‘The law’ may be served, but justice certainly isn’t

I guess I need this one explained to me.

The reason we’re releasing child-killers early here in Washington.

Apparently, it’s because of recent rulings having to do with “intent” and the fact that assault cannot be the basis for a murder charge when death wasn’t intended.

Might take a while for me to understand, but I suppose I’d come to it.

That is, I’d come to understand the law.

Were we discussing justice, however, I’m afraid I’d never understand it. Not with all the explaining in the world. That’s because I’m not hard wired for “understanding” an adult who harms or kills a child.

And, even if I came to understand this law, I’m afraid I’d still hear echoes of Mr. Brumble in “Oliver Twist” saying: “If the law supposes that, then the law is a ass, a idiot!”

You see, when I read about a 3-year-old who was scalded, had a hair drier used on him, and died from a blow to the head, I don’t get weepy-eyed for the individual who did it.

When I read about a 6-week-old shaken to death because someone couldn’t stand the crying, sympathy for the adult is not my normal response.

When I read about a 2-year-old being kicked repeatedly, I don’t spend a lot of time asking myself if there was something bothering the kicker.

Instead, I think about the kids. I think about the ones who were looking for nothing more than warmth and food and a bit of care.

I think about the ones who were too young to crawl – let alone walk – to get something for themselves. Who were too young to explain why they were crying or fussy.

I think about the ones whose arms went up wanting and expecting to be held and, instead, were met by rage and violence.

We’re the adults here and, as adults, we get to make choices. Most adults choose to go through life without hurting others.

Unfortunately, there are others who make different choices and, sometimes, it’s the kids who reap the consequences.

Angry?

Fine. Go outside and chop wood, pound nails into a board, rip books in half. Whatever. But don’t hurt a child.

Frustrated?

Listen to some music. Take a shower. Walk around the block. Curl up into the fetal position and cry your heart out. But don’t hurt a child.

Miserable at your lot in life?

Do something about it. Change jobs. Go back to school. Learn a different trade. Start a business. But don’t hurt a child.

Frustration, impatience, and anger are part of being a parent. What real parents do when things get tough, though, is deal with it. What they do not do is injure or kill a child. Because that’s a choice too. A terrible one. And the consequences for such an act should be severe.

So, if we’re talking about law, I guess such individuals will now go free. They will have “paid their debt to society” and will, once again, be allowed to walk amidst us.

The law has decided that the things these individuals did and the time they served are now in balance. The scales are supposedly level.

I’m glad the lady holding those scales is blindfolded. Were she not, she’d likely take one look at the situation and get sick to her stomach.

Makes you wonder if those who had a hand in making this ruling – the ones who sat down for whatever time it took to decide that we weren’t treating killers fairly – ever stopped to think about the last moments of these kids and the consequences of such rulings?

It doesn’t matter now because the rulings have come down, our system is responding, and there doesn’t seem to be much that local prosecutors can do about it all. I guess what we’re doing now in freeing these people is, in fact, the law. However, it certainly doesn’t seem to be justice.

For my part, if every child-killer were required to serve out their original sentence, if they’d been stuck in jail for all those years to contemplate what they’d done, I wouldn’t have lost a moment’s sleep. Their ticket to Hell was bought and paid for when they hurt, maimed or killed a child.

Yeah, I know. I’m being insensitive and uncaring and sorely lacking in compassion.

Unfortunately, just now, the needle on my “compassion for child-killers” gauge is stuck well below empty.

I ran that tank dry thinking about some terrified child’s last moments on Earth.

Mr. Brumble, I believe, had it right.

“The law is a ass.”

Larry Simoneaux lives in Edmonds. Comments can be sent to larrysim@att.net.