The Coliseum
Welp, since everyone else is chiming in on Tookie I might as well add my little bit to it. I admit ignorance regarding his specific case. I know generalities. I know he helped found the Crips. I know he's accused of murdering 4 people. I know he's written many books. I know he is set to die tonight.
One of the hugest problems of this "justice" system is that it's geared around the emotions of the people. It always has been. Pre-penitentiary when people were hung, dismembered, beheaded by guillotine, etc the purpose of punishment was to frighten the masses. The town would gather 'round and watch as a person was hanged, drawn & quartered or decapitated. The purpose was to seek vengeance for the person/people wronged by the infractor. In addition, the purpose was to scare the masses and deter them from doing anything similar.
Our current methods, though slightly less gruesome, are still implemented with the same goals. Though the road has changed the destinations are the same places: fear and revenge. When we have a case and the most prominent (and recurring) reason people give for wanting to see someone die is "if it were my family..." then clearly we are not using the right perspective. I think it's clear that emotions cloud judgment. Any or all of us have been in a situation where we did or said something stupid, that we later regretted, guided by our emotions. Any emotion can cloud judgment. Love can make us blind to a person's true intentions. Anger can make us lash out and react violently. Fear can make us (pre)judge and stereotype what we don't understand. Sadness/Grief can make us reject love. Knowing all of this, how can anyone use "if it were my family" as a reason to justify anything? Particularly how can it be used to justify ending someone's life?
As we all gather around the coliseum and witness the death of yet another brother will we feel appropriately afraid, avenged and justified? Will his death deter anyone who was considering committing murder? Will the grieving families suddenly gain clarity and resolution at the moment he breathes his last breath? Will the nation suddenly function and work through whatever kink his life made in it?
Aristotle is quoted as saying "the law is reason, free from passion." I have yet to see any such law.
One of the hugest problems of this "justice" system is that it's geared around the emotions of the people. It always has been. Pre-penitentiary when people were hung, dismembered, beheaded by guillotine, etc the purpose of punishment was to frighten the masses. The town would gather 'round and watch as a person was hanged, drawn & quartered or decapitated. The purpose was to seek vengeance for the person/people wronged by the infractor. In addition, the purpose was to scare the masses and deter them from doing anything similar.
Our current methods, though slightly less gruesome, are still implemented with the same goals. Though the road has changed the destinations are the same places: fear and revenge. When we have a case and the most prominent (and recurring) reason people give for wanting to see someone die is "if it were my family..." then clearly we are not using the right perspective. I think it's clear that emotions cloud judgment. Any or all of us have been in a situation where we did or said something stupid, that we later regretted, guided by our emotions. Any emotion can cloud judgment. Love can make us blind to a person's true intentions. Anger can make us lash out and react violently. Fear can make us (pre)judge and stereotype what we don't understand. Sadness/Grief can make us reject love. Knowing all of this, how can anyone use "if it were my family" as a reason to justify anything? Particularly how can it be used to justify ending someone's life?
As we all gather around the coliseum and witness the death of yet another brother will we feel appropriately afraid, avenged and justified? Will his death deter anyone who was considering committing murder? Will the grieving families suddenly gain clarity and resolution at the moment he breathes his last breath? Will the nation suddenly function and work through whatever kink his life made in it?
Aristotle is quoted as saying "the law is reason, free from passion." I have yet to see any such law.