Monday, August 4, 2008

It's All About Revenge



The widow of an Irving, TX policeman, shot and killed by a burglary suspect, is asking other officers to attend the murderer’s execution. And she’s asking them to make sure to wear their uniforms! I can assume she feels this show of gang force will make some kind of impression on the condemned and anyone else paying attention to the execution. The obligatory reference to “closure” is made indicating the state-sponsored murder of a murderer somehow brings psychological and emotional relief to friends and family of the victim. There’s a word for this type of action. It’s called revenge.

What about the Christian spirit of forgiveness? Why the demand of revenge, particularly from those who would never themselves actively carry out such an act? But they see nothing wrong with the state doing their dirty work for them.

Since the policy of the US justice system is based on retribution rather than restitution, victims may able be to argue that there is no other avenue to pursue closure than outright revenge. And this is considered a civilized system of justice?
Meanwhile, an Ohio policeman is found innocent of murder while executing the useless War On Some Drugs.

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