The Socratic Scribe

I'm sure we all realize that there are times when the justice system fails. After all, nothing we can ever set up will be perfect. But what so many people don't realize (or maybe what so many people ARE starting to see after the recent Chelsea King case in California) is that the established philosophy that permeates throughout the Western system of justice has created a state of chaotic absurdity! Let me draw on one case in particular from England. If you've ever lived in the UK, and most likely even if you haven't, you might have heard of the infamous murder case of 2 year old James Bulger by two 10 year old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, in Liverpool in 1993. The toddler was shopping with his mother when he had gotten away from her for mere seconds before he was abducted by the two boys. They led him around the city, tortured and beat him, and then killed him, leaving his body on nearby railroad tracks to be cut in half by a train in order to make the murder look like an accident. James' body was found a few days later by a few young boys who happened to be walking near the area.

After a short while, Thompson and Venables were found, arrested, and eventually sentenced to 10 years' detention. The sentence was lengthened to 15 years, but a European court overruled and decreased it again. The were released in 2001 and given new identities, paid for with tax dollars, and resettled in a witness-protection type of program. They were officially on life license, and were not allowed near Liverpool or to contact the Bulger family. The British government put an injunction in place on the press to prevent them from releasing the boys' identities. This was all to protect the two child murderers from anyone who might want to do them harm for what they had done to little James Bulger.

Now, it's 2010, and guess who's back in prison...Jon Venables, on charges of possessing a massive collection of category 4 child pornography (category 4 child pornography consists of images of brutal penetrative sexual abuse forced on children). The public is understandably angry, as the James Bulger case was probably the most infamous murder in England's recent history.

Here we have two murderers, who have shown no remorse, either while in court or while in juvenile prison, released, given new identities at the public's expense, given a clean slate, with no employer, school, acquaintances or intimate partners ever warned about who they are letting into their lives. Also, a man from Liverpool who looks similar to Venables, has recently, for the second time in his life, been receiving threats because of mistaken identity. He has pleaded with the government to release Venables' identity so that he and his family would no longer be threatened. The government's only response is that this is precisely why they are not releasing Venables' identity, so that Venables doesn't become a victim.

Let me tell you something you ignorant bastards...why care so much about what happens to Venables, and why put this convicted murderer's safety and interests over innocent citizens. Liberalism can be taken too far. This idea that every person is capable of being rehabilitated, and that we should just always give everyone, even the most heinous criminals, chance after chance. It doesn't work!!! It hurts the victim, it is a denial of justice, and it creates the opportunity for more crimes to be carried out. And many psychologists argue that certain offenders are incapable of rehabilitation. That is the reason so many sex offenders reoffend. And these types of crimes grow ever increasingly violent. The sex offender who at first is satisfied with just exposing himself then needs to touch, then needs to rape, then needs to rape and murder. It is the same trend that is seen in pornography addicts. What once gets someone off no longer does so. They need something more extreme, and more extreme, and more extreme! There are people who should never be released from prison. There are people who should spend the rest of their lives locked away from society. They are dangerous, antisocial beings whose only happiness comes from hurting others.

Where do we get off calling ourselves a responsible society when we irresponsibly release hordes of violent offenders to live amongst the public just in order to "give them a second chance" or just in the hopes that they won't strike again. There are certain crimes that humans commit that should invalidate their rights as free citizens. They need more than a slap on the wrist. They need shackles and chains. We are punishing victims and creating the opportunity for more crime by releasing these criminals. We have truly lost our minds when we are so concerned for the well being of two boys who tortured, molested, and murdered a small toddler and not at all concerned for the justice of the victims and for the safety of the general public. I have heard people say that they were only 10 when they murdered James, that they didn't know what they were doing was wrong, that they shouldn't be held responsible for the crime. If you think that, then you missed a very important point of the story that I related to you. They intentionally positioned James' body on the railroad tracks to make his murder look like an accident. You can listen to the audio from their interrogation, and they know right from wrong. They know they shouldn't have murdered James. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but they decided to do it anyways. They went to that shopping center with a plan to abduct a child and murder him. And I am sure that when you were 10 you understood that it was wrong to steal or lie, let alone murder someone. You just most likely never even imagined committing murder. That is why it is hard to believe that these two could know what they were doing, but it shouldn't reveal ignorance of moral laws, only their blatant disdain for them and for the rights of others. Wake up people! When it is in a person's nature to hurt and torture and kill, all of the rehabilitation in the world can not stop it. We can carry out justice by stopping this insane pandering to criminals and their cries to be treated with more mercy than they showed their victims. They knew that their offense was wrong. They offended. They are undeserving of further consideration. Let God show them grace if he so chooses, but our duty is to protect the innocent against the criminal and to let a fair justice be carried out. Let's screw our heads back on straight folks.

I'm posting some links related to the James Bulger case, updates on Jon Venables, and an article about rehabilitating some violent offenders.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1256779/Some-offenders-like-Jon-Venables-Peter-Chapman-CANT-rehabilitated.html

http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15663332

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/8560951.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Bulger