A friend of mine was car jacked. She is pregnant, which makes it seem all the worse. It happened in the parking area of her apartment complex, somewhere she has to go every day if she plans to leave her home. My initial impression was to wish bad karma, bad things, on the person who did this to her. Then, I thought about what else happened in California today.
The State of California, and the Country of which I am a citizen by its inaction, killed a man. The Death Penalty. I hate it, in the most gut wrenching way I feel guilty for not going to San Quentin and screaming as loud as I can against this injustice. This is a great fact sheet on the death penalty and all that is wrong with it
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf
Three Strikes. If this guy who car jacked her was a kid, it is still an “A Strike” ( a serious felony, not considered violent) towards a record that could put this kid in prison for a long long time. The Voters who passed Proposition 184 eleven years ago intended for greater punishment for greater frequency of crimes, yet the law has now created a vicious cycle for nonViolent felons whereas a third nonViolent strike creates a sentence of 25 years to life. California’s prison population has exploded since this law was enacted, and of course has disproportionally effected Black and Latino Americans. So, am I just like the voters who passed Proposition 184, I want criminals (bad guys of course) to be sent to prison for longer for hurting people I care about?
Yet, what would the bad karma I sent his way do? If I followed my peaceful heart, I’d wish him not harm but understanding of what he did being so wrong and hurtful. I’d wish a change of heart for him, restitution and a change in his life so that my friend’s baby grows up and lives it’s whole life without becoming a victim of crime. But my first instinct, it was anger. I would want this kid/guy to feel so awful that he changes his life like Mr. Williams, makes the world around him a better place by sharing his lessons learned. I hope this was the carjackers last crime, I hope he does not escalate and kill someone and end up killed by the Government in some need for retribution that in my opinion, should be left up to God.
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Popularity: 17% [?]
There was no inaction on the part of California or America. California voted for the death penalty. A jury, who heard all the facts of the case, chose death as his penalty. Given California’s law and the lack of “errors” presented at trial, the Supreme Court could not overturn the penalty handed out by the jury. There are MANY reasons why the 3-strikes law in California is VERY BAD. But the voters of California have to change their laws. We need to speak up whenever anyone asks our opinions. And we must vote!
Given all that, I wonder if the connection between murder and the death penalty will be made by those who contemplate murder? Will they care? Will they stop?
ah,
Murder rates have gone steadily UP since the Death Penalty was reInstituted.
So, deterrance is not working for sure.