Sirhans sentence was modified by a court decision so the life without parole option wasnt on the table.
And then we can all look up into his lifeless eyes and wave.
He isn’t actually a US citizen, parole him and immediately deport him. let them pay for taking care of him in his dotage.
I can support that. I worry a little that he will be welcomed as some hero in some countries.
He would already be considered a hero there anyway, let them pay for his support. I know how much it costs to keep a healthy person in the slammer, he is geriatric and has different health needs that put the cost up above that. Why should we pay for keeping him around [I would have been fine with executing him way back then to be honest. It isn’t like there is any doubt he did it.]
I’m not looking for vengeance and I doubt the difference between “life in prison” and “paroled at 77” would make much difference to someone contemplating a political assassination - their motives will be zealotry and/or a desire for notoriety; the nature of the eventual punishment is unlikely to have a deterrent effect.
Nonetheless, I would oppose freeing him for symbolic reasons. Political assassination is a truly heinous crime and one that remains in the public eye for decades (as the fact we are now talking about this proves). As a society we should eternally condemn what he did. I don’t believe in the death penalty, so life in prison it is.
Where is “there”? Most Arab-majority countries are pretty friendly with the US, so I’m curious to know where in particular you think he will be given a hero’s welcome.
You confuse Arab governments with the local populations.
RFK’s assassination cast a pall over my graduation from high school. His death broke my heart which was just beginning to heal from JFK’s death. Hope was dashed and nothing was ever quite the same. I think a political assassination kills more than the person and calls for life without parole. Hospice care can be provided in prison when appropriate.
I would let him rot. The only reason I might release him is to let him face the rigors of old age without government health care.
I tend to think that we should kick him out of jail. As a non-citizen, he’s not eligible for food stamps or free Medical and will only be eligible for emergency medical treatment to stabilize, not cure.
He’s an old man with health issues and no money. Let him live in the America he helped create. If he chooses to leave the country, good. Let another country pay to feed him for the rest of his life.
Why do some people argue that political murder is worse than “normal” murder?
Apart from that, people change, even murderers, so if he has changed in prison, let him be paroled, especially after such a long time.
Because political murder can change history (Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria - Wikipedia) and unlike a ‘normal’ murder which affects only a few people a political murder can affect millions.
In the Netherlands, the assassin of Pim Fortuyn, leader of a Dutch right wing political party, has been released after 13 years in prison. The murderer of Theo van Gogh, however, got a life sentence without parole. Apparently it depends, at least with us.
That first nutter was at least slightly remorseful, the second whackadoo wasn’t at all - he would have happily done the same thing over and over and said as much in front of van Gogh’s mother in court. I think 13 years for a political assassination is way to light as well, but I can see why the two of them might have gotten disparate treatment. Mohammed Bouyeri did not come off as a shining example of a potentially salvageable citizen
True. He’s a muslim terrorist. Homegrown. He deserves to be where he is, IMHO.
If by “local populations” you mean that there is some (possibly tiny) segment of the population of a country that thinks Sirhan is a hero, well, that’s true of pretty much any country, including the USA. But if you meant that there are some Arab countries where the local populace in general would welcome Sirhan, in defiance of their government’s pro-American position, then I’d still be interested in hearing those countries named.
Who are these pro American Arab nations you refer to? Our alliances there are strategic at best. We share little political/cultural values with them. The governments in that part of the world are autocratic and the segments of the population see us as oppressors more than friends.
How about those regions where much of the local population celebrated the 9/11 attacks? That would include Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, probably Yemen, and most likely Afghanistan. The first group would be especially welcoming, since he was himself a Palestinian militant.
All of which is hopefully academic anyway as I don’t believe he should ever be released. I’m a big believer in the principle of rehabilitation but this is so far beyond that that it’s really irrelevant here.
Removed Sock Post
Welcome.
However, how much have you read about this assassination?
It seems to me the ultimate easily solved murder. Three professional journalists were close-in witnesses – two shot and wounded, plus George Plimpton helped the bodyguard bring Sirhan under control. Eyewitness testimony can have drawbacks, but in this case was unusually strong.
As for whether parole should be granted, I wouldn’t want to have to make the decision. 53 years is a very long time. On the other hand, in a democracy, shooting someone actively running for office has to be an aggravating factor. And Sirhan shot six people. Five attempted murders (beyond the completed murder) is another big aggravating factor for me…
If I was the governor, I would ask my aides to find out whether there is any realistic possibility that he would go abroad after release and be treated as a hero – whether by a government, or by a non-governmental outfit. If yes, that would decide me against release.