Quote:
Originally Posted by jambutty
As a victim of crime on 10 occasions I feel that I have more right to make my feelings known than those who have not been a victim and only spout what they think they will feel.
You do not know how you will feel until you have experienced it.
7 burglaries (8 if you count the night-time break in of a newsagents that I managed), 1 vehicle being torched plus several cases of vehicle vandalising, 1 mugging by some glue sniffing turd who wanted my bag of chips that left me battered and bruised and 1 GBH that put me in hospital.
The initial feeling is “I wish that it hadn’t happened”. Immediately followed by “I’d like to rip the thug’s heart out.” In other words revenge. Then the law abiding side of me kicked in and I hoped that the torags would be caught and punished.
Sadly only one burglar was caught and the thug who put me in hospital. I have no idea what happened to both.
When my son on his bike was hit by a drunken driver and put into hospital (Booth Hall) on a life support machine and unconscious for a week I wanted to tear the driver limb from limb. The last thing on my mind was ‘let the law handle it’. In the end I had to settle for the law taking its course but a 12 months ban and a fine was nowhere near enough punishment.
It didn’t take into account the victim’s weeks of loss of memory and the frustration and anger at having to learn simple tasks all over again. Not forgetting the 6 months of no school because of memory loss. The blinding headaches that still occur today.
It didn’t take into account the nightmare that I found myself in. Could I agree to switching off the life support if it came to that?
So unless you have actually been a victim of a serous crime you know diddly squat and your moral outrage towards capital punishment is a sham.
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Jambutty speaking as the father of a victim of crime (my stepdaughter was raped) I can honestly say I felt so let down when the police refused to prosecute. I can also say that I know the indivisual concerned and if I had come face to face with him in the months following I don't know what I would have done but would probably have ended up in gaol myself.
However looking back on that now I am glad I didn't, I am also glad that my stepdaughter didn't have to go through seeing me face court or have to go through the following investigation and questioning that would have followed and her reliving her ordeal. So get your facts right before you jump on your high horse and attack my moral stance.
We do not have the right to vengeance, yes prison and the judicial system are there as punishment but also as deterrent and for rehabilitation. I also do not feel that being a victim of crime gives anyone
MORE RIGHT than anyone else to have a point of view. It gives you a personal insight as to how a victim feels but not to disparage anyone else's viewpoint who has not been in that unfortunate position.
Just for the record my view on capital punishment is that it is state sanctioned murder and if you are a christian, the commandment says Thou Shalt Not Kill. So ergo if you live in a christian nation how can you level that with capital punishment.
As an atheist I personally believe that killing in any form is morally wrong and that taking a life by any means is repugnant and in the case of capital punishment is lowering oneself to the level of the individual who committed the crime.