Friday, December 29, 2006
Too close to home
There have been two murders within a mile of where Marie and I live in west Little Rock. One was a forced entry into a residence that seems to have a history of police contacts. The other is the brazen shooting of a bank teller on Saturday morning. You have seen Mr. Garrison’s picture and the awful photo of the perpetrator with his gun. So much for peace on earth.
Where are all the men of good will anyway? The men of ill will are packing and I have a theory on what might help. The problem is that society does not deal with violent behavior seriously. Bad guys go through the revolving door and do not fear prison. They are so impulsive, they never even think about execution.
When somebody hurts a fellow human being, they are all out of bounds and have already forfeited the right to live among the rest of us. People who shoot, or stab, or hit should be doing so much jail time that, if they ever get out, they will be too old to cause any more harm. The result is less violence, fewer murders, no pressure for capitol punishment.
Get serious about violence. It’s that simple.
(Broadcast December 28, 2006)
Where are all the men of good will anyway? The men of ill will are packing and I have a theory on what might help. The problem is that society does not deal with violent behavior seriously. Bad guys go through the revolving door and do not fear prison. They are so impulsive, they never even think about execution.
When somebody hurts a fellow human being, they are all out of bounds and have already forfeited the right to live among the rest of us. People who shoot, or stab, or hit should be doing so much jail time that, if they ever get out, they will be too old to cause any more harm. The result is less violence, fewer murders, no pressure for capitol punishment.
Get serious about violence. It’s that simple.
(Broadcast December 28, 2006)
