On 'compassionate grounds'. This would seem to be the logical extension of this piece of nonsense from our so-called Justice Secretary Jack Straw. Not to mention this other piece of nonsense, involving the convicted Libyan Pan-Am bomber, currently serving his prison sentence in Scotland.
So far as I am concerned both should continue to serve their sentences in prison or in a hospital prison ward (and in the case of al-Megrahi that should continue to be in Scotland) and their apparent imminent deaths should not be of any special interest or consideration. The answer to the question I pose in the title to this piece should of course be 'No'.
Blogging from the Highlands of Scotland
'From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step' - Diderot
Thursday, 6 August 2009
5 comments:
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Biggs's son claimed his father had, "served his time". Huh? In Mexico, Australia and Brazil mostly. That said it had got a bit Rudolph Hess.
ReplyDeleteHe's hardly served five minutes of his 30-year sentence and from what I gather he came back only because he had run out of money and was unwell. He should be grateful he has been treated in a hospital prison ward at our epxense. As for the son ... words fail me.
ReplyDeleteI'd allow even Hitler to crawl away to die. Compassion raises us above the animal.
ReplyDeleteOuch. Normally I'm pretty liberal, but I'm afraid in this case my liberality is in short supply. As for Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and a whole string of other vicious criminals and crackpots who have blighted human history I flatly disagree!
ReplyDelete@James Higham
ReplyDelete"Compassion raises us above the animal." Nothing raises us above animals, for we are in fact animals! That's not a thing to be ashamed of. Other animals have been shown to have compassion too.
We are compassionate towards our criminals by not executing them or beating them. That is as far as compassion should go towards those who don't show compassion at all. Treating them with dignity but not forgetting the crimes they committed. Biggs showed his lack of compassion by not only committing a crime but fleeing justice for decades.
We should encourage reduced sentences for "good behaviour". Given Biggs "bad behaviour", I see no grounds for this release.