Day 23: Humane

Some otherwise advanced nations, such as the USA & Japan, brutishly execute criminals. This is wrong for assorted reasons. First, many of these people are being punished for horrific crimes: no right-minded person would do such things. Almost by definition these people are crazed, and their surrounding community shares some at least some responsibility. More importantly, we have the chance to be humane, to belatedly attempt somehow to make things right. Butchering the butchers is not a proper response, as there are surrounding family and friends (both of victim & perpetrator) then further brutalized. A peaceful community should care about its weakest, misguided or callous members. Perhaps they must be imprisoned, but the prison system need not be a chamber of horrors. We have the capacity to be humane, while still protecting our community. We should be humane. The possibility exists of people being unjustly convicted, and also of some who might make some form of restitution. I hope to live in a humane community.