The Cauldron of Vengeance and Deathmaker

In memory of Larry Fitzgerald, Texas Dept of Criminal Justice spokesman


First, I 'think' I am still a supporter of capital punishment. I have spent years on death penalty forums arguing in favour of it, rolled out many blog posts and even created a website that gathers records of executions that happened here in Wales hundreds of years ago. I'm a tad on the ghoulish side, I openly admit this but allow me to get back to the 'think' part of my opening.
Nobody on earth can be 100% either way regarding killing in pursuit of justice. I have met many (via forums) who claim to be fully pro death or anti and yet often it only takes a minor detail to push someone the other way. Might be the inmate on death row has murdered a child, a crime so heinous to make even the more liberal of folk wave a noose in anger. Perhaps a wretched soul has had their innocence come to light after their appointment with the deathmaker (famous, historic cases shows us this has been so), and is a potent force in stopping the fry circus get more supporters into its camp.
Pro and anti are as common and varied as flower petals, and much like petals, it can take only the gentlest of wind to change direction. I myself am in constant struggle to find where justice sits with me, and to wear the shrouded hood of death with at least a pinch of grace and honesty, one must answer the question: are we a civilised race?

And the depressing truth of it all is, that I do not think we are. Not by a long shot. Heck by looking at humanity through ragged, bloody history we are able to see slivers of the soul in all naked savagery. Stripped down, laid bare, the barbed folds of life complete. Twisted mechanics o in all its suicidal, craven glory. We are not purehearts, or saints by nature.
Certainly we like to think ourselves as kind, generous, loving, open minded race but life will cure one from that thinking all too soon. giving way to uncomfortable fact. Humans are a selfish, cruel, greedy bunch. Self obsessed to the point of indifference toward others. And this isn't entirely wicked, indeed its vital for self preservation because a honest to God, pure pacifist wouldn't be long for the world (especially this world) if they were uncompromising in his or her pacifism. So a little cold is good for the soul, and I wish folk would recognise it.

The March of the Purehearts


Listen, im not saying humans are damned to hell and locked into a terrible future. Corruption and bad intentions do not dominate every waking heart and neither do I believe this planet lost to hope. If we were swamped by a ocean of never ending evil, the world would have eaten itself long ago. There is a future, there is change for the better but there are more thorns than saints (afterall saints need courage and that seems to be in short supply these days), and the world is never going to turn into some kind of utopia where sh!t tastes like sugar and nobody hunts unicorns.

A Tribute to Victims

With the shocking killing of Leeds teacher Ann Maguire, who was stabbed to death in her classroom and reports of another botched execution in America (step forward Oklahoma), this is a week which proves (as if needed) that murder is never far away. Naturally it rekindles the age old debate about what society should do with its murderers.
Regular readers of the Dai Jakes blog will know that in the past I have favoured capital punishment and in my heart I can see reason why I do, but alas my head is slowly turning toward the belief that a life sentence is more appropriate ('life' in bold because I mean a full life tariff as opposed to free in fifteen to twenty years). And while some suggest a memorial for Drummer Lee Rigby, I cannot imagine a more fitting tribute than making life in jail mandatory for all murderers. Nothing against stone memorials to honour victims, I just feel that tough and fair Justice is more useful and benefits society whole. A force to help crush the bloody hand of murder, making everyone safer.
Indeed the more I think about it, the better idea it sounds. In Britain we only have around 50 or 60 murderers serving life without parole, which is a very poor show. Murder is a most heinous, wicked crime, destroying not just victims but loved ones also and to have the majority of killers walk free after serving fifteen years, sticks in my throat a tad. More than a tad if I'm honest, it fairly makes my blood boil.
Capital punishment, whilst delivering justice to one particular thug, doesn't 'treat' the rest of them. And not everyone agrees with the death penalty. A mandatory life sentence for all however would (and while there are those who disagree with even full tariffs, their reasoning behind those beliefs are weak and anyway those types don't exist in particularly high numbers). Of course we could simply send the entire rotten bunch to the gallows but im afraid that in these 'enlightened' times of 21st century (and I am still searching for evidence of this enlightenment), that won't fly. Reality won't allow for mass executions, it takes a different kind of world for that to happen and however much people say they would hang all killers, I suspect the truth when it came to it would be different.
I think life without parole for all murderers is a wonderful idea, I absolutely believe in it 100% and think it a perfect tribute for murder victims and families. And like I say, would benefit society in general too. Marble memorials and flowery displays are all well and good but were I Jakes I, King of Great Britain (and I can dream hehe) I would create a more lasting tribute to victims of violent crime and set in law that if you commit murder in this country then the remainder of your 'mortal liberty' is forfeit. Down you shall go for life. Justice for the slain, and protection for the rest of us.

We deserve at least this, and victims certainly do.

Justice for April Jones

No fun in the sun here

Yesterday the wretch that is Mark Bridger was given a whole life sentence for the murder of 5 year old April Jones. He will die in prison. And you know what? Dai Jakes is satisfied with that result. Long time readers of this blog will know by now that it is a supporter of the hangman and scaffold but for once there is relief that death will be a very long time coming (providing the Scum That Is Bridger doesn't hit upon some razor blades and a death wish.)
To begin with, he will be a Category A prisoner stuck in a prison within a prison with up to seven others on his disgusting kind. Single cage, monitored 24/7. Just one hour exercise, five days a week, clothes taken off him every evening, meals eaten in a cage after coming all the way from a kitchen (so you can imagine what they will be like when he receives them.) And certainly nobody will want to talk to the Scum That Is Bridger. He will forever be within a shout of the general population shouting out what they will do to him when they get him and chances are someone WILL get to him (they did Huntley and Whiting.) He will never be safe, never be able to trust anyone, never have a friend and best of all the Scum That Is Bridger will live in fear always until the end of his days. One way or another he will suffer every minute of ever day for this vile crime.

Compared to all of this, death would be so very easy.

Rest in peace April fach, justice has been done. Hedd, perfaith hedd x

Jailhouse Justice

No heroes they

This week a child killers body was found murdered in a cell at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire. And you know something? Dai Jakes won't lose a wink of sleep over it, I feel not an ounce of pity for those who torture and kill children. What is troubling however is the amount of people calling the two suspected murderers 'heroes', and even going so far as suggesting they should be released. And yes you read that right, released. Go to any online edition of a newspaper who is running this story and in the comments section underneath you will read plenty of support for this bit of 'jailhouse justice'. (The same thing is happening on various internet forums.)
Have ye all gone mad? HMP Long Lartin accomodates Category A prisoners, some of the most dangerous inmates in Britain, and folk want a couple to go free? Okay sure, let them out, why not? Afterall they probably only raped or killed people themselves eh? So fine release them for bad behaviour (murder remember?) and do away with justice for THEIR victims. Sound good? No, not to me either. You see the trouble with 'jailhouse justice' (besides the whole moral side of it) is it makes prisoners feel they are on the same level as law abiding citizens who foolishly believe that their 'good deed' wipes the slate clean. Newsflash: they are not, and it doesn't. Heroic? No, its just bad men offing bad men.