I haven't made up my mind,yet, as to what I support, because each time I reach a conclusion, another question pops up.
The existence of death penalty as such. Everyone wants revenge, if and when they are victimized. Revenge might be too harsh a word... The victim wants to see justice done. Who wouldn't? But, is death the answer? I'm not talking about you wanting to kill the person for having done whatever he/she has done to you... Not the "in the heat of the moment" killing..... Wouldn't you want the person to suffer? Is death the way to achieve that?
Reason.Doesn't everyone have a reason for everything? What if this person had had reason enough? What if the court (if and when) did give him a death sentence, and later on it was proved by family, friends, whoever... That if reality the wrong person had been convicted would a compensation be enough? Adequate?More often than not the truth never reaches the ears of the jury members or the judge. I think it has something to do with the mass of white hair that covers his ears???? Who is the jury to decide whether or not to end someone's life, based on what is ironically called evidence. Nope, I don't want to play the "what if" game. The point I wanted to make is who are we to decide whether or not this other person should live or not?
You may argue that there just couldn't be any REASON. That no person has the right to mutilate someone else's body, hurt someone, etc.But then who are you to sentence him to death? For example, this girl saw a crime being committed, say a rape. This girl, who saw it happen, was affected so much, that it made her spite the entire population of men. Suppose she started killing men, who took a sincere interest in her? Would you sentence her to death? Would you sentence her to life imprisonment? Or would you try and rehabilitate her. Try to get her counseling, make her see what she was doing. Yes, make her pay, because she DID take the life of innocent men.... But that doesn't make her entirely at fault, or does it?
The advocation of death penalty in cases of rape. Rape happens to be the most heinous of crimes that can be committed. The lady on TV correctly put it as " murder of the soul ". I agree. But the victim, with appropriate guidance and support can live life again. Why a "can"? It's a definitive, IF the guidance and support are given in the manner required and IF we, the society, started acting like the educated "humans" we are supposed to be. But, then if we did act as humans, I wouldn't be thinking the way I am right now (and you wouldn't be listening to me rambling) Can't the victim be made to realize his fault? Made to repent? Given a chance to correct his folly? Made to pay for what he has done, but also given a chance to change his ways? I don't mean to be pitying the rapist. But death? End his life? May be I AM from the old school of thought, but how wrong am I? (not the school that believed in death... :D)
For example, if a person who has committed a crime, any crime, is identified and sentenced to say, 7 years of prison. And 7 years in a prison, where he is allowed to his cell phone, 'cuz more often than not the people committed are "gundas", loosely translated with a touch of dramatists, have connections,Mafia. So, this convict, lives in luxury for 7 years, and when he comes out , he seeks revenge. So, it's better if u sentence him to death, right? What if I were not talking about the "Hindi-movie-type-convicts" ? What if this convict was a normal ( yeah, then he wouldn't be called what I am calling him, but u know I don't mean the word literarily) middle-class person who had whatever reasons to do what he did. What if he were sent to a jail, which was a jail? The kind that makes u do social work, and is harsh, so as to make you realize that u were wrong. When, this person comes out, I'm sure instead of seeking revenge, he'd want to start life afresh. But, would we, the society allow that to happen? Nope, we'd remind him at every step of who he was, what he did, even if he no longer is the same person. So, death penalty was a better option?
The fact that most cases of rape occur within the family and are hushed up because of what we the society call "izzat", loosely translated, self-respect, status of the family in the society. The fact that even if and when cases are reported, it takes years for them to even go to court because if the lady on TV was right with her numbers there are 56,000 cases of rape that have yet to be even taken to court, that Dhananjay was the first person in 14 years to have been given the death penalty, even though it was more for the fact that he killed the victim. It has to be proven without doubt that a person is the guilty of the crime before he is sentenced to death. How often do u think it possible that the right person is taken to the gallows? Please do consider factors such as him being the minister's son, the minister himself, money, social status, publicity, more money... So, what does that make us? Fools?
The next logical step of thought would be to blame the judicial system. It never fails to amaze me how a slick-talking-money-eating "lawyer" manages to turn the scene inside out, upside down (or do I mean inside down and upside out?). But then I would have to blame the judge (with long hair) for falling for the nonsense. There are loads of people I could blame but what's the use? If I were to even blame myself for just sitting and watching the "finesse" with which the lawyer handled the case... MY lawyer would use HIS legal jagaron and get me out of the situation.... No offence to aspiring lawyers (phew. I hope that clears me out legally) . SO.... I won't waste my breath....
First you don't even report a crime. If u do, you might be lucky ( or unlucky) enough to go to court in your lifetime, then you, your grandchildren ( I won't take chances with your great grandchildren) will all keep going to court. And after that IF the person ( who might be dead by then) is convicted, your going to live in fear that the day he comes out he'll come seeking revenge. If not him then maybe someone close to this person you have helped convict. So you live in fear. So if you didn't report the crime, you'd most probably still live in fear, though the chances that your great-great-great grandchildren will all live is greater...
The fact that cases as such are dealt with with severe insensitivity on the part of the police, lawyers, jury, etcetera etcetera. The fact that where there should be respect for the victim's guts to even go against the rapist (in this case) there is condemnation on the part of the society. People are looked down upon. They are said to be tainted and made to live with "guilt ", for what? I still can't figure it out. Guilt for what having being the victim? As for the convict... If he has been made to serve is sentence, then why punish him even more?
I would be sounding overly optimistic, if I said that every person convicted would turn over a new leaf. But there is a COULD. Every person, no matter after how long, DOES realize reason and does repent. So, do you take the chance or not? Do you just kill him, forget about the ifs and buts and pay uncivilized behavior with uncivilized behavior? Like "shyshe" put it, though in a different context, " You hit me and I hit you back."
Back to NDTV... There were suggestions, in the case of rape, to castrate the convict... In a more dramatists way to inject him with HIP positive and then publicly hang him a year later.... A more filmi version being marrying off the victim and the convict.... WHICH has been done... I know they all sound tempting... But its the you hit me with a stone and I hit you back with a rock version of "you hit me and I hit you back"...
So, I've managed to get even more confused and confuse you more too. Or that's what we'd like to think 'cues IF we did find the reason, the crux of the matter.... We'd put our lawyers to use, and not do anything because "that isn't for us to do... Why should I take the risk?".... If we all thot that way....??? Then crime would remain crime and the outer-galactic-creatures who called us "humans" would just have to redefine the meaning of the word.... So it's their problem, right?
