this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 113 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's a nice sentiment, but..

This was premeditated. She needs to be held accountable and have consequences for what she willfully and knowingly did.

She literally killed people. I'm not sure this can be a case of "forgive and let her off lightly."

[–] [email protected] 53 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I don’t think he's saying she shouldn't be accountable and face consequences. He's said he didn't want her to spend life in jail. That's going to be pretty radical for a lot of folks.

Some people are going to think that life in prison or the death penalty should be the minimum consequence. Others are going to think that even a monster like this can repent, change and (unlike her victims) be allowed to live free eventually.

Edit. Yikes. Important typo. “Don’t”

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

That's fair, and I get it. To me, that's absolutely radical, especially if it was my child who was harmed.

I personally have just learned from experience that people who get off easy are likely to continue on the path of destructive behavior.

I'm not necessarily calling for her death or anything.. but the punishment needs to fit the crime. Two lives are permanently gone from this world because of the careless and stupid choices she made.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I personally have just learned from experience that people who get off easy are likely to continue on the path of destructive behavior.

Likewise, although my experience is with a racist idiot on a Discord server who I was far too lenient with.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, absolutely. The internet adds the layer of anonymity, too, so that certainly doesn't help.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

And if that horse is being hateful and violent on top of that, it's a lost cause.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I would agree, but I’d argue that that’s because our current system doesn’t actually rehabilitate people, and solely exists to punish people. Which solves practically nothing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's fair. Still, though, something is needed.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For me, it's not about whether or not she can change and repent. I'm all for prison reforms that make prison safe and offer inmates opportunities for growth and self-improvement while they serve their sentences, but I think punishments need to fit crimes and this girl intentionally killed two other people. I think a sentence of 15 years to life is actually a bit lenient (I'm used to 25 years to life being the standard for premeditated murder). I don't think she should mandatorily have to spend her entire life in prison, but I also don't think she should get to enjoy even fraction of the life she robbed those two boys of. Ideally, with good behavior, I'd like to see her get out at 45-50 years of age. She would still have a few decades left, but the prime of her life would be gone—no career, no kids. That seems fair to me.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

And yet on the same turn, if the father was calling for the death penalty or even a lengthy prison sentence, you all would be admonishing the fact that he even got a say and stating this is why justice systems shouldn't be about satisfying the victim at all.

The hypocrisy is really blatant and self-serving. Should people be punished for their crimes or not? If yes, then you need to support predetermined sentences for crimes that apply equally across all cases, including this one. If no, then you don't really believe in justice or government, but something much more insidious.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

you all would be admonishing the fact that he even got a say and stating this is why justice systems shouldn't be about satisfying the victim at all.

Ya know, I've never seen anyone say that about the victim in instances like the one you describe.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

I have, on Reddit, many a time. They often do it to oppose the death penalty or opposing punishing anyone for crimes. It's cheap enabling and apologia for all kinds of horrific shit wrapped in a neat little package.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's a middle ground between life in prison and just a slap on the wrist

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I agree. 15 years is hardly "life" in prison, though. I think it's more than fair.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

People change. They get better. The guy who shot Reagan got better, and they let him out. Now he writes love songs and posts them on YouTube, and sells his paintings on eBay.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The guy who shot Reagan was already better. /S

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago

Better if he'd hit the goddamn range once or twice...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

15 years seems like a perfectly adequate amount of time for that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I agree that there should be time served, and a significant amount of it. I'm okay with 15 years. This person needs to be set aside from society while we determine if we can help them and, if we can, to do it.

I'd like to know how we arrived at 15 years, though. Would 10 not be enough? If the court had suggested 20 I don't think either of us would have said "But surely it can be done in 15." It feels right but it looks kinda arbitrary and that's interesting to me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Oh it's completely arbitrary. The only way I can think of making it non arbitrary would be a very long study to see how long was necessary for people to genuinely rehabilitate, but even then, it would be based on their own arbitrary sentences.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does "15 years to life" mean anything? Or is it just "15 years"?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Means there's a chance they get out on parole at 15 years. So they may end up with a life sentence if not approved, but regardless, she is serving 15 years.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

On one hand, yes.

On the other hand, 17+15 is 32. Think of all of the things you do to get your life started between 17 and 32 and where you'd be if you'd waited to do the stuff you did at 17 until you were 32. That's a whole lot of life and life experience there.

Such a stupid senseless waste all around.