If
a man strikes another with an iron object so that the man dies, he is a
murderer, and he shall be put to death (Numbers 35 v.16).
Regularly
now, it seems as though instead of murder being an unusual crime as it once
was, a time when a murder would be national news and Police would be supported
by other Forces, it has become almost a daily crime which is glossed over in
news bulletins. It is not glossed over by parents when a young man,
even boy, is stabbed to death, or a young woman found dead in some field or
water. London has become a crime ridden place, exceeding what was usually
pictured as happening in New York or Chicago. I can’t imagine the stress there
will be on the senior Police Officers facing such a load of murders to be
solved when each case requires much attention. The Mayor and civil authorities
seem more concerned about environmental talk and gay pride marches than crime.
This
has inevitably caused much comment as to whether police officers generally
should all be armed, and whether capital punishment be introduced for the
murder of a police officer.
I
think most people, including those in the Police service, would not
particularly favour arming police as a matter of course, but the issue of
capital punishment is a different matter. If a poll was conducted
throughout the country it would show that the vast majority of the population
would vote for such legislation, not only for police officers, but for murder.
When
such a suggestion is made there is an immediate outcry from those who are never
likely to venture out alone in any unruly area of the country, especially at
night, and would do all they could to stay far away from any display of
violence. The Members of Parliament, who are always calling for
independent enquiries into every subject imaginable, reject any discussion on
bringing back capital punishment.
There
was a time when a murder was considered to be of such seriousness that it was
headline news for days. Now murder is such a common crime that it is
often just another item on middle pages of the press. I state quite
rationally that I doubt if a week goes past without it being reported (briefly)
that a body has been found of a young man/woman, followed later by news of an
arrest. Despite this being so, we are told the number of murders has
decreased. If anyone seriously believes this, they are not facing
reality.
It
is all very well for such liberal minded people sitting comfortably in safe
surroundings to be telling us how awful it is to suggest capital punishment,
but if they had witnessed the tragedy of parents finding a policemen suddenly
knocking on their door to tell them their daughter had been found strangled
lying on a grass cliff; or returning home to find their teenage daughter lying
with her head cut open having been struck with a steel bar; or young son
stabbed to death for no reason; and then to experience the
frustration of seeing the perpetrator told they must serve at least ten years
in prison, they would enter the real world.
I
once took part in a debate with a Methodist Minister at a Church hall when he
said, amongst other things, that it was un-Christian to support capital
punishment. I stated, and still do, that it is because I am a Christian that I
am in favour of such punishment. A little reading (and acceptance) of the Bible
would support such a view, which is clear and unequivocal.
I
am quite well aware the verse quoted is in the Old Testament, but Jesus said,
'do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to
abolish them but to fulfil them' ( Matthew 5 v.7)
If
the thugs who go out committing crime armed with guns knew that they faced the
death penalty, there would be a different outcome. I have heard all
the arguments about wrongful convictions due to faulty evidence and police
fixing. The science into DNA research has proved most reliable into
the establishment of fact, and I do not accept that police would deliberately
give false evidence in such a serious case, especially knowing what a guilty
sentence would mean. Added to this is the Home Secretary has the
authority to make a final decision.
When
capital punishment was abandoned, the day afterwards policemen were shot dead
in London. The then Home Secretary, although probably the worst
the country has had, just shrugged it off when questioned. However,
part of the agreement was that the alternative would be life imprisonment. Now
there is very little chance of a person being sentenced to life. Regularly
we read a person so convicted is told they ‘are sentenced to life imprisonment
and must serve at least ?? years, (small numbers) before release.’ The
person who died had no reprieve, and their relations were left with a real life
sentence.
When
ever a suggestion is made that the public should be consulted as to whether to implement
capital punishment, the politicians close ranks and express horror at the
thought. They obviously recognise the
result.
It
is time they faced facts and exercised some responsibility.
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