Ariel Castro did horrible, horrible, horrible things to girls, women, and children (yes, I'm including the unborn children). Yet, I am kind of uncomfortable when I hear people make gleeful comments about his suicide. Some say it's unfair to his victims. I don't know. Whatever the young formerly captive women think, feel, or say is not something I could ever judge. They have their path of healing to travel upon.
Recently a man who kidnapped a teen-age girl was shot to death in Idaho, and the girl is free. On one hand, I am glad the girl (Hannah I think is her name) won't have to go to court and worry if he ever gets out on parole. The kidnapper was threatening law enforcement. Sure he saves the taxpayers' money.
John Wayne Gacy performed horrible acts of violence upon his victims and killed them too. Yet, I remember the morning after his execution thinking, "We killed him."
Jeffrey Dahmer was killed by fellow inmates, so no more worries about him. Part of me has a sense of relief as a member of society. Yet, as a member of society, as a human, as a Catholic, I am very uncomfortable and squeamish about people killing people even if those people are killing themselves or they killed other people.
The above criminals can never hurt another person. It's great that they can cause no harm because they have caused plenty of harm. Yet to rejoice seems wrong even if I understand people would rejoice or say they deserved it. I can understand the anger and the demand for justice behind people who promote capital (?) punishment.
These are very complex issues, and the victims have suffered great harm to their bodies, souls, and heart. There is justice to take into account.
As a Catholic, as a woman, as a touchy-feely person, I wish everyone could die a peaceful death after a long, long, happy, happy, happy. loving, loving life in the arms of a loved one. Yes, I wish for a life of rainbows and bunnies. And that is why I NEED to believe in the Creed, in Jesus, the Eucharist, in my faith. Society is so dark, otherwise.
1 comment:
I want the rainbows and bunnies too. :) I'm sad that these men killed so many people in the ways they did. And I'm kind of up in the air about capital punishment myself.
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