So, I know I’m very far behind, but I’ve been reading up on news lately. I’ve decided that it’s super lame of me to be a Communication major and a Journalism minor and never watch or read the news. It’s not that I don’t like to be informed…I find that other people tell me the important stuff. It’s that I don’t find a lot of stuff in the newspaper interesting, and the news can also be really depressing. If you’re a Comm major, you’ve most likely heard the term “mean world syndrome” a million times. Basically, it means that the more we hear about bad things happening in the world through the media, the more we believe that the world is a horrible, violent place. I’ve always been the kind of person to think bad things don’t happen that often, and that people watch too much CSI or Law & Order. This is partially true, but some truly awful things do happen everyday. It’s depressing to hear about, but I guess it’s good to be informed about it so that we can prepare ourselves.
(hey, i’ve discovered paragraphs!) Anyway, last week I made a pact with myself that in between my Facebook and Twitter stalking, I will read news articles that interest me and become a more educated pupil! As a result, I’ve started reading up on the Cheshire home invasion. I know I just said that I don’t like depressing stories, but consider me a masochist. It’s people like this, that hurt people for their own gain, that really make me feel like this world is messed up. I really don’t want to be cynical, but how can I not be? Anyway, I heard about the case a while back, but I never really read into the details. I was pretty much ready to vomit when I read that, allegedly, the “suspects” (which, I get that you need to be technical in the news, but come on, we know they did it) tied the daughters up, put pillow cases on their heads and lit the house on fire…not to mention one of the daughters and the mother were raped. For what? So those men could steal some of their money and valuables? That is so disgusting, I don’t even understand how people like this walk our earth. I literally feel sick to my stomach thinking that there are a lot of messed up people like this…like a good percentage. I probably went to school with someone who would commit a crime like this. There has to be a lot of them out there if things like this keep happening. We probably just overlook the John Wayne Gacys and Jeffrey Dahmers of this world and call them “troubled.”
Sooo, the question becomes…what do we do about these people? I am completely for the death penalty. Hayes, one of the men convicted of the Cheshire killings, has already been convicted on 16 counts and will atleast serve life in jail, according to HartfordCourant.com. I agree with what William Petit, the only survivor in the family of 4, said about the death penalty. The Hartford Courant’s article Jury Finds Steven Hayes Guilty, Now Must Decide If He Lives Or Dies stated, “In a May 31, 2009, opinion piece in The Courant in support of the death penalty, Petit called the ultimate punishment “the appropriate societal response to the brutal and willful act of capital felony murder.”
He said he supports execution “because it is just and because it prevents murderers from ever harming again. By intentionally, unlawfully taking the life of another, a murderer breaks a sacrosanct law of society and forfeits his own right to live.”’
I don’t know if agreeing with this makes me some kind of heartless person who doesn’t appreciate human life, or whatever people on the other side would say, but frankly, I don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be open to hear why people are against the death penalty. But in the end, how I feel is how I feel. And I feel that if you commit such heinous and disgusting crimes on another human being, knowingly and willingly, then you have no regard for human life, and therefore must be punished for that in the same way. An eye for an eye. Also, I think many people who disagree with the death penalty don’t have a full grasp on the law. I’m no expert, but I have taken some criminal justice classes. There are certain crimes that must be committed in order for someone to receive the death penalty, and aggravating/mitigating factors are weighed. It’s not like, boom, you killed someone, you die. To be considered for the death penalty for murder, you must kill a police officer or someone under the age of 16 I believe. Then other aggravating factors are looked at in addition, like if you rape and kill someone, or if you slaughter them in a completely heinous way. It varies from state to state, but overall, to get the death penalty you have to be a pretty nasty person. And to be honest, some people just deserve it…life in prison isn’t always enough. It may be more expensive to execute someone, which is what Hayes’ attorney wanted to argue, but who cares? I’ll pay a few extra taxes (not that I pay serious taxes yet…) if it means that these disgusting men will truly pay for what they did. Any thoughts?
(written 10/17/10)
(hey, i’ve discovered paragraphs!) Anyway, last week I made a pact with myself that in between my Facebook and Twitter stalking, I will read news articles that interest me and become a more educated pupil! As a result, I’ve started reading up on the Cheshire home invasion. I know I just said that I don’t like depressing stories, but consider me a masochist. It’s people like this, that hurt people for their own gain, that really make me feel like this world is messed up. I really don’t want to be cynical, but how can I not be? Anyway, I heard about the case a while back, but I never really read into the details. I was pretty much ready to vomit when I read that, allegedly, the “suspects” (which, I get that you need to be technical in the news, but come on, we know they did it) tied the daughters up, put pillow cases on their heads and lit the house on fire…not to mention one of the daughters and the mother were raped. For what? So those men could steal some of their money and valuables? That is so disgusting, I don’t even understand how people like this walk our earth. I literally feel sick to my stomach thinking that there are a lot of messed up people like this…like a good percentage. I probably went to school with someone who would commit a crime like this. There has to be a lot of them out there if things like this keep happening. We probably just overlook the John Wayne Gacys and Jeffrey Dahmers of this world and call them “troubled.”
Sooo, the question becomes…what do we do about these people? I am completely for the death penalty. Hayes, one of the men convicted of the Cheshire killings, has already been convicted on 16 counts and will atleast serve life in jail, according to HartfordCourant.com. I agree with what William Petit, the only survivor in the family of 4, said about the death penalty. The Hartford Courant’s article Jury Finds Steven Hayes Guilty, Now Must Decide If He Lives Or Dies stated, “In a May 31, 2009, opinion piece in The Courant in support of the death penalty, Petit called the ultimate punishment “the appropriate societal response to the brutal and willful act of capital felony murder.”
He said he supports execution “because it is just and because it prevents murderers from ever harming again. By intentionally, unlawfully taking the life of another, a murderer breaks a sacrosanct law of society and forfeits his own right to live.”’
I don’t know if agreeing with this makes me some kind of heartless person who doesn’t appreciate human life, or whatever people on the other side would say, but frankly, I don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be open to hear why people are against the death penalty. But in the end, how I feel is how I feel. And I feel that if you commit such heinous and disgusting crimes on another human being, knowingly and willingly, then you have no regard for human life, and therefore must be punished for that in the same way. An eye for an eye. Also, I think many people who disagree with the death penalty don’t have a full grasp on the law. I’m no expert, but I have taken some criminal justice classes. There are certain crimes that must be committed in order for someone to receive the death penalty, and aggravating/mitigating factors are weighed. It’s not like, boom, you killed someone, you die. To be considered for the death penalty for murder, you must kill a police officer or someone under the age of 16 I believe. Then other aggravating factors are looked at in addition, like if you rape and kill someone, or if you slaughter them in a completely heinous way. It varies from state to state, but overall, to get the death penalty you have to be a pretty nasty person. And to be honest, some people just deserve it…life in prison isn’t always enough. It may be more expensive to execute someone, which is what Hayes’ attorney wanted to argue, but who cares? I’ll pay a few extra taxes (not that I pay serious taxes yet…) if it means that these disgusting men will truly pay for what they did. Any thoughts?
(written 10/17/10)
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