mercy for the guilty is simply more punishment to the victim... even dead ones
Posted on 07/03/2008 2:34:01 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Few if any murders carry the horrifying cachet of the Manson murders in 1969. The deaths of seven people on two nights at the end of a tumultuous decade combined all of the political and cultural baggage of the era — drugs, counterculture, celebrity, cults, and pure evil in the form of the perpetrators, especially Charles Manson himself. Combining mass murder and serial murder, the Manson Family has played on the imaginations of Americans for almost 40 years, while its members routinely apply for parole and get rejected.
Now one of them faces death, although much different in nature than the deaths she herself inflicted on her victims. Susan Atkins, probably the most committed of all the Tate/LaBianca murderers to Manson himself, has terminal brain cancer and is not expected to live out the year. She wants to be released so that she can die at home, presumably with family and friends. Matthew Schmalz asks in Newsweek whether mercy or retribution should take precedence (via Shaun Mullen):
Justice or mercy? That is the pressing question in what seems to be a coda in the story of the 1969 Manson family murders. At issue is the request by Susan Atkins, now 60, for compassionate release from prison on the grounds of terminal illness.
Apart from Charles Manson himself, Atkins was the public face of the Manson family during the Tate-LaBianca murder trial. She had bragged about mercilessly stabbing the pregnant Sharon Tate and laughed when details of the murders were presented in court. When she received a death sentence, the verdict seemed particularly appropriate. When her punishment was later changed to life imprisonment with possibility parole, it seemed to be a gross distortion of the justice process.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
mercy for the guilty is simply more punishment to the victim... even dead ones
Prison.
If I recall correctly Kevorkian was released early because he had a “terminal illness” and, 2 years later, he’s still alive and kicking.
IN PRISON...NO SYMPATHY HERE. I HOPE SHE SUFFERS A GREAT DEAL.
You don’t know that at all about Susan. Are the friends you kept when you were a teenager and did stupid things still YOUR friends? Do you call them YOUR family? How do you know she has no circle of friends outside of prison? How do you know she has no one who loves and adores her — just like many other inmates serving time in prison do all over this country — and here in California?
It’s so easy to point fingers. It’s easy to look down on others who commit crimes and do evil acts like she did 40 years ago. I wonder how entertained the rest of us would be if we watched a movie or read a book about YOUR life when you were young and stupid? Ever do anything humiliating? Ever hurt someone purposefully? Ever commit a crime you never got caught for?
It’s easy to judge, when you don’t see yourself as capable of the same kind of actions as others. Given the right circumstances — maybe YOU or your husband or daughter could get caught up in drugs and the wrong crowd, or meet someone on the Internet, and commit henious acts on another human being. It happens all the time. It’s interesting how many people on this thread think they are immune from doing wrong — or even — doing evil.
But for the grace of God, Susan Atkins — or anyone in prison — could be US.
I never murdered two houses full of people.
“So what you are saying is leave her in prison as she was sentenced to life.”
no, im not nor did i say that. dont put words in my mouth.
point: i have no disagreement with the original court sentence of life imprisonment.
now reread my post # 53.
i replied to the attitude on this board as expressed towards miss atkins.
there is almost no kindness given towards her. ive seen this before. its become disturbing. for also now i see myself how others may perceive me when i am merciless. i don’t like how that feels. i can’t imagine what atkins or tate’s experiences have been like.
POINT:
our personal heartfelt judgement of any murderer will not allow us to escape GOD’s judgement. for it is a fact we will be judged by GOD.
therefore we must be very careful whether juror or not, when we decide for others what they deserve & what their fate should be.
evil behavior will either be forgiven in this world or punished in the next. let’s overcome evil with good, not returning evil for evil.
blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.
Yes, I figured you might say that.
But actually it was Jesus Himself — with his own lips — who said that if you have ever hated another person, you have already committed murder in your heart and are guilty of such a crime. To God, our Creator, He sees it all the same.
There isn’t a soul alive who hasn’t hated another person who has done them wrong — or who has wronged a loved one. So we are ALL — according to Jesus Himself — guilty of murder, many times over.
I know you don’t see it that way. Maybe someday you can and you will...
What a cruel god you worship. There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between committing actual murder of another human being, and hating people who do evil. The Almighty expects humans to know and understand that distinction, what a shame that you don't.
Sociopaths like the murderer Susan Atkins, will play you like a Georgia fiddler, just in order to make you think they have "repented" and "found Jesus." If this woman truly repented and had remorse, she would be so sickened and disgusted by her crimes that she would beg to be put to death, because she couldn't live with herself, with the knowledge of the awful things she did.
Well since you put it THAT way, by all means — we should definitely show her no compassion by granting her request to die at home, nor any other dying prisoners who requests the same thing.
Here in California, we could make a huge dent in the prison overcrowding crisis AND the insane budget deficit by doing this very thing — by allowing the elderly and dying to finish out their days on earth at home or hospitalized, instead of the prison system footing the bill.
You put it in earthly terms of courts and serving justice made up by governments, then let’s do the fiscally responsible thing all the way around. Let’s keep it pragmatic and realistic.
Then she definitely should go home today. Would save all of us taxpayers a ton of $$$, rather than keep her in prison.
I vote for that for sure.
You think someone who is “truly repentant” would beg to be killed, if they were sincere about their crimes — if their faith was “real”? That is your test?
It isn’t at all what God says. No one is playing any fiddle here, my friend. It’s ok that you don’t understand about faith and repentance. And the God I worship isn’t capable of cruelty, the way you are defining it. He has compassion on the victims AND the offenders the same. He didn’t send His only Son to suffer a cruel and unusual crucifixion death on a Cross just for lies and hatred and stealing cars. His shed blood cleanses even the most evil of action or heart. It reflects the depth of the power and the love and mercy and grace of God. It is available to anyone who believes, and thank God, He knows His own by name.
That is the mystery of the message. I am so grateful that both Susan Atkins and myself can experience the same kind of freedom that faith in Christ offers us both — and offers to the world.
I don’t see where there’s a legitimate question here...She should not only serve her entire LIFE sentence, but she should be buried in the prison cemetery along with all the other ‘lifers’ that have died in prison.
She should get as much mercy as she showed to her victims. It would be a travesty of justice if she were released.
Of course, it was already a travesty of justice that she escaped her original death sentence.
You said: There isn’t a soul alive who hasn’t hated another person who has done them wrong — or who has wronged a loved one. So we are ALL — according to Jesus Himself — guilty of murder, many times over.
So everybody who experienced a negative emotion is just as guilty of "murder" the same as someone who plunged a knife into the bodies of other human beings. You are a very disturbed person, and I do not believe other Christians share your sick views.
Ditto.
You are right. Her victims would have liked to die at home, a peaceful death surrounded by their families and friends, as well.
You are right, she doesn’t deserve compassion, but we as humanbeings, must give compassion to those who don’t deserve it, or we become the same as the killers.
She needs to die in prison, because that is justice.
Sorry, but I must disagree. She should suffer the same sentence that she gave her victims and their families.
Her family got to communicate with her for 30 years. Sharon Tate’s family did not have that priviledge.
Personally, I think that if one is found guilty of murder, and if sentenced to “Life”....part of the sentence should be no further contact with anyone in the outside world. They should be cut off from all they knew, just like the families of the victims are cut off from their loved ones.
This should be the price you pay for killing another humanbeing. Your life should be taken from you as well.
That’s right. She is already recieving mercy. She had a death sentence. She was given 30 more years.
This is justice.
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