In Canada, within the last 10,years 3 cases have come before the courts all of which were similar but carried different gravity, due to the nature of the crime and the mindset of the individual.
Case #1
Robert Latimer, a farmer from Saskatchewn, had a severely disabled daughter, who was suffering greatly. She had seizures and difficulty breathing as well as constant pains. Her name was Tracey. Robert Latimer loved his daughter but could no longer bear to see her in agony. It was taking its toll on the family and he decided one day to rig up a hose to the tailpipe and end it for her, as an act of mercy.
Granted, Taking anyones life is a serious affair, and also taking the life of someone helpless, is a serious business as well.
Robert Latimer is still in prison today, 10 years or so later. This was to discourage anyone else from trying to impose a similar fate on handicapped persons. Second degree murder in the eyes of the law.
Case #2
Chris Meyers, was stalking women in Ottawa. He would ride up on his bike, start a conversation,and when he got them where he wanted them, he would rape them. He was known for his violence with the girls that knew him. One day he intentionally stalked Ardeth wood. He first started this business by finding remote biking paths, and then start up conversations, which when the moment was right, would lead to rape. This time however he murdered someone.
Ardeth Wood was majoring in phychology and had great promise she was chopped down by this monster in her prime. The cops could find no evidence. The case went nowhere, until the North Bay police found him stalking people and arrested him.
Chris Meyers was evil and intentional. The police made a deal with him for information and he will be out in 8 years. Thats less two years,for time already served. There was no remorse.
Case #3
Kevin Davis, was a young troubled man, who came from a broken home. For the most part however, he had no trouble with the law. One day, his relationship ended as they always did and he snapped. He went and found someone to take it out on. That was Jennifer Teague. He strangled her to death after following her home on a trail leading to where he lived.
The police seached and searched for the killer,to no avail. But Kevin knew what he did, wasn't right and one day, while high on Mushrooms,ran down the streets naked declaring his guilt. He couldn't take it anymore. The stupid pigs didn't even beleive him. He gave a complete confession in which he stated he didn't want to kill her,he even took her home and was talking with her for most of the night.
Kevin Davis expressd remorse, gave a full confession and literally handed himself over to police with no criminal record. He is now serving a life sentence for 1st degree murder.
Do you see the problem with law. It lacks the human element. In consideration of each case, the heart tells you the way it should have gone down.
That is,Robert Latimer was committing an act of mercy in his mind, with the intent of releiving suffering, both his,and hers. His heart was probably broken when he did it. 2 years tops if anything.
Chris Meyers was evil incarnate, intentional, brutal and evasive. No heart. Thats a life sentence, with no chance of parole in my books. He will get out before Mr. Latimer,in time served.
Kevin Davis,although what he did was unquestionably evil, showed remorse, confesssed, and declared his guilt. He also did not have any history of stalking period. He will be lucky if he ever gets out. He was being punished for his crime all right,but he was also being punished for telling the truth. I think he showed too, that he did have some heart, but was severly messed up.
Somehow, lieing and being evasive, works in the system, and the signs of where the heart lies, has no bearing on the decisions reached.
This is following the letter of the law, rather than the spirit of the law. How can a person spend so many years studying to come up with such ridiculous conclusions, when its blatently obvious, to even a mentally impaired Moron, that this is not fair.
Now, over to an even worse, blind and unjust system of rules and judgement. The elders in the congregations of Jehovahs Witnesses! I'd stand before a corrupt court of law, before I'd put myself in front of this Kangaroo court, any day. The elders have no training period. They are full of bias, they do not consider the persons heart, and they have zero mercy. Even worse, they have rules that even society thinks is off the friggin wall.
When religions are given power in judicial matters, bad things happen. They always do. From the Old testament days of stoning, to the Salem witch trials , through to the Spanish inquisition, right down to beheadings of Islam for adultery. It is a travesty.
The problem here is, that they are under the illusion that divinity is guiding their decisions and that there decisions cannot be questioned because of this divine authority. If you take the mystiscm out of it, you are left with a bunch of crackpots!
I think justice on both ends, civil and religious , is hard to come by, but if I had my choice I would take the system that has less mystiscism and more trial and error.
It is any wonder lawyers are hated? Is it any wonder, elders are hated, perhaps even more? The most disgusting thing of all is, that the upper echelon of the society has been in courts for the last 130 years. There are great many lawyers within their own corrupt religion. They know God dam well,what due process is. Yet they refuse to give any of the people who support and keep them alive, a fair trial,with that process. Instead the rank and file get a "kangaroo court"with, no hearings, no evidence, no witnesses. Just divine pronouncements pulled from their collective rectums!
Was Charles Dickens ever right,when he said in Oliver Twist. " The law is an idiot! If the law is an idiot, then religious law, is it's mentally handicapped cousin.
Tyrone van Leyen