Dream with me

A thought on Civil Liberties for Criminals

I'm back in T&P again. How long does it take this class to write a 250 word article on a planning application?

The thrilling life of a journalist. Yes, it's another assessment. Which means we're all re-writing this press release.

Thrilling.

Anyway, I got an email from James this morning. A petition to deny James Bulgers murderers new identities after they are released from prison. They were 12 or so when they murdered the toddler.

Now I would *never* condone their crime but I will also *never* sign a petition to deny them the chance at a normal life.

It's the same with Maxine Carr. All these idiots protest her being given a new identity *for her own protection.*

These are the same people who would happily lynch these criminals, I'd say.

Now yes, what those two boys did was very very wrong and evil but they were 12 for God's sake. How many of us can say we are still the same people now that we were when we were 12?

These boys have had to live with the guilt of what they did and will for the rest of their lives. Isn't it better to release them now - redeemed and as emotionally stable as can be expected of boys in their position - than to keep them locked up, associating with the very worst criminal kind this country has to offer?

Now maybe this is another example of my Bleeding-Heart-Libralism but I believe in humanitarian approaches to problems. For if we cannot respect the lives of others how can they be expected to respect our right to life?

All of the current problems the world faces stems from one or more groups (usually Britain and more recently the USA's) lack of acceptance of human rights.Particularly for non-white non-Christian people.

So, as I have said, I will *never* sign any petition denying the rights of freedom, personal safety and emotional stability from an individual.

What is this world coming too that people will actually consider that sort of thing?

Ja Ne