World Peace

I’m reading the news online, and quite frankly my head is spinning with topics to blog about.

First we have the French who finally, “gasp” acknowledge they are rude, as tourism numbers are down another 1%. Their solution, I kid you not, is to learn how to be as rude as they are, to fit in. They even have an ad campaign going on at http://www.cestsoparis.com – yeah, I don’t think they’ll get my money anytime soon regardless of the countryside.

Then we have major atrocities that are against children. You start with good news, two boys recovered and found and the asshole in custody who kidnapped them. One for the good guys. But then I find other articles on the NC man who decapitated his daughter, and the mother who poisoned her breast milk with cocaine and wait, not at trial yet, “allegedly” killed her 5 month old daughter.

Yes, I know the system eventually works, judicial and prison, but let’s change some laws. Death penalty? I’m all for it. But stop the nine appeals process.

A better solution and I always thought it was best expressed at the end of one of my favorite stories, The Princess Bride was when Wesley was confronting Prince Humperdink, but since he was still mostly dead, he stalled for time, but the dialog was this:

Prince Humperdinck: First things first, to the death.
Westley: No. To the pain.
Prince Humperdinck: I don’t think I’m quite familiar with that phrase.
Westley: I’ll explain and I’ll use small words so that you’ll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.
Prince Humperdinck: That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me.
Westley: It won’t be the last. To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my tongue I suppose, I killed you too quickly the last time. A mistake I don’t mean to duplicate tonight.
Westley: I wasn’t finished. The next thing you will lose will be your left eye followed by your right.
Prince Humperdinck: And then my ears, I understand let’s get on with it.
Westley: WRONG. Your ears you keep and I’ll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, “Dear God! What is that thing,” will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.

You gotta love Goldman, if you haven’t read him, you are missing a lot.

You see, I don’t think these people, and I use the term loosely, have any remorse for their actions. I think they weigh their options, that

1) they actually think they never will be caught, or

2) they go to prison so at least they have a roof over their heads and 3 squares a day.

I say, the Muslims have it right..or the bible..An eye for an eye. You kill your baby? You get a hysterectomy, and lose the ability to ever have a child again.

You molest a child or rape someone? If you are a man, say goodbye to your hands and we castrate the hell out of you. We’ll leave you with desire, but no way to appease it. Who’s sorry now?

When I was a nanny, I used to tell the girls after an infraction they would apologize. I’d tell them, “Don’t say you are sorry, just don’t do it again.” I forgive once, but don’t repeat the transgression, or you prove that you aren’t sorry.

We are too forgiving as a society. Yes we all have our inalienable rights, but if you abuse those rights, then you lose them. It’s funny, how if you live by the Bible, God gave Moses 15 (crash) 10 Commandments (Sorry but I love History of the World) to follow. Pretty simple ones too. All spelled out, small words so everyone can follow. Only we can take those ten and have to have a Supreme Court and millions and millions of interpretations to find loopholes and a gaggle of lawyers, to bypass them. The law is one area that shouldn’t be gray. Look at murder convictions…1st Degree, 2nd Degree, Voluntary, Involuntary…tell that to the victim who is lying dead in the grave..What do you think? What? You can’t answer? You’re dead? How did you die? So shall that be their sentence. Can we get forensics on this? Feel any remorse now for your actions?

See, your victim didn’t know your plans, so their death came as a shock. You, get to hear your fate, and wonder when it is coming. You know what it will be, just not when.  If you appeal -it’s just gonna happen that much faster. Eventually, society will learn to play nice. This will work with white collar crimes too. Sure my ideas need some work, I haven’t quite fleshed it all out yet, but on the whole, if one understands that prison is no longer an option, and immediate accountability is at hand, you may just think twice before hurting someone for their behavior that you find offensive. Well, except for the French. We’ll leave them to their own company.

C’est la Vie.

Note I originally posted this on 1.13.07 so no you aren’t having case of deja vu if you have followed me over from Blogger or Myspace or Shoutpost.