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.
Way back when I was in school I used to carry a notebook everywhere I went to record daily thoughts and observations. So you see, ive been blogging since before it was popular and where better to carry it onward than to give it a digital page of its own? Welcome to the pages of bar fly Hollywood Francis...
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Friday, 31 May 2013
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
Saturday, 16 February 2013
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.
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Death of the Death Penalty?
How many murderers are executed every year in the United States these days? Forty? Fifty? I think I can safely say that its certainly not over sixty. If I was an Anti Death Penalty supporter I would be pretty happy with those figures. With that rate they soon won't be strapping anyone to a gurney, and as less are indeed getting sentenced to death by American courts this is exactly whats happening. Its easier for opponents to get some thing abolished if support is low and surely it must be if a mere fifty or so killers are sent to the death chamber.
Let me put it like this: if I was the ruler of a country and one of my aides told me, "look we might as well scrap hanging criminals because we only execute fifty a year anyway," I would probably go along with it. Its half hearted, and bordering on lenient, so why bother continuing it Id think to myself. Its almost guaranteed that it won't deter any future murderers if deterence is the reasoning behind capital punishment. (I personally believe it shouldn't be and that punishment is the sole reason).
Of course if the USA want to be rid of the death penalty, then they are on the correct path because the numbers will keep dropping and dropping until....well they end up with no death rows. One only has to look at Britains history with capital punishment for proof of what I say. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries we hanged people like there was no tomorrow. Even common thieves and sheep rustlers were not spared the walk to the gallows in our enthusiasm to bring lawbreakers to justice. Heck audiences flocked to public executions like rugby matches today (numbers ranged from 30,000 to an incredible 70,000), and stalls sold foor and drink to the ghoulish crowds. It was we Brits who turned hanging into a science when William Marwood developed the 'long drop' and Albert Pierrepoint perfected it. None executed with more zest than the United Kingdom.
But for how long?
And look at us today. The number of death sentences, or more importantly the number actually carried out, began falling in the early 1900's until in 1969 we abolished it completely. Our last hangings were in 1964. So you can see how abolishment creeps up, almost without the general public (especially the majority who take no interest in the subject) ever realising it. I believe its happening in America right now. According to statistics online the number of executions as well as newly imposed death sentences slumped to record low levels in 2011. Also the governor of Illinois put a stop to executions in his state and don't think for one minute that other states won't look at this and think of following it. Once the rot (some call it enlightenment) starts its hard to stop it spreading. We Brits know this and if the Americans have any desire to carry on executing its murderers they would do well to learn from our mistake. (Mistake or victory depending which side of the fence you stood of course).
Could it be that Americans (or its movers and shakers) have been actually listening to European countries when they keep on saying that the death penalty is barbaric and uncivilised? Americans don't like to be seen taking the lead from others, they like to be leaders, and my guess is they have looked around at all of the countries where execution has been scrapped and it has made them uncomfortable being one of the few left who carry it out. Especially when you consider the company they are in. (And I would like to make this clear here, I personally don't regard places like Iran as backward but it seems that some in the Anti death penalty movement do because they enjoy snootily informing us that Americans are in doubtful company when it comes to executions).
We must remember that the United States is a very young country compared to places like Britain, and IF it truly is civilised to abolish the death penalty as folks like Amnesty keep telling us then it will take them that much longer to discover this. European and Middle Eastern countries have been puttig people to death since before Jesus turned water into wine and are not exactly new to the subject. America is. And this is why I really do believe that in something like ten to fifteen years there will be no more executions there.
** If any readers are interested in chatting with Dai Jakes about the subject, you can find him on the ProDeathPenalty .com forum where he is a regular poster. Pop in and say, it really is a friendly place.
Let me put it like this: if I was the ruler of a country and one of my aides told me, "look we might as well scrap hanging criminals because we only execute fifty a year anyway," I would probably go along with it. Its half hearted, and bordering on lenient, so why bother continuing it Id think to myself. Its almost guaranteed that it won't deter any future murderers if deterence is the reasoning behind capital punishment. (I personally believe it shouldn't be and that punishment is the sole reason).
Of course if the USA want to be rid of the death penalty, then they are on the correct path because the numbers will keep dropping and dropping until....well they end up with no death rows. One only has to look at Britains history with capital punishment for proof of what I say. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries we hanged people like there was no tomorrow. Even common thieves and sheep rustlers were not spared the walk to the gallows in our enthusiasm to bring lawbreakers to justice. Heck audiences flocked to public executions like rugby matches today (numbers ranged from 30,000 to an incredible 70,000), and stalls sold foor and drink to the ghoulish crowds. It was we Brits who turned hanging into a science when William Marwood developed the 'long drop' and Albert Pierrepoint perfected it. None executed with more zest than the United Kingdom.
But for how long?
And look at us today. The number of death sentences, or more importantly the number actually carried out, began falling in the early 1900's until in 1969 we abolished it completely. Our last hangings were in 1964. So you can see how abolishment creeps up, almost without the general public (especially the majority who take no interest in the subject) ever realising it. I believe its happening in America right now. According to statistics online the number of executions as well as newly imposed death sentences slumped to record low levels in 2011. Also the governor of Illinois put a stop to executions in his state and don't think for one minute that other states won't look at this and think of following it. Once the rot (some call it enlightenment) starts its hard to stop it spreading. We Brits know this and if the Americans have any desire to carry on executing its murderers they would do well to learn from our mistake. (Mistake or victory depending which side of the fence you stood of course).
Could it be that Americans (or its movers and shakers) have been actually listening to European countries when they keep on saying that the death penalty is barbaric and uncivilised? Americans don't like to be seen taking the lead from others, they like to be leaders, and my guess is they have looked around at all of the countries where execution has been scrapped and it has made them uncomfortable being one of the few left who carry it out. Especially when you consider the company they are in. (And I would like to make this clear here, I personally don't regard places like Iran as backward but it seems that some in the Anti death penalty movement do because they enjoy snootily informing us that Americans are in doubtful company when it comes to executions).
We must remember that the United States is a very young country compared to places like Britain, and IF it truly is civilised to abolish the death penalty as folks like Amnesty keep telling us then it will take them that much longer to discover this. European and Middle Eastern countries have been puttig people to death since before Jesus turned water into wine and are not exactly new to the subject. America is. And this is why I really do believe that in something like ten to fifteen years there will be no more executions there.
** If any readers are interested in chatting with Dai Jakes about the subject, you can find him on the ProDeathPenalty .com forum where he is a regular poster. Pop in and say, it really is a friendly place.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Inanimate becomes Animate to Cause Death
During the history of this world, humans have devised hundreds of ways to kill a man. Some techniques have been merciful towards the condemned, while others (especially in early times) have been downright cruel. Crucifixion, Stoning, Crushing, Burning, Hanging, Gassing, Drawing & Quartering, Electrocution. All these methods and more have been employed to bring about death.
Indeed when one considers that only one method is really needed throughout the world, then having such a plentiful choice of grisly devices is proof (if proof were needed) of how just how dark mankind's mind can be.
Infamous: The Gallows and the Chair
Most of these lethal contraptions will be largely unknown by most people. Who really, apart from the ghouls among us, has ever heard of the Brazen Bull? A hollow iron bull into which prisoners were locked and slowly roasted over an open fire. Or the Cave of Roses, where the condemned were sealed inside a cave filled with highly poisonous snakes?
But which deadly designs delivered the quickest death? And which are the most recognisable? Surely the Crucifix has to be the best known if only for the fact that a model of it swings around the throats of millions of Christians (and rockstars) every day.
For me personally, I believe the Gallows and the Electric Chair are top of the bill in terms of infamy and quickest to despatch the inmate to eternity. Britain's most famous hangman Albert Pierrepoint had the prisoner hanged in under 30 seconds, and most of those seconds were going from cell to scaffold. Death at the end of the rope would have been instant and painless.
As for America's legendary Electric Chair, as soon as 2,000 volts are jolted into the condemned, expiration would follow pretty quickly should the execution go smoothly, and be as pain free as the hangman's rope.
The ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome had their share of well known devices of destruction but nothing comes close in recent history as these two icons of execution.
Indeed when one considers that only one method is really needed throughout the world, then having such a plentiful choice of grisly devices is proof (if proof were needed) of how just how dark mankind's mind can be.
Infamous: The Gallows and the Chair
Most of these lethal contraptions will be largely unknown by most people. Who really, apart from the ghouls among us, has ever heard of the Brazen Bull? A hollow iron bull into which prisoners were locked and slowly roasted over an open fire. Or the Cave of Roses, where the condemned were sealed inside a cave filled with highly poisonous snakes?
But which deadly designs delivered the quickest death? And which are the most recognisable? Surely the Crucifix has to be the best known if only for the fact that a model of it swings around the throats of millions of Christians (and rockstars) every day.
For me personally, I believe the Gallows and the Electric Chair are top of the bill in terms of infamy and quickest to despatch the inmate to eternity. Britain's most famous hangman Albert Pierrepoint had the prisoner hanged in under 30 seconds, and most of those seconds were going from cell to scaffold. Death at the end of the rope would have been instant and painless.
As for America's legendary Electric Chair, as soon as 2,000 volts are jolted into the condemned, expiration would follow pretty quickly should the execution go smoothly, and be as pain free as the hangman's rope.
The ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome had their share of well known devices of destruction but nothing comes close in recent history as these two icons of execution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)