I saw a report earlier that Charles Manson had died. I can't find it now, but all other reports say that he's near death in a hospital in California. Either way, it's probably instructive to dwell for a moment on the life and career of Charles Manson.
That's long enough. He's better forgotten. He should have died years ago.
In my mind, Charles Manson is the best argument yet put forward for the death sentence. The majority of his life was spent in a prison cell. Over several decades all he managed to do was eat and defecate. He cost the taxpayers of California millions of dollars in housing, food, medical care and prison salaries. A strong scaffold and a short rope would have been much more cost effective.
I've heard all the arguments. None of them ring true. Charles Manson's life was a complete and total waste. That in itself is not a crime, lots of people live wasted lives. In this particular case, he combined a wasted life with unrepentant evil. Entire encyclopedia, dissertations, legal arguments, humanist objections, have been written on the evils of the death penalty, but Manson is the exception that laughs in the face of the rule.
The good people of California would have been much better off if they would have just put Charlie down several decades ago.
UPDATE** Here's the link.
7 comments:
AMF
There is a time and place for everything. We put down predators like canines, bears, and big cats that become an endangerment to society. Why not humans that have become predators?
It's SCOTUS's fault that he's still alive. He was sentenced to death in 1971, but when SCOTUS declared the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972, his sentence became life without parole.
Thanks Major D for the update. Very glad and gratified to see that AT LAST this waste of oxygen and resources has gone to meet his Maker, who will assuredly judge him far better than we possibly ever could.
Good riddance, MANY years too late...
I'll agree completely that Manson should have expired many years previously, but under different circumstances.
I've seen enough incompetence, sloppiness, corruption and just plain simple mistakes in the criminal justice system that I can no longer support government-administered death penalty; that degree of finality should never be entrusted to what is, essentially, a committee.
I am however, fully supportive of, and in fact encourage, the application of the death penalty at the scene of the crime by the intended victim. The victim is unlikely to mistake the Bad Guy for a person of similar height with a similar moustache, or whatever, because the victim is directly involved; no fingerprints or DNA test is required to determine who the person attacking you is.
I can't say the same for investigative officers, no matter how good they are, or prosecutors or judges far removed from the event.
I will neither rejoice in his death, nor will I mourn his passing.
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