--- Robert Elkin <
rictusaporia@yahoo.com> wrote:
Just a big circle. And not
> much logic except that of death. Try checking
out
> the old Icelandic Njal's Saga [aka The Burning
of
> Njal] for a vivid description of what happens
when
> two families get embroiled in just such a
conflict.
*********************************
Rob, I really don't know why you want to confuse this very
simple issue. Of course I'm not talking about personally
killing people like this. But I do think society has a
responsibility to itself to remove danger from the
environment. Is this a panacea? I'm not saying it is. It
won't solve all problems, but it will solve 2 problems. It
will solve the problem of what to do with a person who's
unable to adhere to the basic code of human conduct: when we
walk down the street, I won't harm you without provocation,
and I'm secure that you won't harm me. And it will eliminate
the need for families of victims of violent crime to spend
time and resources travelling to penitentiaries every couple
of years to make sure the person who killed their relative is
still held accountable.
It's funny you bring up Nixon, as I remeber him quiet well,
too. His vice president, Spiro Agnew, called those of us who
opposed his "vision" of the war in Viet Nam "effete
intellectuals." I don't know where a crime boss like Agnew
learned the word 'effete,' but I do think it's a good word to
describe the justice system in the United States, today where
rage murderers and repeat murderers are concerned. It is not
justice when one takes a life FOR THE FUN OF IT, and their
victim is dead, and they're out in 11 years with "good
behavior."
One person is dead, and what is her life worth to society? 11
years of a sociopath's life? That's justice? Murder is a
habit. The first time these people kill someone they're
awkward, make mistakes, but if they're not caught, they've
learned things and get better and better the more they do it.
Take a case like Robert Chambers who murdered Jennifer Levin
in Central Park in the mid 1980s. He's served his time. He's
out putting together whatever life he's able to. Jennifer, of
course, is in a cemetary in Queens, NY. Personally, I'm on
the fence about Chambers. I believe he killed Levin by
accident. I think he was fed up with her. I think he was
angry with her. But I don't think he deliberately meant that
night to kill her. I would not think Robert Chambers was
really a candidate for a death sentence. Nonetheless, I'd be
AMAZED if we never again hear that Robert Chambers is in very
very serious trouble. I think once people take life like
that, they know they can do it. In my opinion, Chambers is a
power reassurance rapist and where ever he is, I'll bet he's
having a hell of a time keeping a lid on it.
I don't know how much longer governments as we know them are
going to continue to exist. I'd suspect about 14 years.
They've out-lived their effectiveness. But society is going
to go on in some form, and society, people interacting with
each other, have got to have the courage to recognize when a
dangerous predator is wandering their streets. And just
because the predator can speak should not for one moment slow
society's resolve in eliminating it from existence in defense
of our weakest and most trusting members. Scruples on this
point IS the dissolution of society. Our present method of
dealing with serial murderers is, instead of killing them, we
make them celebrities. They sell their life stories for
millions of dollars. And this seems "logical" to you? A
deterrent to crime?
Patrick King
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