I'm pretty sure everyone has heard judges and journalists talk about how rapists and murders are excellent students and have "excellent" futures ahead of them. The thing is, anyone could have an excellent future ahead of them, even if their grades suck, even if they come from a poor family, even if they seem like a juvenile delinquent. You can't know what people's futures will be, unless they become a felon and go to jail, because everyone knows the prejudice that an ex-convict goes through after they are released.
What I'm talking about is a rather common situation that came to my attention watching a Phillip DeFranco vid I happened to click on to see what the hell he was even talking about.
The story is near the end, so you'll have to either skip to around 9:30 or watch a bunch of other stories.
While the judge should probably consider his words, and that perhaps everyone's lives are seriously altered by crime and punishment, what he said is not exactly uncommon. He is basically saying that those of privileged and economic status deserve more leniency.
What about young black men? What about young women? What about the victims, dragged through the mud, facing the accused, having the courage to go through all of this after they were attacked, raped, humiliated, they put themselves in the limelight, for the public to judge them.
I feel sorry for everyone that goes through this. None of them will ever be the same. While some that perpetrate some crimes are absolutely horrible people...some just people that made mistakes. Not speaking of this case in particular...this kid actually might be a sociopath. There are people that get into bad situations and decide to rob a store because they are desperate, or they take an illegal drug because it makes them feel good, or whatever, and get too far into it, start selling to support it, whatever. Then they get caught, arrested, publicly shamed, and if convicted, may have to put on every job application that they are a convicted felon. They will be judged by everyone for years after they committed that crime.
Of course, people you know today do drugs, steal shit, possibly even have raped someone before, and you may or may not know. Those people will not face the same judgement that those that have been caught and convicted. It's likely that people that know them even actively defend them. Perhaps until they are caught and convicted...perhaps even after.
There are all sorts of people out there that have committed crimes. I think they should perhaps work towards making reparations for their crimes...but whether or not they should have their future ruined for their crimes is a complicated subject. If someone comes from a "good family", a rich family, a WHITE family, that is not reason they shouldn't receive punishment for their crimes. Rather, the fact that crime and punishment ruins lives should be addressed.
When someone commits a crime, they should acknowledge that what they did was wrong, work towards trying to make what they did right, receive counseling if necessary, and be humanely treated.
Our criminal "justice" system isn't about intelligently dealing with criminals and their crimes though...it's about sticking them in concrete boxes with no rights and nothing that might let them enjoy even a moment of their life, with other criminals, endangering their lives due to the realities of the jail systems, as some stupid attempt to discourage crime. And yet America has more people in jails than any other country in the world. It's not even working.
In regards to the person whose crime spurred this post...I have no doubt that the environment of his school and life caused his sociopathic tendencies. He went to a party with kids who did questionable actions, then raped a girl, filmed it, and spread the video. When asked to delete the video, he refused. He had no remorse at that time. He didn't care that his actions were hurting this girl. If he had felt any remorse, it likely would not have gone to court, from what I know of the situation. This kid needs counseling. I don't know why treating him like an adult would be beneficial. So then he goes to jail, ends up having to be put in solitary to protect him, and likely is even further fucked up? He should be put in a facility with counseling until he's 18. Losing a bit less than 2 years of his life, and getting counseling to perhaps deal with his issues, is probably the best that the current system can do.
Adults often only get a few months or a year or two for rape. The difference is that jails aren't made to deal with juveniles.
Crime and punishment does ruin lives...we need to start dealing with that fact, not letting people off who supposedly have bright futures ahead of them, after they just committed possibly horrendous crimes.
