How does one define crime? In the `Concise Oxford English Dictionary'
it's classed as. `An action, which constitutes a serious offence
against an individual, or the State, and is punishable by law.'
Crime, and criminals, come in all different shapes and sizes; for
instance, if a member of H.M. Forces disobeys a command because it is
against their principles, does that make them a criminal or a traitor?
` I was only obeying orders' was not accepted as a `not guilty plea' at
the war trials held in Nuremberg. So where does one stand in this
instance?
Is telling a lie a crime or a sin? Telling a lie in a court of law is
classed as perjury; but if a child kicked a football over the garden
wall resulting in a broken window, then let someone else take the
blame, you wouldn't say that child was on the way to becoming a
hardened criminal. A slap would surely suffice; although in this P.C.
world we live in, that makes the person that administered it a
criminal.
To take something that does not belong to you is stealing, but did
stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child deserve a one-way
ticket to Australia? The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham are well
worth a visit; the injustice of punishments meted out for crimes listed
there, are very thought provoking.
Nottingham lauds one outlaw `Robin of Sherwood' he is world-renowned.
He took from the rich to give to the poor, or so the story goes; no one
would dream of calling him a criminal would they?
I have been the victim of crime, burgled twice in this country, and
once in another. As I am not the saintly, forgiving type of person, if
I could have got my hands on the perpetrators, I would most probable
have been the one standing in the dock for acting as judge and jury.
I don't go for all the excuses of poor housing, lack of opportunities,
being the reason people turn to crime, that's as good as saying all law
breakers live on run down housing estates; not true, crime is across
the board, there is no dividing line between rich or poor. People in
all walks of life commit forgery, theft, and murder.
Murder premeditated is evil, but can the same thing be said about
someone that helps a terminally ill loved one to die peacefully? At one
time I was all in favour of capital punishment, now I waver, there are
too many facets to consider, and I am the type of person that can argue
passionately on both sides.
Is prison a deterrent? To some yes, the threat of being locked up for
years on end is sufficient to make them think twice before committing a
crime; for others, it is just a way of life. Crime and punishment is a
complex subject, it isn't black and white, one law for all regardless.
Should lawbreakers be made to serve the full term of their sentence? If
life, meant life with no hope of a reprieve for good behaviour why
should a prisoner bother? Without some sort of carrot to dangle, I
think H.M.Prisons would have not only a difficult, but also a
dangerous, explosive situation to contend with.
My theory as to the cause of crime is lack of respect Children become
skilled at an early age in getting their own way. A temper tantrum that
gets results will be repeated unless nipped in the bud. At home,
parents should be in charge not children. A break down in family life
doesn't help, ideally their should be a father and a mother, but one
parent families now seem to be the norm, although this is not ideal, it
is a fact of life.
If one can get something for nothing, why work. A `Nanny State' will
provide for you from the cradle to the grave, but what about self
esteem? To go through life expecting to get something for nothing is
surely a step on the slippery slope toward crime.
Respect for others is something that should be taught from early on.
Nobody should think they are above the law because of their age. There
have been too many cases of people wrongfully accused, resulting in
them being suspended, even losing their jobs. Some adolescents thumb
their nose at authority, and get away with it
Happy
slapping is something that sounds like fun, the same as joy riding.
Aren't G.B.H. and taking without consent the same crimes? If so
shouldn't they received the same punishment?
Can paedophiles be cured? If not should they be shut away forever,
classed as criminally insane? I believe there are some states in
American that practice chemical castration, if it works shouldn't it be
a form of punishment considered in this country?
Homosexuals were once considered criminals; today they are an acceptable part of society, no longer given a second thought.
Should
drugs be legalized? Arguing that crime would be halved if they were. In
other words, the bottom would drop out of the market and suppliers
would find that dealing was no longer worth the effort. But if they
were legalized, wouldn't that result in more people experimenting,
getting hooked and O.D ing?
Apart from all the crimes we already had, we now have the `Politically
Correct' brigade breathing down our necks. The innocent golliwog is
banned from sale and one has to think twice before speaking in case it
offends someone. I am not xenophobic, never have been, I have a circle
of friends from all part of the world and they, like me, laugh at some
of the silly laws that have of recent years come into being.
Leatta Antcliff
My mother used to like feeding the pigeons in the market square, now
apparently it is a crime to do so. At times the law is an ass, but most
of the time it does work in our interest, so until someone comes up
with answers to all the questions I have thrown up, I will continue to
try and keep on the right side of the law.
