How and why do we get it so wrong?
How did it come to this?
Why is this happening?
How is it that the criminals seem to be winning?
Why is there more emphasis on what’s in the criminal’s best interests than in looking after the victims of crime?
Why do criminals receive such light sentences for serious crimes? Why does bullying go unpunished in our schools?
What is wrong with our Judiciary System?
How often have you heard one or all of these questions asked at a dinner table or at some sporting function where you get the chance to rub shoulders and communicate with your fellow Australians? These are commonly asked questions these days and we need to ask why? The simple explanation is; that’s the way many of us see it, so that’s the way it appears to be. We read in the newspapers daily and see it on television news nightly that yet another tragedy has taken place; lives have been lost, families have been shattered and committed to mourn the loss of a loved one.
What is truly irksome is to read some time later that the offender, the person responsible, has gone to court and pled diminished responsibility! Even worse, that their lawyer has manipulated the law somehow to either get them off or allow them to receive a light sentence for a crime that you and I feel should be taken more seriously. I have long been a supporter of trying to keep young juvenile offenders out of mainstream gaol, especially if their offence is not serious. I feel we need to keep in mind that they need to be punished in a way that will teach them the error of their ways but also try and add something positive to their lives. In many cases they have offended because of some trauma in their lives that they have not been able to address. I emphasise that this cannot be used as an excuse to treat their offences lightly. The decision to do wrong is not always a conscious decision, for example in crimes of passion, but the majority of offences are premeditated in some way.
Let me say this. It is my opinion that far too many young people are in the gaol system for crimes that do not warrant a harsh sentence. Time spent behind bars with hardened criminals all too often serves only to harden the young person against law and order and turn them away from trying to pursue a crime-free life free. We are only creating more problems for them and for ourselves, the greater community.
However, we all recognise the need for an ordered society so it follows that the punishment should fit the crime. Responsibility must be taken, both by the offender and we, the society. Therein lies the dilemma for many of us, does the punishment fit the crime?
It seems, as I have said, that in far too many instances, this is not the case. I applaud the efforts of the Ray Hadleys of the radio world for their efforts in constantly bringing to our attention the grossly inadequate sentences that too many criminals receive. Ray Hadley, a broadcaster on 2GB, won my vote with his dogged style of pursuing the bad guys. When he turned his energies to highlighting the evil of pedophiles, I became a devotee. As a survivor of childhood abuse, I was so glad that someone of influence was brave enough to champion this cause and highlight the total inadequacy of our legal system in dealing with the perpetrators.
The other champion that needs to be applauded for his tireless work against the putrid evil of pedophile is the ‘Human Headline’, Mr Derryn Hynch. Some people never recover from the attack of a pedophile with the loss of their childhood and the subsequent dysfunction that they must endure for the rest of their lives. We so often see instances where the punishment does not give the victim justice. Remember always that according to the experts a pedophile is never cured. They will always be an abuser of children, destroyers of innocence, the murderers of young lives. They deserve to rot in prison. They do not deserve to walk freely, as you and I do, through normal civilised society. Diminished responsibility! What a crock of S**T!
I feel for the families of victims of road accidents, the result of excessive drinking or drug taking but I do not have sympathy for the one who drove the car or motorcycle that did the damage. If you choose to drink and drive and you injure or kill someone then you and you alone are responsible for that act and you must pay for the consequences of your stupidity because many others are going to suffer because of you and your crime.
Many of us have had a less than ideal start to life or we’ve had it tough throughout our lives but most of us don’t fall back on that when the going gets tough. We soldier on because that’s what is expected of us by ourselves and others, family members and friends and the community at large. We have a right, I believe, to expect most people to do just that, soldier on and not make endless excuses for those too lazy or weak to shoulder their own responsibilities. It weakens us and eventually it erodes the very fabric of our society.
There is more I would like to say but I will wait until next time. Until then go your way as peacefully as you can and cause no intentional harm to anyone.
I remain your friend,..Angry.