This is so American. From the availability of firearms, to their immediate use upon a perceived threat, to the economic situation that would have him evicted, to the insane sentence of 100 years for a 66 year old who needs an oxygen tank. Just sad all around.
I don't think 100 years is insane, it's life without parol without actually saying it. He shot two people tried to shoot another and actually killed the youngest.
Other countries don't follow the punitive approach to criminal law, but rather a reformative. With the facts we are presented with it actually seems more like a failure of society instead of just one man. The sentence is absolutely ridiculous.
Well an arguement could be made that he's not going to do it again.
Think about the distinction between a contract killer and somebody who committed a crime of passion. Are both of those people equally likely to reoffend?
If the objective is to either reform someone or simply remove a threat from society then both cases require different approaches.
I've never thought anything over 10 years was appropriate to a once-in-a-lifetime type of crime of passion. It's enough time for a decent remediation process to prevent a repeat offense OR prove a certainty that the person cannot be trusted free due to mental issues and put them in a permanent non-punitive form of imprisonment.
In his case, if he didn't have access to firearms, he wouldn't be able to kill anyone. Sounds like he needs specialized assisted living, like the old guy who held himself hostage with a shotgun the next town over from me
Nobody can mistake that the 100 years isn't for the good of society, but to punish him for taking a life.
An argument could be made, sure, but I don’t think it would be effective. If a person has the capacity to willingly murder their family members over an issue of eviction, then I don’t know how much capacity for reform they have. They pose an imminent and ongoing danger to anyone near them; an unacceptable level of risk in a tolerant society.
Beyond that concept, there’s very little (if any) benefit to society to reforming and releasing this man. Any work that would need to be done to ensure this man could never kill again would take a considerable amount of time. He’s already 66 - let’s say it only takes four years (somehow), then he’ll be released when he’s 70. He already has health complications which likely put his life expectancy well below average, meaning his death is probably impending in the next decade - probably sooner based on substandard penal medical care.
Trying to reform this man is like trying to keep a 21 year old dog alive - sure you can do it, and you’ll probably feel better about yourself if you do, but there’s no real benefit to the dog or society at large. He should have just been handed life without parole instead of 100 years - that seems like a sentence that could be appealed due to the silly nature of how long it is.
Just want to point out that in Canada the stats are extremely clear, murderers are the convicts that are the least likely to commit the same crime that got them convicted again if they get released. Obviously there's a panel to decide if they're ready to come out and some of them never will, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be given the tools to reform themselves.
His statements don't read much as a remorseless monster. He should do his time, but there are plenty out there who don't give a shit what they've done and will either deny it to the end or else outright say they feel no guilt or remorse.
What the hell are you going to reform in a 66 year old man who needs an oxygen tank? Who made the choice to kill children?
I don't want to reform someone like that, I want them removed from society and if you cared you'd feel the same way. If you kill children, you lose your membership in society, period. Just throw the key away on him, and if you want to argue about it, go be his bunkmate.
Europe has lower crime rates because of fewer guns, not because of some enlightened prison system. Crime is created by need and opportunity. Punishment barely does anything and rehabilitation doesn't solve the root cause of crime.
My first thought upon seeing that mugshot was that a lawyer might be playing up health issues for sympathy. That's how American this is. Source: American. Sorry, USA. The rest of the continents do not deserve our shit reputation, problems aside.