think there’s any way to know if it’ll work in Canada until we give it a try.
The very least we could do is to have a sort of eye for an eye understanding amongst political lobbyists. That is if they don’t know exactly what they’re talking about, and haven’t suffered something the same as what they are bitching about, they should shut the bloody hell up!
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/bc-aboriginals-ask-china-to-raise-human-rights-issues-with-harper-on-pms-visit/article2328592/?service=mobile THIS bunch of jagoffs comparing the “plight” of natives in Canada to the human rights violations going on in China. Two phrases to notice in this incredibly offensive article: “Tit for tat” and “Let the facts and the truth be known.” If either were the case, on either side of the matter, they wouldn’t have the balls to print this.
http://taxpayer.com/federal/new-jaw-dropping-reserve-pay-numbers This article will give you just a little bit of an idea, (especially if you read the comments), that the native situation has been blown way out of proportion by propaganda perpetuated by chiefs, band leaders and politicians who just want to get paid. There aren’t many people in Canada who don’t WISH they had the benefits natives have. Free housing, “Yeah, but we don’t OWN our houses,” say the natives. Rest of Canada: “Sign me the hell up for some of that housing I don’t OWN. I think it’s known by non-natives as free rent.” So you can’t use your house as collateral for a loan. Look on the bright side: it can’t be used as something to garnishee or for any other debt collection or tax. Not many people mention that… Natives can’t own the houses the government gives them. Oh, yeah, but they CAN own houses they BUY like everyone else in Canada! Free tuition which hardly any natives take advantage of! Rest of Canada: “Are you insane? I don’t care if it’s The History of Calculus, put MY name down for any free course I can get!” And while in school, in Canada or abroad, tuition is paid and they receive more than ample housing, book and food allowance. Freedom from taxes. No income tax, no sales tax, no GST/PST/HST, most Canadians would find they’d have about 50% more money. Freedom to hunt and fish any time anywhere. Most Canadians: “If I don’t do it now, I can learn.” Tons of specialized social programs. Again a lot of highly underattended Native-only programs for work skills that can sometimes virtually guarantee employment upon completion. Rest of Canada: “Why the hell don’t we have more of those? And are we paying for them?” I’m not even gonna tell you what an advantage you have when you apply for ANY job. I once applied for a job in Thunder Bay as both Dave MacCannell and Dave Running Bear. Both with identical qualifications. Guess who got called and who didn’t. I’m not kidding I really did that!
I don’t think I need to tell you that no Native Canadians are being tortured then killed for any belief or practice. They’ve never had their organs harvested and the proceeds from those organs have never gone to enrich the people who killed their Native Canadian owners. They haven’t had treatment anywhere CLOSE to this. Truth and facts that greedy people won’t talk about when they see a chance to get some more guilt money.
I don’t know about you but I’d sure like to send a pile of the squeakier Native Canadian wheels over to China for a year or two. Preferably the people making the big bucks. Being Canadians they wouldn’t be subjected to the human rights violations of average Chinese citizens but they’re used to special treatment. On the other hand I think they just might get a better idea of how good they have it here. And MAYBE they might see some actual human rights violations for the first time in their lives. If might lead to a big improvement in the Native situation all over Canada.
I still consider Canada to be a country where we practice Christian ethics whether knowingly or not. And I know the Bible says we should recompense no man evil for evil. But if I were a politician I’m sure I could find a way around that like by saying that only applies personally. If the government does it, it’s okay. At any rate, I sometimes fantasize.
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