Just one anniversary Idea
Again disregarding my preference for staying away from certain “hot” issues that attract current national attention from the more qualified, I nevertheless, feel obliged to repeat my own perspectives on matters related to capital punishment.
Up front let me be genuinely different. If a society opts to abandon the death penalty, I say there should be flogging and/or hard labour for the more heinous crimes and convictions. Why? Because a society’s career criminals, having studied the “justice landscape”, will conclude that their most sordid fatalistic deeds will merely “earn” them prison time with meals, medical attention and recreation. And, who knows, parole.
I’m aware of the anti-death penalty arguments: it’s no deterrent; it’s as inhumane as what the murderers do; it’s against all the UN declarations, conventions and agreements many member countries have signed on to, etc etc. My primal “uncivilized” position is simple, simplistic and basic: when you execute a convicted murderer, it’s no guaranteed deterrent to others so minded, but one (recividist) murderer will no longer be around!
Punishment, Capital? Maximum?
Public sensitivity, even division, regarding Capital Punishment was not that high, even an issue as it is in the (Civilised?) world now. Personal and public/command transgressions were met with swift “justice”. Guilty convicted perpetrators were routinely boiled in oil, burnt at the stake, crushed, crucified, guillotined, stoned.
Later, the Penalty of Death took the form of hanging, shooting (by firing squad or individuals as in China the gas chamber, electrocution and/or lethal injection. Oh yes, societies have fashioned interesting ways to execute the ultimate, maximum punishment for those who attracted such penalties.
Then the (western) world decided to be civilized. The thinking was, even lawfully, we should not kill (even) murderers as they have killed others. We become as they are and there is no guarantee that when potential killers see legal killings they are actually deterred from wrongdoing. Politics, religion, morality, ethics, human rights were all combined as various societies grappled with whether their judicial and penal systems should lawfully execute convicted killers, even those guilty of heinous war crimes. Opinions and policy still vary across the global spectrum. Suddenly, in numerous nations, there was born the realization that the Death Penalty was inhuman. Let the convicted killers live!
Islamic and Hindu States, much of Africa still retain Capital Punishment on their books, but implementation varies. China has very rigid Death Penalty laws and rates of execution. So what’s happening in good/bad old Guyana?
Civilised Guyana, rampant killers
Because Guyana has signed on to the appropriate conventions prohibiting Capital Punishment, Convicted Killers have been kept on our prison’s dubious Death Row for excessively long periods.
Now those delays, I’m informed, impinge on the human rights of these convicted murderers! Yes, they murdered innocent citizens but the State dares not inconvenience them on Death Row. So a few days ago we witnessed the growing recent trend: Chief Justice commuting the Death Sentence of a self-confessed, convicted murderer to life in jail – with food, medicine and recreation. He had drowned two children and slit the throat of a third. His God and our State have exercised mercy on his redeemed soul. He lives. After taking three little innocent lives. Poor fellow. He was probably “temporarily insane” at the time. He lives to be treated.
Frankly Speaking, our own bandit – murderers and wife-killers can now merrily take lives, knowing they’ll live! Discuss…
On pardons, paroles and compassion
And have you been made aware of the fact that our esteemed parole board, headed by a retired judge who is now a man of the cloth, is seemingly, right now, grappling with the issue of whether to release “long-serving” Death Row murderers?
Frankly Speaking, I’m putting my confidence in my Public Security Minister, Vice President Ramjattan. I
feel that, after all the reviews and recommendations, his own legalistic background and his compassion for the victim’s loved ones will prevail. Let the convicted murderers remain isolated; (he’ll probably repeat: let them haul they ass”.)
I won’t expect President Granger to say publicly that the police should defensively shoot to kill. Not at all! But he knows all about police under attack in “combat situations”. And I suspect that before his next batch of “compassionate pardons”, he’ll put rehabilitation/employment structures in place.
“Inspirational” Bill-Boards
For years I’ve wanted to see a certain simple feature, nationally. So I trust that the much-vaunted Fiftieth Anniversary Commission/Committee will implement the following: erect massive tastefully-conceived billboards with approved photographic images proclaiming messages like: “Welcome to Guyana – the home of Clive Lloyd”; You’re in Guyana – the birth place of Eddy Grant”; “This is Guyana – home of Sir Shridath Ramphal”; “Enjoy Guyana and Cricket – and Shivnarine Chanderpaul”; Welcome to the birthplace of Dame Amos”.
You get the drift? Then, in the context of our Clean–and-Green thrust, “boards” like “You’re in Lodge, let it remain clean”, “Welcome to Enmore, keep it clean and secure”. Okay?
‘Til next week
