Justice For All?
As some of you may know, Karla Homolka will be released from prison very soon. She has attempted to place a media ban on her release, as she doesn't want anyone to know where she is going. Also, she's likely (my own supposition) afraid that someone may attempt some fashion of revenge. This is what I'm going to touch on briefly because I haven't been keeping up the news.
Some co-workers of mine think it is completely insane for her to want protection when she gets out. They believe we still need protection from her.
When I heard this, the first thing that came to my mind is that she has, technically, paid her debt to society.
Now, I'm sure that some of you have some choice words with my above sentence. And that is certainly your right. But these are the laws of Canada. Canadian law says that she has paid the price, so to speak. Now she is free to live her life.
I don't want to get rambling here. When I do, everything becomes confusing as I try to say too much with too little words.
Ok, here goes. The way the media is covering this, one would think Karla is a threat to every person in Canada. Obviously, this is not the case, but many people do feel this way. Yet, if a drunk driver who killed several people in a car accident was being released from prison, only a handful of people would care. Personally, I'm more afraid of the drunk driver than Karla. I think he has a better chance of doing it again. Even if he has no licence or no car, I would still be more scared of him than of Karla.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sick of the double-standard with this whole case. Canadian law is good for most criminals. But for those few, it is not. Justice doesn't work like that.
Bah. Now I'm getting all confused. Maybe later I'll figure out what I really want to say. For now, I'm leaving this post.
Do with it what you will.
Some co-workers of mine think it is completely insane for her to want protection when she gets out. They believe we still need protection from her.
When I heard this, the first thing that came to my mind is that she has, technically, paid her debt to society.
Now, I'm sure that some of you have some choice words with my above sentence. And that is certainly your right. But these are the laws of Canada. Canadian law says that she has paid the price, so to speak. Now she is free to live her life.
I don't want to get rambling here. When I do, everything becomes confusing as I try to say too much with too little words.
Ok, here goes. The way the media is covering this, one would think Karla is a threat to every person in Canada. Obviously, this is not the case, but many people do feel this way. Yet, if a drunk driver who killed several people in a car accident was being released from prison, only a handful of people would care. Personally, I'm more afraid of the drunk driver than Karla. I think he has a better chance of doing it again. Even if he has no licence or no car, I would still be more scared of him than of Karla.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sick of the double-standard with this whole case. Canadian law is good for most criminals. But for those few, it is not. Justice doesn't work like that.
Bah. Now I'm getting all confused. Maybe later I'll figure out what I really want to say. For now, I'm leaving this post.
Do with it what you will.
posted by Deathstroke at 8:05 p.m.
3 Comments:
I agree with starchyldette. Also, there are 2 other things that should be considered and they both revolve around the defense that Karla has been maintaining this whole time - that she was forced, by her twisted and dominating husband, to do the things that she did and that it was against her will. First, the tapes. I haven't seen these tapes, but I've read the news posts about them and I find it very hard to believe that every Canadian news station would say that these tapes reveal that she was a willing and active participant in these acts if that wasn't actually the case. Second, she's currently in a relationship with a man who is serving a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend. Now, she claims to be a very impressionable person and that she was just involved with the wrong person. Um...so a relationship with a guy who's serving a life sentence for murder is the right person? What do we think is going to happen if this relationship continues? Everything will be just fine and she'll never do anything so horrible again because she's reformed...yeah right.
Karla has served her time for her crime, but what does that mean in a society that generally believes that the sentence very rarely fits the severity of the crime? 12 years in a maximum security prison (which, other than the isolation, offers the same basic amenities that most of us enjoy at home - according to cbc new s articles on Canadian prisons) for actively participating in the rape and murder of 3 girls. How many people out there think that's a fair sentence?
At any rate, for a case that has been so actively pasted all over the news for all to hear, and for such a heinous crime (not so common as a drunk driver), there's much more to consider than just "they've served their time so everything is hunky dory now".
I can see both sides.
1) Unless she's given the appropriate designation (sex offender, dangerous offender, whatever it is), it is against her constitutional rights to be tracked against her wishes. The terms of her agreement with the Crown precludes that designation. Therefore, according to the laws of the land, she's free (in as much as anyone as recognizable as she can be).
2) On the other hand, as zelia says, she has made some extraordinarily bad choices. If her argument is to be believed, she's easily led, and seems to automatically fall in with dominant sociopaths. This is not the sign of a changed person.
Despite my belief that she duped the Crown prosecuter into giving her a much better deal than she deserved, I believe that the law must be followed. I admit relief that she wasn't successful in her bid for a publication ban on her release and her future, but I also agree with Deathstroke - she's served her time, she deserves this opportunity to prove she's rehabilitated. I hope she is not physically harmed in her bid for a new life. Public safety is a matter for the police and our own vigilance, not vigilantes.
Wow - I wrote something that stimulated conversation.
I'm just so awesome.
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