Crime and punishment
Criminals, courts, and the prison system mesmerise me. I would hate to be somehow involved with any of the three, but at the same time I am lured into reading about criminal cases like flies are to politicians.
Last week I was shocked to read about a black belt Kung-Fu fighter, who, during a road rage incident in Bahar Ic-Caghaq, got out of his car and grievously injured not one, but two, 60-year-old men. The court sentenced him to four years in prison, but upon appeal, the 41-year-old-black belt managed to get his prison sentence reduced by one year.
Not only did this guy have the gall to physically attack two men who are 20 years his elder, but he did this in full view of two disabled women who were still in the car. Keep in mind that athletes trained in any form of martial arts, especially Kung Fu are (or rather should be), governed by a strict code of ethics. Just like a policeman who is duty-bound to prevent crimes, this guy was duty-bound to avoid violence at all costs. Rumour has it, that when his (already ridiculous) prison sentence was reduced even further, Shaolin monks all over the world lost consciousness with embarrassment.
The main reason behind the decision to reduce his sentence (by no less than 25%), was that the victims had made a full recovery. Excuse me, but the guy was accused, convicted, and then sentenced for the crime of causing grievous bodily harm. He was not accused nor punished for causing permanent disability or death. This means that the fact that the victims were most likely to recover from their injuries had already been taken into consideration by the first court, which had condemned him to four years not three.
But before I could sigh, roll my eyeballs into my forehead, and console myself with the thought of ‘Only in Malta', I came across the story of Ian Huntley, a 36 year old Briton who is currently serving a minimum 40-year jail term for murdering two 10 year old girls in 2003.
Last March, after 7 years in prison, Huntley was attacked by another inmate who slashed his throat. Upon recovering, Huntley decided to sue the prison service for failing to care for him properly. The court proceedings and legal fees alone could cost British tax payers more than one million Euro, and if successful Huntley could claim up to €120,000 in damages, not to mention, the thousands of Euro that it's already costing the state to keep him alive in prison. (In Malta the total cost of keeping a man in prison for forty years would be €730,000)
Cases like Huntley's, and mostly where the victims are innocent children, make me re-question my stand against Capital Punishment. But then, when I hear about cases like that of Michael Anthony Green I go back to square one, and categorically oppose it.
Back in 1983, in Houston, Texas, Green was only 18 years old, when he was accused and found guilty of the abduction and rape of a woman. He was sentenced to 75 years behind bars only to be released last month after new DNA tests found that he was not guilty after all!
In 2008, a new district attorney was elected. She (yes shock horror ‘she') formed the Post-Conviction Review Section which chose Green's case as one of the first to review. They re-tested the victim's clothing and the results excluded Green. They were also able to identify the four men who had actually abducted the women but are unable to prosecute them because the statute of limitations on the rape has now run out! Lovely turn of events isn't it? Who could blame Green if he went after these men for some personal justice?
Just for good measure I went on to read about Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43 year old Iranian mother of two who stands accused of having an ‘illicit relationship' with two men. For this crime, she was publically lashed 99 times in full view of her son, and then, during the trial of the man who stands accused of killing her husband, she was also accused of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning.
The sentence caused an outcry in Western countries, and has been temporarily halted, however Ashtiani remains in prison awaiting her destiny and pleading to see her children.
Then, last week, in some altruistic and perverted claim to fame, the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Luca da Silva, offered to provide refuge to the woman. During a campaign rally for his party he appealed to Iran's president to allow Brazil to grant political asylum to this woman.
As much as I can see that this could save Ashtiani's life, politically the plea is simply opportunistic. The world's aim should be to convince, or even force Iran to abolish the unjust and discriminatory laws against women once and for all and not concentrate solely on this one who has hit the headlines. In his ‘plea', da Silva added "If she's causing problems there, we will welcome here!"
I don't know about you but this sent me reaching straight for the sick bag!
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Joe Xuereb
Aug 6th 2010, 17:05
@Joe Gatt. Non-violence is a formidable weapon. But Bush would disagree, you say. Pitty(sic) Saddam isn't around; he would have confirmed. What would he have confirmed Joe? that non-violence is an effective weapeon, that Bush was right? that a sheep could never eat a lion because it is a herbivore? We need clarification. We need to know. If you read my previous comment, slowly, you will notice my theory that he who lives by aggression is his own punishment. Not in the future, but now, here, this instant. The non-violent often end up devoured by sick systems. But they would rather live a decent life than a bully's non-life. Men a natural predators, naturally aggressive. They have to be in order for the species to survive. But the brain has evolved to such an extent that we understand that primitive instincts, for propagation or not, can be destructive if left unbridled. Hopefully most humans understand this. Some men, a fair percentage, refute this preferring their smelly, primitive side. The enhance what they think it means to be a man. They destroy themselves eventually and wreak havoc on anything the touch, literaly or symbolically. It is called obduarate ignorance.
joe gatt
Aug 6th 2010, 13:13
@ John M Grima `NON VIOLENCE IS A WEAPON OF THE STRONG!!!!So goes the saying.`
Mr Bush would disagree. `Might is right` he would say. Pitty Saddam is not around, he would have confirmed.
Ever see Sheep eating Lions??
Marianne Borg
Aug 6th 2010, 10:59
"If she's causing problems there, we will welcome here!" - so patronizing..... like when a child causes a class disturbance..... sickeningly patronizing!
Joe Xuereb
Aug 5th 2010, 18:44
3) Some men are often vile. And they don't even have to be like the one in the pic, with nothing between his ears. I read in the paper only today that escorts 'reported' of nights and gifts, en troupe, with the Italian premier. Well, at least I should hope our PM does not go in for that kind of thing, not in practise anyway.
http://www.gaymiddleeast.com/
@Cynthia Galea. The guy in the picture is a model and probably good-looking and a bit of a gym-freak. Nothing wrong with that. I could fancy him myself if he came to my boudoir freshly showered and cologned..
In real life, this type of guy (seen here from behind) often has mean eyes and a horrible gash for a mouth. The crazed killer Raoul Moat comes to mind. You wouldn't want anybody like that near you, sinful-Cynth! LoL!!
Joe Xuereb
Aug 5th 2010, 18:39
2) But, when a crazed individual kills, society has no choice but to protect ordinary people going about their business. In the papers this mornings - Raoul Moat's funeral attracted a crowd that felt better for kids than a trip to Thorpe 'Amusement' Park ). Sign of the times? Not forgetting the child-murderer of the toddler James Bulger. Venables is now lin his late 20s. And in prison again for child-pornography. Are these 'evil' people born 'mad'? One thing is for sure - people who act out their 'madness' are a punishment unto themselves, whether they get caught or not. He who lives by the sword...........
The link below relates to eighteen year old Ebrahim Hamidi. Seems he stands accused of a trumped-up homosexual charge in Iran. His lawyer, who I understand is the defence lawyer of the 'condemned' woman currently in the news, is in hiding. Incidentally, call me cynical but if this woman did end up in Brazil and lived under the 'safe' roof of the president or whatever, her lot would not be a happy one.
continued
Joe Xuereb
Aug 5th 2010, 18:32
1) It matters not that the Soham girls' killer......it matters not that he tried to kill himself not so long ago. Now that someone is trying to do him in, he wants protection AND compensation amounting to a hefty sum. Now, in my book, killing another person is such a taboo that wnen it happens (particularly when planned as in pre-meditated), one has to be mad (let's leave it at mad, as in street language - as such it is practically meaningless as in the often heard 'you're mad!, 'you're crazy' - both meaningless. If I were to give a proper definition of 'mad' there wouldn't be enough space on Facebook). So, as I was saying, to kill anybody, and especially two young girls who trusted you, there has to be madness. It sounds like this murderer. this Ian Huntley guy is no saner now than he was at the time of the atrocity. One could argue that he was sick - and how!! - and as such, needed treatment.
continued
cynthia galea
Aug 4th 2010, 13:33
i think its a hot picture :) must see his face thugh to decide ;)))
Isabella Peresso Fiorentino
Aug 3rd 2010, 22:38
Where on earth did you get this pic from ???? Yaqq it's digusting !!! These men are the bullies who see their dads bully their mum, so they go on and become bullies at school, with their wives, children and anybody else who dares cross their path .
John M. Grima
Aug 2nd 2010, 15:05
NON VIOLENCE IS A WEAPON OF THE STRONG!!!!So goes the saying.