I Was Just Thinking...

The past few weeks here in Boston have seen some serious court cases brought to trial. Most notable, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. We all knew he and his brother were responsible for the carnage caused by the homemade bombs that injured hundreds and killed 3 people. A 4th victim, was killed in cold blood by the Tsarnaev brothers. In a stunning admission, his lawyers conceded "it was him" in their opening statements, so the guilty verdicts reached by a jury last week served as more of a solace than a surprise. But his defense attorney's strategy has always been about saving his life-saving him from the death penalty. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

The same jury that sat in judgement will next week hear arguments next week intended to save the young Tsarnev's life. A life he will spend the entirety of incarcerated, a prisoner of the American justice system. His fate rests in the jury's decision. Live or die, according to the law and a jury of his peers. In a way I feel like this kid wants to die. To him, his brother died a martyr, and he has claimed in his blood scrawled writings on the wall of the boat he hid in that he would like to die a martyr too. By sentencing him to death, are we in fact granting him his wishes? Would justice be better served by making him live out the rest of his long life in the same four prison walls? 

The parents of the youngest victim, 8 year old Martin Richard, have publicly asked for the death penalty to be taken off the table. In a letter published in The Boston Globe, The Martin family believes that a death sentence will bring about years of appeals and "prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives". They ask the US justice system to end the story without death, without parole and without appeals so that they can begin to rebuild their lives. I have to agree with them even though I think that if allowed to live incarcerated, it will be not the last time we will hear from Tsarnaev. 

Will justice be served with a death sentence? I'm not sure.

What about Aaron Hernandez? Was justice served in that case? 

Last week a jury of his peers convincted him of first degree murder in the death of Odin Llyod. In this case there was no admission of guilt, no murder weapon and no clear motive, but the jury felt that the circumstantial case presented to them was strong enough to convict in the first degree. The sentence is life without the possibility of parole. Was justice served? Probably, but I can't be sure. I think Aaron Hernandez is a bad man who let his money and athletic power go to his head and I think we will soon  find out that this is not the first time he has killed someone. It's tragic, how may lives have been destroyed because of Aaron Hernandez and his swagger including his own. 

Justice may have been served for the victims and their families but the truth is justice will never bring back the loved ones lost. The reality is that there is no justice in that.

Just Cause

I am a person who hates an injustice.

Recently I have discovered that it has been a theme in my life. I always fight for justice. Justice in myself and justice for others, I tend to stand up for the injustice of it all. So it was recently that I remembered that I was not always just in my life.

The memory came to me upon reflection. I was in 6th grade and I remembered bullying a young red headed girl in my school. I'm not proud nor am I exactly sure why it happened, but I definitely singled her out for whatever reason. She probably pushed some of my buttons, so I decided to make her a target of my anger.

I called her ugly. Daily.
I preyed on her because I considered her to be weak.
I intimidated her with physical threats like my brother had intimidated me, and I was good at it because he was a pro at terrorizing me.

As I reflected on this memory, I remembered her face. Scared and red from crying, she tried her best to let me know she wasn't going to take it lying down. But I knew she was and I wanted it that way. And I used it against her. It didn't go on for very long, as our parents were called and discussions took place between me and my parents and it was swiftly put to an end. And again, I'm not sure why I had chosen this innocent girl to unleash my special kind of terror.

Maybe I knew I was stronger.
Maybe I decided that she would be my target because I was sick of being his.
Yet I can't get the image of her frightened face out of my mind today.

So I want to say to you, Michelle, I am deeply sorry for any pain I caused you back in 6th grade, on the play grounds of the Sheehan school. I'm sure I was sorry then, but I am certain I am very sorry now. My hope is that you have forgiven me for my adolescent angst against you and that it may bring you some perspective to share with your own children.Maybe even a nugget of wisdom.

Because there must be some justice in that...