misanthropy
You know, sometimes I'm not sure what I find most upsetting about the Manitoba bus murder: the fact that it happened or the fact that so many supposedly "normal" and "decent" people are using it as an excuse to be horrible.
(I am not posting an actual link to the story because it is incredibly gruesome.)
It isn't a sign that our immigration system is too relaxed. (Li is a legal immigrant -- a citizen, in fact -- with no prior criminal record; how on earth do you make that an immigration issue? Unless you are a xenophobic piece of shit, that is.) It isn't a sign that our justice system is too lenient (again, he had no criminal record). It isn't a sign that everyone with a mental illness should be locked up and the key thrown away.
The ignorance of people -- about the law, about mental illness, about basic human psychology -- really infuriates me sometimes. No, Li would not "fry tomorrow" had this happened in the States. No, the schizophrenics who hang out in your local park are not going to kill you. No, the fact that Li said "please kill me" in a courtroom does not indicate shit about his sanity or lack thereof at the time of the murder (or even at the time of the utterance). No, "we" do not need to make an example of him, unless you think ordinary people actually need to be dissuaded from stabbing strangers (which makes me nervous about riding a bus with you). No, it is not legal negligence for an ordinary civilian to run the fuck away from a crazed person brandishing a knife, nor should it be. No, you don't know what the murder victim's family is going through or what they would want to happen to Li; show some respect.
Fuck.
(I am not posting an actual link to the story because it is incredibly gruesome.)
It isn't a sign that our immigration system is too relaxed. (Li is a legal immigrant -- a citizen, in fact -- with no prior criminal record; how on earth do you make that an immigration issue? Unless you are a xenophobic piece of shit, that is.) It isn't a sign that our justice system is too lenient (again, he had no criminal record). It isn't a sign that everyone with a mental illness should be locked up and the key thrown away.
The ignorance of people -- about the law, about mental illness, about basic human psychology -- really infuriates me sometimes. No, Li would not "fry tomorrow" had this happened in the States. No, the schizophrenics who hang out in your local park are not going to kill you. No, the fact that Li said "please kill me" in a courtroom does not indicate shit about his sanity or lack thereof at the time of the murder (or even at the time of the utterance). No, "we" do not need to make an example of him, unless you think ordinary people actually need to be dissuaded from stabbing strangers (which makes me nervous about riding a bus with you). No, it is not legal negligence for an ordinary civilian to run the fuck away from a crazed person brandishing a knife, nor should it be. No, you don't know what the murder victim's family is going through or what they would want to happen to Li; show some respect.
Fuck.