-For someone who “abducted, molested, and murdered a fourth grade girl” a tattoo just doesn’t seem all that bad.
Scarlet letter?
Perhaps you could recommend something for me? Because I, like all who disagree with you on this topic, am completely unfamiliar with all such areas of study.
Yes, we do. Please note that I would not consider this good law, and I do support punishment for vigilantes. I simply observe that this does seem like a fitting punishment, and I suspect a lot of normally law-abiding people would show much less restraint in a similar situation.
Everyone reads those, of course
And kudos to you as well, for reminding us that it is not nice to refrain from feeling bad when a child murderer has something bad happen to him.
And that is a good thing. It doesnt mean we have to get our panties in a bunch because someone took revenge on the man who killed his cousin in a fashion much less brutal than others would choose to, and others dont show what you consider to be the proper degree of indignation about it.
The douchebag made a choice to give up his rights to ethics and morality when he kidnapped, raped, and killed a 12 yeard old girl.
The death penalty doesn’t strike you as a form of maiming?
I should probably specify that I dont consider "appropriate" to be equivalent to "good legal practice." For example, I am against the death penalty not because I consider it a moral wrong, but because there is too much chance of killing yet another innocent that way. I am against making branding a legal punishment for the same reason. Branding someone who isnt thoroughly depraved would be evil. Tattooing this man…again, the tattooer should be punished, perhaps severely, but I think his actions are understandable, and I think the tattooee should be considered to have offered extreme provocation.
Not quite as effective though.
I think what he did was entirely appropriate. Maybe not laudable, but I have a hard time feeling bad about it. And no, it doesn’t make me “inhuman.” A trifle uncivilized, perhaps, but I can live with that. I’m uncivilized in more than that minor little way. Doesn’t bother me.
It does occur, tome, however, that the repercussions of this ad hoc artwork might have the effect of being, in an environment like a prison, something like a reverse Mark of Cain. Instead of guaranteeing that the bearer will be immune to physical harm, it will have exactly the opposite effect.
I can live with that, too.
Sheesh, what a mess.
Eh, I thought about that too and it kind of bothered me a bit. A lot of inmates have very strange ethical standards and feel perfectly justified in torturing and murdering people they believe to be “monsters.”
Normally I would abhor vigalante justice, but I cannot get too worked up about this case. The guy pled guilty to the crime and was already incarcerated. The cousin could have just as easily murdered or mutilitated him, but instead marked him with a scarlet letter. If it was state sanctioned, it would be unreasonable; but for a family member it is understandable though just slightly less than reprehensible.
On the next episode of Miami Ink, the prisoner asks the staff to come up with a wicked awesome cover-up tattoo.
A triumph the Dope ought to be proud of.
I understand the point about how the legal system can’t condone things like this because encouraging vigilanteeism could be a slippery slope…but on an individual level I think we can all understand why the tattoo artist did it. I don’t think it’s surprising that some of us approve of the tattoo while admitting it would not make a good legal precedent. It’s sort of comparable to how this culture celebrates the folklore of Robin Hood without actually condoning the idea that stealing in general is acceptable.
People who don’t empathize with the child killer are lacking in humanity? Well, I think it is very human to have some strong, knee-jerk emotions about the topic of children being hurt or killed, and to have an emotional impulse to desire revenge in such cases. I’ve often cried for the child after hearing about a horrible case of child molestation or child killing, so I’m afraid I simply don’t have any tears left for the perpetrators.
Interesting assertion. I have yet to see that in US law.
Personally, I’m against the death penalty. It is not a form of maiming, though. The person executed is not forced to live out his life minus parts of his body removed without his consent or with whip scars or other tattoos applied. This is irrelevant in this case as the victim of the vigilante was not sentenced to death. He is serving a life sentence.
So, y’all who think the criminal who tattooed the other criminal did a good thing, I’ve a question for you.
The tattooist was serving time for armed robbery, wasn’t he? What tattoo should he have carved into his forehead? He, after all, is also a violent felon?
Will the murderer sue the prison to cover the cost of surgery to remove the tattoo, I wonder…
It shouldn’t cost the victim anything for the removal. Now, the prison medical facility may have a case, IMHO, of getting the prisoner who attacked him to pay restitution for the costs.
Same thing I was thinking - should have done it backwards so the bastard could plainly read it every time he looked in the mirror
My mother works in the prison system as an officer and from what I’ve heard; I really cannot support what this guy has done. I understand why he would do it and I’m sure the victim (the tattooed) is grateful that’s all he’s done to him but life in prison is damn hard.
Prisoners don’t need the extra punishment from other prisoners for what they’ve done - serious offenders who are at risk (mainly pedophiles and child killers are called ‘high risk’) of being attacked by other prisoners are kept in solitary and exercised at different hours to other inmates and live a fairly miserable life. They are completely alone 23/24 hours a day. They might have a TV but it’s unlikely since usually as the TVs are bought with money they earn from working for the prison’s industry (for example, here in Australia, the prisons specialise - one of the women’s prisons only makes the teal jumpsuits, another makes the shoes and so on) and they, of course, are unable to enter the workshop with other prisoners.
It doesn’t seem that this guy was isolated, the American prisons do work differently to Australian ones. After this though, he will probably be put into solitary for his own protection, which is basically punishment for him, no matter what the other guy gets. All they may do for this guy is take away his visiting rights for a few months or his phone access or at the other end; put him into solitary for a few months. Which is the worst.
I can see where the criminal mind would think this a fitting punishment, but civilized human beings should be appalled by it. I’m certain he’ll be getting that removed shortly. On the state’s dime, and rightly so.
VIOLENT THIEF sounds good.