I am normally quite fair minded but something happened in England in May this year that was quite shocking. An army fusilier called Lee Rigby was walking on the street near his barracks when two men drove a car at him from behind and then as he lay injured attacked him with knives, attempting to decapitate him. They had had no prior disagreement and were strangers. Michael Adebolago and Michael Adebolawe are standing trial for Lee Rigby's murder. It all happened in broad daylight near a primary school. A class of schoolchildren were returning from a visit to the library and had to be taken into a nearby building to prevent them seeing the men with their hands soaked in blood and traffic stopped. The two Michael's were shot by police marksmen, but not fatally, as they threatened to attack other members of the police.
The severe nature of the barbaric death of the unfortunate victim and the attitude of the killers in their justification of his murder has led me to think that in some cases capital punishment might be justified.
Not quite on this level but equally shocking was the news this week that the Lost Prophets singer Ian Watkins pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually abuse a baby and 10 other charges. I see news stories like this and I think its disgraceful. When the figure is famous and the idol of young people it is more shocking. I hope his eventual punishment is just and harsh but I suspect he has changed his plea to guilty in the hope that his sentence is lighter.
Two horrible evils when we really should be celebrating the beginning of the festive season. It hasn't been the best of starts to the season, especially with the news from Glasgow's helicopter crash on Friday as well.
2 comments:
It can be so discouraging to realize that there is such depravity in the world. I know we shouldn't pretend these things don't happen, but sometimes I really want to.
I too despair at the world sometimes. It's hard to fathom the human race.
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