Not that my agonising over the subject is likely to make the slightest difference, but it rarely ceases to amaze, and never ceases to dishearten me that there's so much self-righteous hatred in the world. Once again, it was the opinions of some of my work colleagues which started the train of thought, the latest pontifications being about people who, for one reason or another, have had to have their identity and/or whereabouts protected - the boys (as they were at the time) who killed James Bolger being an example quoted, a case which opens a whole different can of worms about the age and degree of criminal responsibility, but that's not what this post is about. What I found so hateful was that people were advocating removing any such protection from those who may well have served their sentence, but who are populist hate figures - basically, the attitude was that they should be killed by any vigilante who can lay their hands on them. Call me a woolly liberal if you like, but I was under the impression that having a formal system of law and justice was supposed, amongst other things, to prevent any self-appointed nutcase from dispensing their own retribution. Or maybe these people think the world of vendetta and blood feud is preferable? Of course people who transgress accepted boundaries need to be controlled, and, if necessary, punished, but to declare 'open season' on those who fall foul of 'the norm' is surely not the way to deal with the problem.
I know I've said this before, but I really fear for the long term future of humanity unless we can rein in the propensity to hate anyone perceived as 'others' - we're all members of the same species, why is that such a difficult concept for some people to grasp?
At least there was a sweeter taste to savour after I'd left work - another awesome cutie in the same supermarket where I saw the '12 at 12 at 12' boy a while back. Just eye candy, as ever, but he cheered me up more than a little.
Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B
I agree with you. Vigilantism has no place in a civilised society. However, there are those whose brains have not evolved to a higher level that still inhabit our world, and they are noisy to say the least. Our system of justice is not perfect, but it's a damn sight better than the "law of the old west" which was pretty much "hang 'em high, boys", for any and all transgressions, real or supposed.
ReplyDeleteI just drove through one of my city's more eclectic areas, and the eye candy was out today for sure! It was hard to drive in the bumper to bumper traffic as I wended my way home because I was whiplashing to keep the sights in view! Good times!
Peace <3
Jay
Hi Sammy;
ReplyDeleteIt is a scary thing how some find it fully acceptable to continue to punish after the punishment is supposed to be complete. It is even fashionable to repeatedly call for stiffer punishments and punishing those younger offenders at even younger and younger ages. I share your concern and even trepidation for the future of this way of thinking.
hugs;
randy
It's another side of the current moral panic about protecting the children. The boys who killed James Bolger must have been beyond the pale.
ReplyDeleteIt's like we've abrogated our responsibility to raise children properly, so the easy solution to our guilt is to project it onto others and demonise the child murderers and pedophiles totally.
A couple of generations ago the majority of children left school at 12 or 13 and entered employment. The workplace became the place where young people gained their social identity. The current trend is to increase it to 18. So young people are shaped and defined in the often toxic social environment of the classroom and the playground right through adolescence. You choose your child's school not based on the quality of the teaching, but on the children they will be mixing with.
We have lost control of our children and don't have a clue what to do about it.
Hello Jay, Randy and Billy
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to think of a suitable reply to your comments all day, but doing a double shift has reduced my brain to mush!
I suppose I could say that there are no easy answers to any of this, if there were I'm sure somebody would have come up with them by now, but a couple of specific things have struck me. One is biblical, even though I'm an atheist - 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone' - another, specific to what Billy said, is that young people today seem to be caught in an impossible dichotomy, in that they seem to be expected to be snow-white innocents on the one hand, while being viewed as being 'feral' if they so much as look at someone out of turn on the other. And who is going to be their role model? If any adult, especially a man, looks at anyone under the age of about 25, they're accused of being a paedophile. Something has definitely gone awry, but how to solve it - I'm as clueless as the rest.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
You are exactly correct, Sammy. And believe me, once accused, always guilty, even if there are no charges or anything...what a shame that so many people are being knocked about because of misplaced accusations, etc.
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay
Hello Jay
ReplyDeleteThrown mud always sticks - it just seems to be the way of the word, to think the worst. There was a fairly high profile case where we used to live before moving to Cornwall, in which a local secondary school teacher was suspended for almost a year after allegations made by a girl which turned out to be completely fabricated - she didn't like the teacher, basically, so that was her way of getting back at him. Charming.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B