Yesterday, Hubs was reading me news stories about the crime that's sprung up in the wake of the hurricanes. Apparently, St. Martins/St. Maartens is like a freaking warzone after Irma. Parts of FL have turned into a free-for-all. Looting abounds.
Seriously? I mean, WTF is wrong with people? Find an instance where people are beaten and battered and hit them again? Kick them when they're down? That's pretty low. And I find myself longing for the good old days when 'looters will be shot on sight' was a thing.
I'm sure that was a major deterrent and kept many borderline criminals from committing that particular crime. Unless you're profoundly stupid, getting shot for looting would stop you from looting. Wouldn't it?
Nowadays, though, punishment is less deterring. Looters will be arrested, spend a night in jail while awaiting bail, then be out again to loot some more. It just doesn't have the same ring it to, does it? Maybe, perhaps, down the road a piece, they'll spend some more nights in jail. Big deal. They get three hots and a cot in jail, TV, free education, etc., plus everything they can smuggle or barter or steal. Sure, they lose their freedom for a while, but they don't seem to really give a shit about it. They'll be out - sooner than expected with parole and junk - and then they can go back to their criminal enterprises.
Punishment for crime was also supposed to be about justice for the victim. I'm not really feeling the justice - especially when I watch shows like The First 48 and see guys getting 8, 10, 12 years for murder. Of which you know they'll only actually serve 50% if we're lucky. How is that justice? Someone is dead and the person that made them dead gets a light sentence. Ugh.
Meanwhile, our jails/prisons are full. And I hear people saying THAT's the reason why people get off so easily - because there isn't room for them in prison. Umm... yah. If prison was the deterrent it was supposed to be, there would be fewer people going to prison. Although, it might be too late for that now. It makes me crazy.
So, yeah, I'm in the 'looters should be shot' camp. I'd bet that after you popped the first few, the next group thinking about looting would think twice.
I'm on the cot right next to you. Effers! I hope they rot from some terrible something and the criminal "justice" system? There's nothing just about it.
ReplyDeleteI've had an idea in the back of my head for years now for a series about a...well...vigilante who becomes an executioner, though the cops call him/her a murderer. I may write that sucker one of these days, when all my other writing obligations are dealt with.
High five.
DeleteROFL... I have a similar book in my 'ideas' file. Some day.