Part 11 d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms indicates that every Canadian citizen "has the right upon arrest or detention to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal" I get that. And this week's sitdown is not an argument to discuss our fundamental rights and freedoms as Canadians. Since we are entitled to such a thing, it becomes a democratic system; a country built on the idea of equality and fairness for every walk of life, no matter colour, creed or religious belief. I also get that. However, in a cold blooded murder, it's the possibility that a maximum sentence could be a 25 year imprisonment and in some circumstances, WITH, the possibility of parole. This is what I don't get.
I believe in justice and rightfully so, taking media studies in school along with law and the media classes really opened my eyes to this so called justice system we live under. I've always found it interesting to watch as lawyers do their fancy footwork in severe cases and murder trials, when the accused really have their back up against the wall and really have no other option but to throw on the zebra coloured jumpsuits. So they do their best to plead their case "Your Honour my client has been declared clinically insane," "Your Honour, this man comes from a broken home and broken life and his crime was not his fault because of his mental capacity" "Your Honour, this crime was in self defense," and the list goes on and on. Plead guilty and you can lessen the sentence, admit you made a mistake and better yourself in the process. Now I can't speak from experience or from the side of a "born-again-inmate" but something is clearly wrong with this justice system when the death penalty is not the ONE AND ONLY option if you are proven guilty of taking someones last breath of air, in a court of law by an independent and impartial tribunal. This system really gets under my skin. Remember the days when people were hung from the highest tower in the centre of the town? When the barbaric humans would have a public stoning to the death? When the death penalty WAS still instituted across the globe? Even lethal injection?
Not to be stereotypical, but it seems to me that this is the current day scenario for the bloodiest crimes and horrifying acts: "25 years in prison with the possibility of parole in lets saaaaayyyyy 15 years. Until then, we will use the taxpayers dollars to put you up in a facility where you can slum it with the other inmates, and correct yourself through the ways of the Lord, or heck even get a certified education or degree, on the house. We will provide the books and the meals, just as long as you try to make up for what you did. Just don't screw this up." I want to say that I'm over exaggerating. I want to say that some part of that scenario is a far fetched crazy and clearly ridiculous situation. I want to say that, but I can't.
We are taught from a very early age the dangers of doing bad things. Don't touch guns, don't pick up knives and don't run with scissors cover the essentials. It's ingrained in us to not have a killer instinct, to not have the desire to take another person's life. The thing that I find injustice about our justice system is this. Put yourself in a situation where god forbid, someone you love with all your heart is murdered and the killer is never brought to trial for what he or she did, the evidence is inconclusive or whatever the case may be. Fast forward a year later, and let's say you're 25. You have found the killer. You have a gun to the temple of the person you know killed your loved one. You pull the trigger and you find your own justice. Coming before the court, you get slapped with a maximum sentence and the ability for parole in 15 years. So you've decided, well might as well educate myself while I'm in here. You get your degree, FREE OF CHARGE, and re-enter society 15 years later at the age of 40, educated, relieved and ready to start the next 40 years of your life. So many people struggle day to day with their finances, how am I going to pay for school, how am I going to educate myself, how am I going to make it and be a provider one day for myself and maybe a family? But wait, you're telling me that if I have beef with someone, I could just kill them, and not have to constantly struggle with University or College finances, the eternal struggle that people face everyday just to "make it", and the appealing possibility that I might even get parole if I prove that I have "changed" while getting justice and a peace of mind for doing the "right thing?" Give yourself those two options and honestly answer this: which one would you choose? Going into jail knowing that you could get out or struggle from the start only to maybe find your true happiness? Please, don't get me wrong here, this is not an advertisement for a murder campaign, to me that is not the answer. But just think about it, put yourself in that worst case scenario and really think about "what is my option at this point?"
For now, the Canadian justice system is seriously flawed in my opinion, even in the most petty of crimes. I get a speeding ticket where I am clearly guilty, but I might not have to pay the fine? The so called "SET" fine? Where does the line of justice begin and the line of injustice end? Where do we go with our mistakes and what do we learn from them? If you are a creature of habit, you just do what feels natural anyway, unless you put yourself in a dark and destitute place of immoral wrong doings to which you get some sort of sick thrill from it all. Then, does being bad become good? What if you were like the TV character Dexter and took your hate out on all the villains of society that are never brought to justice...is what he does by murdering these "low life's" of society constitute as justice?
For once in your life, put yourself on the top bench, and you be the judge. Ask yourself, how would you fight injustice? Do you sit back and watch, or does resistance become your duty? Think about it...just this once, because...you never know.
No comments:
Post a Comment