The Lede (A NY Times Blog)So, here is a story that has taken several interesting turns since 1988... What do you think? In particular, what do you think about the idea of a compassionate release? Do you think that compassionate release is ok sometimes and not at other times? What kinds of criteria do you think might need in place for this type of thing? What do you think would happen if we instituted this policy in the American prison system? [Remember these are questions to get you started on this topic. They do not need, however, to restrain or limit your discussion.]
Let me start by saying that I believe the idea of a compassionate release is a very gray area subject and you can't give it a black and white answer. I think that compassionate release should be evaluated on a case by case basis and we shouldn't just let every convicted criminal go because they are close to death. The man, Megrahi, described in this story is a very evil man that is responsible for the deaths of nearly 200 Americans in a single day. How can one justify that now since his life is almost over he deserves compassion? The people on that plane deserved compassion and a chance at getting to enjoy their freedom and life. Instead, their lives were ended prematurely and they never had that chance. Megrahi deserves to die in that prison not be returned home to be seen as a martyr for his people. Also, I believe these reforms would never be instituted in America because we live in a society where the majority believes in “eye for an eye” type punishments. You tell me how many people in America would be fine with releasing a mass murderer or a child rapist just because he got terminal cancer. I think they should be treated how they treated others and that they should just consider their selves lucky that they got the life sentence instead of being executed like they should have been in the first place. In the end, I think Mr. MacAskills’ move was a politically motivated one and that anyone with a strong set of morals couldn’t justify the humane release of an inhumane person.
ReplyDeleteThere are two completely different perspectives that one can have on this issue. On the one hand, regardless of his supposed innocence or not, Megrahi was tried by Due Process and found guilty of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Therefore, he must serve his at least his minimum sentence in a Scottish prison so that justice may be served to those victims who perished in the bombing, as well as their families. Release on compassionate grounds is irrelevant. Did he show compassion when chose to bomb a plane and kill 259 people? No. The purpose of imprisonment is to revoke the privileges and freedoms from those who have committed crimes. Therefore, allowing him to seek more comfort by returning back to his country should not take precedence over fulfilling his complete sentence.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one could also argue that he has spent the majority of his life in a prison, and that we as a compassionate western society have the obligation to allow him to return to his country and seek comfort in his last few months as he battles terminal cancer. In addition, we must also consider his questionable false conviction. While it is hard to accept that the true mastermind behind this crime was able to outwit the justice system and allow an innocent man to suffer for his crime, there have been previous incidents when exactly that occurred. For example, Stanley “Tookie” Williams was convicted in 1979 on four counts of first-degree murder, and was sentenced to the death penalty. Williams attempted appeals in 2001 and 2002, in addition to seeking clemency from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, claiming that he was falsely accused. However, his appeals were denied, along with clemency from the governor. Thus, in December of 2005, Williams was executed by lethal injection. However, upon review of the case after his execution, it was discovered that certain pieces of physical evidence, such as fingerprints and a bloody boot-print, could not be traced to Williams. It is not fair that we do not consider a plausible flaw in the Due Process system, and allow all innocent men their chance at freedom. Megrahi forfeited his right to seek parole or to be proven innocent when he was allowed compassionate release. And if we were to deny his right of compassionate release, then he, like Tookie Williams, would die a shameful death in prison for a crime he did not commit.
As Alan said, this topic is a very gray. There is truly no right or wrong answer, as it is solely based on personal opinion about the compassionate release in general, as well as the possible false conviction of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi.
Ok, so the question apparently comes down to my opinion on the release of a person that alledgedly killed 259 people on a plane. Now just to make this clear before I move on, I dont care if this guy is innocent or not, to be perfectly honest I really dont know if he is, unfortunately I do not trust the ability of any legal system enough to believe that every single person they put behind bars is actually guilty.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that every person should pay for every major mistake they have made, however, I do believe that there should be a limit, after all, time in our life(however short it might seem to us) its actually really long, and no one here can tell me what it feels like to be stuck on a place for over 20 years for something that they might have not done. I say this of course without never having suffered the lost of a real close being, I cant even come close to imagine what it must be to lose a son, a wife, a parent, or a brother, and trust me, I will be the last person to try to understand how these particular individuals who have lost someone dear must feel.
Personally, Do I believe that Megrahi was released based on an ethical compassionate principal? No, of course not. Every major decision made in this world (and by major I mean every decision that affects enough people to make it something global, like ohhh.....i dont know....the release of a possible terrotist that killed over 250 people) is based on one thing and one thing only, politics (or money, whichever way you look at it they are pretty much the same thing) Do I believe that Megrahi got a good deal? I almost want to say yes, only because someone had to pay for this crime and I dont know all the facts. That's the main reason why in this particular case Im in full support of the use of compationate release, because at the end of the day we dont know all the facts, and if there's a slim chance that an innocent man went to prison for over 20 years, I think its just fair that he spends the last moments of his life in freedom.
Now for all the people that just wasted around 2 minutes of their life reading this post, and are now thinking "mmm, way not to take a stand" believe I know, its just that like a couple of people have said, this is a really gray area subject, and I would rather not make my point something white or black.
Julian,
ReplyDeleteI can very much see where you are coming from on this issue. And I think you're right. It's a very gray area that is going to be a touchy subject for everyone. When it comes down to it, Megrahi is a human being like anyone else. Will anyone ever really know the truth about what happened on that plane? Probably not. Does that constitute for Megrahi to be considered innocent? Who really can say? Whether or not he was innocent, I believe in second chances for all people. Even if you only get a second chance for three months. Some people would say that a man like Megrahi doesn't deserve that, but how are we to judge one man's sin as being greater than another? If I were a family member of someone on that plan who had died, I would have had to face by now whether or not I had truly forgiven whoever bombed that plane. Forgiving does not mean that you forget by any means, or that the pain hurts any less. But if I wanted peace over what had happened, I wouldn't have found it until I could release all of the bitter hatred I'm sure I would have held towards Megrahi. I don't know how he will spend his last three months, but I hope that somewhere in his soul he has grasped some chance of redemption, and will spend his last days differently than he might have before. For me, I think it would be punishment enough to live out my days knowing that a lot of the people in the world hated me. But then again, that's just me.
I'm going to be honest...I really hate answering prompts like this. Because I really hate conflict. And this subject has conflict written all over it. So I'll try to answer this with as much honesty as possible, despite the risk of being called a pansy.
ReplyDeleteI think this whole situation is tragic. If anything, it really reveals all kinds of human flaw in everyone. Someone, whether it was Megrahi or not, stepped onto that flight with bad intentions. A choice was made there. Mr. MacAskill chose to let Megrahi go. A choice was made there. The families of those who died on flight 103 can choose to hate Megrahi for the rest of their lives if they want.
Clearly, there is still bitterness in all of this. My question is, where and when is it going to end? Whether Megrahi dies in jail or dies in Libya, his death is not going to bring true peace to those families still in mourning. Forgiving someone for what they've done does not mean you forget, but it allows you to move on and find some true peace because you don't have to hold onto hating someone so much for the rest of your life. The world will always sit and argue who is more right or wrong in any issue under the sun. Particularly the terms of Megrahi's release. I'm sure that politics had something to do with it, but it seems nowadays that politics have to do with everything, so that didn't surprise me much.
I get worn out thinking about all of this because my mind and heart can not come to any certain conclusion. I look at any person who has committed a crime, and by all means yes, I believe that people should face the consequences for their actions. However, I also understand that they are just as human as I am. And who is to judge who's sins are greater? I believe that my sin is equal with Megrahi's. I believe that all have fallen short of the glory of God, and whether a convicted criminal, a politician, a mourning family member, a whole nation, whoever, we all have the chance to start over everyday with forgiveness. I can only pray that even after all the stirring up this has brought that some peace will finally be established over this issue.
Personally, I feel that when a person can do something so harmful to another he should suffer from his behavior. Even though I have never experienced the death of someone who was that close to me, I know how it feels to be without people who you wish you were able to have met. My grandparents both died before I was born of cancer. And honestly, a day does not go by where I do not think of what they were like. I cannot put myself in the positions of the friends and family members of the people who were victims of bombing on the Pan Am Flight 103. In my opinion, the man who was responsible and convicted of killing over 200 people, Megrahi, should sit behind bars and think about what he has done for the rest of his life. I am a strong believer of letting a man suffer if he does something so severe such as killing other human beings. I do not agree with Kenny MacAski, Scotland's Justice Minister. It does not matter how much longer Megrahi has before he dies; he took the lives of others who did not know when they were going to do. The one who Megrahi took life from were not able to die in their hometown or with the families, so I do not see why he should be able to die comfortably with such luxuries.
ReplyDeleteI cannot even imagine what would happen if this sort of policy became instituted in America’s prison system. There is no way American’s would let a mass murderer out of prison nor would they ever let him live it down if a murderer were to be seen out and about on the street. American’s don’t care who you are or what you are, and they don’t care if you are terminally ill. The majority of American’s, I think, believe in the same things I do, even if a man has cancer they should suffer just as they made others.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteWhile I completely understand your perspective, is it not reasonable to consider that Megrahi is innocent? I mean, there are many flaws in our justice system, and I’m sure the same holds true for Justice systems around the world. If that were the case, wouldn’t we owe Megrahi enough sympathy to allow him to return to his country of origin during his last few months on this earth? We must consider the fact that it is slightly peculiar for a man who is very close to death is still maintaining his innocence. If he were in fact guilty of the crime he was convicted of, wouldn’t he just admit to what he had done if he knew that there was no chance of him ever being free again? It just seems to me like not everything fits here, and there is a shred of reasonable doubt that Megrahi is innocent.
Why do people go to prison? People go to prison for various reasons such as committing murder or rape. They are given a sentence and are expected by society to complete it. Society feels safe from the harm that this person could have committed if they were not put in prison. Megrahi was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people that should have had that chance to live freely in society, but never will. Whether Megrahi is ill or not, justice should be done. Is it fair to the families of the lives taken for a guilty man to be able to live comfortably in society? This would mean that a guilty man not only gets off early, but gets to enjoy the convenience of freedom. Compassionate release is not something that I agree with. If you are sentenced to life in prison, you should not be pitied for sickness. If we introduce compassionate release to the American prison system, nearly all elderly prisoners, that indeed committed serious crimes, would use it to their advantage. I say this because a majority of elderly prisoners do become terminally ill, as the elderly do in society. Another thought that comes to mind is this…if an “ex-serial” killer is terminally ill, what does he/she have to lose? Some may say that I am being harsh, but these prisoners were given their chance in society, and instead, ruined other’s chances. You may say, “Everyone deserves a second chance”, but being a Christian, I believe that second chances are up to Him…and once their time comes, they will have their final judgment.
ReplyDeleteErica,
ReplyDeleteAs you, I cannot imagine losing one that is close to me. I have not had the experience of losing a close family member or friend. I was however, close with a family who lost their uncle to a brutal stabbing. Seeing the pain and suffering that they went through is almost an unbearable feeling. I could only imagine the suffering of 259 lost loved ones. The only thing they wanted was for his one year old daughter to grow up with a loving father, which was now impossible. Since they couldn’t have him back, they were in search of justice. Without a doubt, a man that commits such a crime deserves to suffer as the families have. You are absolutely right when you say that a man dying in prison should not enjoy the luxury of a home, even if they do have a terminal illness. Prisoner’s need to accept the consequences for their terrible actions, whether they have cancer or not.
Goodness, what a prompt. I’m very opinionated, but this prompt is asking for a fight. Regardless of what anyone thinks, believes, or wants, the fact is, it has already taken place. There is nothing any one of us can do about it. However, for the sake of this prompt and for the sake of our grades in the class, we will all answer the prompt truthfully and with at least 250 words. Note to everyone about responding: let’s be compassionate when responding to what someone else has said.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, this is a difficult issue. Personally, I completely see the merit in compassionate release. A man dying of cancer should have the opportunity to spend his last days searching his soul and doing what he thinks is necessary to do in a lifetime. However, we are talking about a man that was convicted of hundreds of murders on the Pan AM Flight 103. The problem with this situation, and the reason the United States government does not have a system like this, is that if you make one compassionate release case, you can make another. And another. And another. Lines would have to be drawn that would be controversial and met with much argument.
However, given the circumstances, and the fact that this decision was made under a different regional court by Mr. MacAskill, perhaps we as Americans, despite the number of American fatalities involved, should see the merit and accept the release of Mr. Megrahi. If we all had to admit, I would not be surprised to hear a lot of people believe in compassionate release. But no one could ever say that. This issue is out of our control. Let’s accept it and move on. No amount of argument will put the convicted Mr. Megrahi back in prison. This is a fact.
One last note, though: If the truth were told, though, if this crime were being held in an American court, and the idea of compassionate release was offered for one time and one time only, it would never fly. The killing of hundreds of people will never be overlooked for a man dying.
Sydnee,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your comment to the prompt. Firstly, I do not think you are a “pansy” for your views on the issue. Secondly, in response to your actual comment, I really like how in your post you repeated, “A choice was made there.” This is the truth. A choice was made and there is nothing we can do about it. We make decisions everyday, and Mr. MacAskill made a decision that day. I also like how you urged everyone to move on. Hate as much as you want, regret as much as you want, forgive as much as you want, but at least move on. Another thing I liked is how you said that everyone has flaws. While some are greater than others, who are we to judge? Forgive, not forget. That’s all one can do. Hopefully peace will eventually come out of this issue.
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI love your argument and feel that you can be a human being and not have to support the idea of compassionate release. The people committed the crime and as the old saying goes they have to do the time. This is how American society and the world's society at large have lived for years so why give a person a second chance that obviousily didn't care about the peoples lives he destroyed in the first place. Even though I'm not a Christian myself I still find myself a people's person and I do love to find the good in people but there is only so much you can excuse before you cross the line. Forgiving someone is a beautiful thing but unfortunately you can't forgive everyone that commits these crimes because then punishment will lose it's credibility and when that happens the system as a whole will collapse.
In my opinion, compassionate release shouldn’t be allowed in any circumstance. I am a strong believer in the fact that a human being should not take the life of another, no matter what the situation is. If someone kills someone else through spite or another violent manner, they have to realize that they are affecting other peoples’ lives as well. For instance, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi murdered a total of two hundred and seventy people. The total number of peoples’ lives affected is probably around triple or quadruple that. He changed the families and loved ones of those victims for the rest of their lives. Children probably grew up without a father or a mother. They might have grown up without a sibling or friend. Parents could have lost their children, possibly their only child. Friends, neighbors, and significant others could have lost important people in their lives. When I read about Mr. Megrahi’s release due to compassion, I wondered to myself, ‘Why should anyone show this man compassion when he lacked the compassion for all of those people? Why would the Scottish government release him?’ When he plotted and schemed and thought his plan through, he knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew that killing was bad. If he developed prostate cancer in prison, perhaps you could argue that it was a case of karma. Only serving eight of the MINIMUM twenty-seven year sentence is not enough. If that act was committed in the United States, it’s likely that the sentence would have been life in prison, or possibly death.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up the idea of pity. I don’t understand how people can feel pity for him. Don’t take me for cold-hearted, though. I feel pity for ANYBODY who has to go through the pain and suffering that comes with having cancer. I myself watched two of my grandparents go through it as well as my uncle who just got pancreatic cancer. It’s not an ordeal that I’d wish upon anyone. However, this man killed many people who would have had otherwise been able to live out their lives the way it was planned for them. I agree with that fact and how you said that the guilty man would get to experience freedom if compassionately released. I don’t understand how someone could live with themselves at all knowing that they let someone like that go. I also liked your insight into second chances. I myself am Christian as well and I completely agree with the fact that it’s up to God, not man, whether or not you get or deserve your second chance.
To begin with, I am completely opposed to the idea of compassionate release. If a man is capable of taking the life of another human being, then he clearly has an irrational state of mind and should not be allowed to roam freely.
ReplyDeleteThis man, Megrahi, was convicted by the legal system to have been responsible for killing 270 innocent individuals. Every single person on Pan Am flight 103 was murdered, along with 11 bystanders on the ground. I honestly think that releasing him is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Many people will argue the point that he has terminal cancer and that his “innocence” is still unsure. However, every person in the world will eventually die. The only difference between Megrahi and the common man is that he knows how long he has left to live. He should not be given any sort of special treatment because he knows this information. In regards to his “innocence,” I believe that if he was convicted of being responsible for the bombing, then he must have been involved in it somehow. Yes, I do acknowledge that the justice system isn’t perfect, but I believe it’s pretty accurate most of the time. For someone to get convicted of a crime, the evidence must prove that he is guilty “beyond any reasonable doubt.” Certain people are now saying that some of the evidence is flaky, but I strongly believe that if there was enough strong evidence to imprison him, then he must have been responsible to a certain extent. He may not have been the one who detonated the device, but being involved with the person who did is just as bad, and therefore deserves the same punishment.
Nonetheless, I think that most of us can agree that his release was not a gesture of sympathy, but a means to gain political strength. This, evidently, makes the subject of compassionate release that much more immoral.
Sydney,
ReplyDeleteI really like what you said. I do agree that everyone should just attempt to move on with their lives in order to be able to live in peace. You’re absolutely right when you say that a decision was made, and there’s nothing that any of us can do about it now. However, I do think that if enough people act toward or against the idea of compassionate release, then it could lead to certain actions by the justice system.
This whole situation is extremely controversial and really does reveal that human beings are by no means perfect. We all have different opinions on whether or not releasing him was the right thing to do, but in the end, I’m sure everyone can agree that the families of those affected should be allowed to forgive in order to move on with their lives. This controversy is not good for anyone.
Wow, I don’t really know how to express how I feel. This is a very touchy subject considering my best friend’s mother died recently from cancer. Before this all happened, I truly think I’d be completely for Libyan maintaining in jail. Enough evidence had to stand in order for Libyan to land in prison so although he may claim “innocent”, that may not be true. But, after sitting next to my friend’s mom in her weeks before her passing and watching her slowly leave the world we live in, I couldn’t imagine not allowing this man to be with his family and ones who love him in his days before he goes. However, stating that I also think there should be limits to the “compassionate release”. I don’t think you just send a killer back into the world; I think you still watch over him. Miracles do happen, so what if in one month he is miraculously healed… now what? I think all the “what if” questions need to play a role in this situation and that all precautions need to be taken when releasing someone, who has been in prison for as long as he can remember, back into the real world. I feel like if America’s prisons started the compassionate release system that people would find ways to take advantage of it. Friends of friends that are doctors would have it signed off that their terminally ill. It is just so hard to draw a line that seems fair.
ReplyDeleteSydney,
ReplyDeleteI admire what you said in your blog about being able to basically let go of what happened in that tragedy and move on in your own life to a happier place. I truly have a problem with holding a grudge so being able to forgive someone like Libyan would be hard for me. Everyone wants to find peace in their own lives especially those who lost someone close to them in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 yet that is really hard when the media is constantly broadcasting stuff on the incident. It obviously is a scenario like September 11 that will stay in American’s lives forever. Seeing and hearing about a tragic situation makes life ten times harder than it has to be but I hope that every individual has found peace in their life and has moved on from that day. No one deserves to always be in grief!!
Catalina.
ReplyDeleteEven though I think I understand your point, I have to disagree with you. I do support completely that the fact that this release was triggered by political reasons makes this issue a lot more immoral, but unlike you I dont have any type of faith in any justice system, unfortunately I have seen how easy it is to manipulate people, and to be perfectly honest I dont know how accurate the justice systems around the world are. I also disagree that being involved in something is as bad as the person who is actually doing it, although if that was the case then 99% of all the gun shops in America should be closed down and their owners should go directly to jail (doesnt seem fair does it?) As far as the whole "he has terminal cancer, so we should feel sorry for him" goes, i do agree partially with you, dying is a part of life, you wouldnt let somebody out of a prison because they got a kid, the whole point of having a prison is removing certain liberties to the person who commited a crime against society. With all of that said there are different cases where we should definitely consider the possibility of compasionate release, mostly because morally is just fair for someone who commited a crime when he was young and stupid to get a second opportunity, this is just an example. There are many different cases where a compasionate release of an inmate is the right thing to do morally.
This subject is obviously controversial in many ways. It’s obvious that America is offended by this because we are so used to 100% punishment. If you go to prison and have a disease, you will die there. We believe that by taking someone else’s life on purpose, you deserve to have your own life restrained behind bars. The synonyms of compassion are “sympathetic, concerned, kind, considerate, gentle, and benevolent.” To me, those aren’t words that describe the horrible and evil act that Mr. Megrahi committed. He took over 200 lives that didn’t need to be ended. The consequences of murder should be to live your life without freedom, since you affected not a few families, but countless people. He now gets to live his life out how he pleases, which is ironic considering he took that option away from so many people. I think if this were to happen in America, the country would protest in a fury. I wouldn’t doubt that someone extremely enraged and careless would probably go after Mr. Megrahi to make sure he “got what he deserved.” I also believe that there would be nationwide controversy and people all over the U.S. would somehow try to scheme a plan to attain “compassionate release.” Plus, families of prisoners who had diseases that recently passed away would be more than enraged. It would be a mess that doesn’t need to happen on top of everything that is going on in America now. Scotland will face a lot of heat right now due to this decision, and America’s relationship with the country will undoubtedly weaken.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think that the Pan American bombing was a horrible tragedy, in which many innocent people were killed. Now, the fact that Megrahi, the man responsible for the bombings, was released out of compassionate is a little hard for me to see as justified. I can almost understand an inmate being eligible for early release for a crime, if they only have a month or so to live, but not if that person murdered over two hundred people. Personally, it would even be difficult for me to understand releasing someone who murdered a single person. However, I could understand releasing someone who has committed pretty much any other crime. I think it is absolutely wrong that Justice Secretary MacAskill released Megrahi. I think someone or body of politicians in the Scottish government should have stopped him from being released. I am glad that President Obama and F.B.I. Director Robert Mueller spoke out against Megrahi’s release, especially since a majority of the passengers killed on the plane where Americans. I definitely think that there are other reasons why he was released. Though I am not sure what they are, these other reasons have something to do with Scotland’s dealings with Libya. I feel sorry for the families of those passengers who were on the flight because the man, who showed no compassion when having these people killed, was now being shown compassion because he was about to die. Where is the compassion for those who continue to suffer because of the decisions Megrahi made? It just does not seem very fair especially if he is able to return home. The fact that he was released to Libya, where he is considered a hero, instead of some type of hospital somewhere away from his friends and family really upsets me. If he truly was the reason for the bombing, he should not have been shown any type of compassion. I think that is the least that could have been done for the victims and their families.
ReplyDeleteJordan M.,
ReplyDeleteI completely understand your viewpoint on this situation. My grandma passed away due to a terminal illness just last week and it broke my heart. However, my grandma was an angel on earth, not someone who claimed over 250 lives. He should’ve thought about his decision before he decided to be a mass murderer. How is it fair that one life can be saved, and that one life claimed 260? It doesn’t make sense. I totally agree with you about the compassionate release in America. So many people would find a way around it, which would require the U.S. to pass numerous laws on the subject, causing a judicial mess. There are already enough issues that need to be faced in America, and compassionate release shouldn’t be one of them. That is also true about miracles. If he suddenly got better, would he have another trial or just go straight back to jail? It’s all a sketchy situation that Scotland should’ve thought about more.
Hey, this is a GREAT conversation! You are really pushing me to think more about this topic.
ReplyDeleteHannah,
ReplyDeleteI like how you look at what would have happened from the perspective of what if the act occurred in the United States. And it was not too long ago that the same thing did happen here, but with three different planes to be flown into three different buildings. The United States by no means showed compassion for those responsible for the attacks on September 11th, and many countries thought the war on terror was too harsh. But maybe the problem is that we give too many people second chances and show them too much compassion for things that they do not regret. I do, however, disagree with your statement that all prisoners should not be given a compassionate release. I guess as long as there's no physical harm being done to another person, the option for compassionate release should exist, especially if they regret the act or show some type of remorse.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I see where you are coming from with your thoughts and I still feel different regarding the idea of compassionate release, it was interesting see another point of view. You said something about how a person dying of cancer should have the opportunity to spend his last days searching his soul and such, but if this one man is given this opportunity as you said there is a greater chance of this occurring in the future. Also, since Megrahi was let out of prison, there is no way of reassuring that during his last days he cannot commit something similar in nature. If this were too happen, then those who let him out of prison will now have the guilt upon themselves for allowing Megrahi perform this behavior. And I completely agree with your statement about how this would never happen in America, no prisoner would be offered compassionate release under any circumstances. Americans will never overlook the killings of so many innocent people especially after September 11th.
Sydney,
ReplyDeleteI found your comment very interesting, honest, and relatable to my own opinions on this issue. It is true that no matter what decision is made for Mr. Megrahi's death, there will still be bitterness and conflict. People may be very distraught over the idea that he is being released from prison to spend his last few months in the comfort of his own country but in reality, would him dying in prison really take away any of the pain of families who lost loved ones? It is a tough situation because yes, I agree that he deserves to be punished for the terror he caused, but does the degree of his crime qualify us to forget about forgiveness? I really like how you said, “forgiving someone for what they’ve done does not mean you forget.” And you brought up “who is to judge whose sins are greater.” Well that is another topic that I struggle with coming to any conclusion on. In my own heart, it is hard for me to hear about crimes such as murder or terrorists attacks and think them to be at all comparable to small sins such as a dishonesty or greed. On the other hand, I know that God claims to view each of us at the same distance from him, no matter what our sins.
Sorry I think I’m breaking off on a tangent now but your response got me thinking….so thanks!
This act of “mercy” called compassionate release is horrendous. When Mr. Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi arrived on Libyan soil, I am sure that thousands upon thousands of Libyan citizens and terrorists around the globe rejoiced. The system was beat. Al-Megrahi was free in return for better oil deals with Scotland (and possibly England) and given a chance for a peaceful soon-to-come death from prostate cancer. This all disgusts me, personally, since I witnessed something of this sort first hand in Israel in July 2008. I watched on TV as three-hundred dead Lebanese bodies and five terrorists including a top Lebanese terrorist were transported from Israeli imprisonment to Lebanon in return for two dead Israeli soldiers. Under Israeli law, if a soldier is lost on enemy grounds, he or she must be returned to Israel, dead or alive. I went to the home of one of the soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser, and was surrounded by sadness. This occurred while huge parties in the streets of Lebanon took place with flowers, alcohol, and general rejoicing for their heroes were returning home. The families of victims do not need money or anything of that sort, they need to see justice and this did not happen that day. Thus, I understand that compassionate release is unacceptable even though it is performed quite often because of necessary or unnecessary circumstances. I believe that compassionate release should yield prisoners to more comfortable prison cells or hospices, never home because they have lost their right as a citizen of the world to return home after completing horrible acts such as murdering 270 people.
ReplyDeleteEmily,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to note how many people have been falsely accused of crimes as one of the articles stated surrounding Al-Megrahi's case. It was said that the true criminal is being hidden in Washington D.C. under FBI supervision. Only hard evidence like, as you said, fingerprints and blood can truly reveal the mastermind to heinous acts like murder. As a person that values the judiciary systems of the world yet understands the complicated tendencies many hold with corruptness, I think it is completely possible that Al-Megrahi is innocent or that he is as guilty as fox in a hen house. However, that does not matter now that he is home safe in Libya to peacefully die from prostate cancer. What a twist that would be if he didn’t actually have prostate cancer! Talk about a global scandal. Well, this already is a global scandal, as America may begin to boycott Scotland because of something that occurred over 20 years ago!
I have honestly never thought of compassionate release before, and I didn’t even know what it was until I read about it now. I think that the idea of compassionate release is a very controversial topic because many people have different thoughts about it. And I don’t really think that there is one straight answer about whether it is right or wrong. In my personal opinion I think that whether or not someone is released from prison on compassionate release depends purely on the situation. The man, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, who was talked about in the article killed around 270 people, and they want to release him because he is terminally ill. Do they not realize that 270 people lost their lives because of him? That is a lot of people, compared to one man’s life. I think that that is completely ridiculous if any one even thought about releasing a man like that from prison, whether by compassionate release or not. In regards to what criteria should allow for compassionate release, I definitely think that killing a lot of people would be a deal breaker. It defiantly depends on the situation. Someone who went to jail for stealing a car is very different than someone who went to jail for going on a killing spree or bombing a plane. Also just because someone is terminally ill doesn’t mean they should be released for prison, but once again it depends solely on the situation. If someone has only weeks or even maybe a few months, it is very different than someone who has cancer and lets say has a year. The fact that there are so many things that need to be considered when discussing compassionate release proves how controversial it is. And in my opinion I don’t think that instituting compassionate release in the American prison system is the greatest idea, in fact I think it would be a big mistake. There would just be so many more issues to deal with when it comes to each prisoner and I don’t think it would be smart because it would cause a lot more trouble and work for everyone, which is definitely not needed.
ReplyDeleteSo, compassionate release is the subject and to me I don’t feel that it is right. I mean we are releasing a CRIMINAL because he has had good behavior or because he is dying. Not to be mean or anything, but SO. He is in prison for a reason people! I mean this article specifically, talks about a man who has killed over 200 people. That is a lot of people. Those were moms, dads, daughters, sisters, brothers that were killed on that plane by that man that can go back to his family. Those people can’t go back to their families, why should he be allowed to. To me, that is not fair but of course life isn’t fair, but this man’s rights were taken away from him so he shouldn’t get that right to go back to his family to die when the people that he killed didn’t have that luxury. I really don’t think compassionate release is ok anytime because those people are in prison for a reason and they shouldn’t be released before their sentence is through. Also I am a believer in karma so in a way even though this is kind of evil they got what they deserved. Justice was served in getting them in prison, so to take them out on compassionate release is a slap in the face to the families of countless victims that were killed by this man. I mean cancer isn’t something you wish upon anyone but as long as he was getting treatment in prison he shouldn’t be allowed to leave. I don’t think compassionate release would really fly in the US because people like to see justice served and we live in a country that still has the death penalty which says a lot about the American people. We kill people who have killed others, so we would never implement a law that would release someone who killed people because he was dying.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer McQ
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you, in fact reading what you had to say made me think about compassionate release even more. I never even thought about what those who are terminally ill have or don’t have to loose. And I never thought about whether or not someone was sentenced to life in prison, I didn’t talk about that, but I completely agree that if someone is sentenced to life in prison they shouldn’t be pitied. I mean obviously there’s a reason why they were sentenced that way. And what you said about all the elderly prisoners using it to their advantage is a very big possibility because everyone grows old and everyone will die eventually, that’s the way it is and nothing can change that. And I don’t think your being harsh because if someone did kill someone or did ruin someone else’s life they don’t deserve a second chance. They already had a first chance, and those that they harmed obviously don’t have a second chance.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on that. I really liked how you tied in your personal experience into the situation and I agree with you that families want to see justice occur when their loved one has been murdered. I feel that there should be no celebration of death when death is a horrible thing. Those terrorists who are murders shouldn’t get that liberty, that freedom of going back to their country and celebrating death. I mean just the thought of it is a disgrace just a terrible thing to witness, yet it happens all the time. That is why I do feel that compassionate release will probably never happen in the US because just from the blog site here you can see that most of us to not agree with it at all. And since most of us are of voting age and citizens of America, we would probably never vote on a law that includes compassionate release.
-Jennifer McQ
Like most everyone has agreed, it has hard for me to come to any conclusion on this matter. I just expressed a lot of my opinions in my “response comment,” but I will try to get into greater depth. I believe that the crime Megrahi is guilty of committing is certainly worthy of punishment. Whether or not he is actually guilty, well that’s a whole different ball game so I am just going to assume that he is. Knowing that he caused the death of 279 innocent people, I believe that the only fair punishment is for his guilty life to be taken as well. Now whether or not that means he is given the death sentence, sentenced to life in jail, or dies from cancer…I believe that all three of these things would accomplish the same thing. Megrahi is sick with cancer and is going to die in a few months. I can see how people would be angered by Mr. MacAskill’s decision to send him back to Lyba because instead of being in prison where a criminal should be…he is in the comfort of his own country. But he is still dying. Would his staying in prison really ease the pain of the families who lost loved ones in the terror he caused? Megrahi certainly has issues of his own and hopefully he is regretting them at this point. But we also have decisions of our own. We can decide to have hatred and anger towards this matter and stress over what the “just” thing to do is. Or we can decide to let nature play out its role and understand that by a compassionate release or not, Megrahi has and still is paying for his actions.
ReplyDelete