The Luck Of Barry Crimmins

Barry Crimmins has written an extraordinary piece that other bloggers have linked to already. I decided to join in with the linking, because the more people who read what he has to say the better. It is Mr. Crimmins response to Barack Obama’s recent statement about the Supreme Courts decision about capital punishment for child rapists.

From Call Me Lucky by Barry Crimmins:

Say what you will about the man but if Barack Obama isn't elected, the weakest among us will be hit hardest. The elderly, the poor and particularly children will suffer the most if we're saddled with another bullet-headed president. Among these groups, it's the children who concern me the most. I've been interested in their plight since I was a boy.

This doesn't mean I support Sen. Obama's recent denunciation of the decision handed down by the Supreme Court that ruled capital punishment for rapists of children is unconstitutional.

Read the rest here.

I would like to single out this paragraph:

Another reason I don't want pedophiles executed is because we need to study them. The more heinous the criminal, the more important it becomes to at least try to figure out what the hell makes that person so dangerous. There's no question that these people need to be segregated from society. When it comes to confining convicted child molesters, I am no bleeding heart. Sadly, I don't think people over the age of 21 who offend in this fashion can ever be trusted again. Perhaps they could be reformed if we didn't have a prison system that's heavy on punishment and light on rehabilitation. Unfortunately, our prisons are just about the most lawless places in our society. Maybe if prisoners were taught that laws are meant to protect everyone, even prisoners, they might gain some respect for legal statutes. In any case, I don't want these people treated inhumanely.

This has long been my view on the death penalty. Killing out of revenge, spite, and grief does not help the rest of us as a civilized society. Trying to change society for the better, even if the odds are slight, does.