Breivik: When Justice Falls Short

When news first hit last year of a “crazed” gunman, identified as Anders Behring Breivik, opening fire at a youth camp in Norway, my response was one of horror—and relief. Horror, of course, because of the, well, horror of nearly 70 people—plenty of them children—being murdered at random in a bucolic setting in a peaceable land. But relief because four years prior, my husband and I had decided to use "Anders" as my youngest son’s middle name, instead of his first, as we’d long planned. Although Anders is still one of my favorite names, I was relieved my son wouldn’t bear the name of one of Europe’s most notorious murderers.

Then when news hit of Breivik’s sentencing last week, my response was once again an odd mix of emotion: outrage and something close to rebuke. Outrage that a man could commit such a heinous crime in this day and age—could kill 77 people and wound countless more, could rip loved ones away from families, destroy lives and futures, inflict such mental and physical terror—and still only get 21 years in prison. While I am no death-penalty fan, my American justice sensibilities say a man who kills 77 people needs to be gone, locked away, for forever and a day. My American justice sensibilities tell me I shouldn’t have to wonder if Breivik will be released from prison before my state’s non-mass-murdering former governor is. That said, rebuke gripped me because of those very same American justice sensibilities.

While I won’t apologize or feel bad for my belief that criminals deserve consequences and that mass-murderers deserve severe consequences, the rebuke that settled in came because lately my American justice sensibilities have been alarmed for the opposite reason. Lately these alarms go off when I read stories of “adulteress” women getting stoned to death, when I read of rape victims being shunned from families, and when I read of all-girl punk bands being jailed for offensive lyrics. Lately, my justice-o-meter reacts to justice being ridiculously over-served instead of under-served.

Continue reading at www.relevantmagazine.com

Evermyrtle

The WORD of GOD says, a life for a life. He could not have his life taken 77 times but he should not be allowed to live after snuffing out the lives of these people, Justice is justice. we have no justice, today.We have cast GOD'S WORD, as if it had no significance into the rubbish. We need to get it out of the trash, honor and respect it, love it, read it, and study it, and live by it.
Evermyrtle

The WORD OF GOD says, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a life for a life! What is there about him that makes him more important that all 77 people that he killed put together.? After long before 21 years are up he will likely, be turned loose to attack, again
- Mary Wood
  
  Unlikely, Myrtle. Twenty years is not a long time and people will not forget his deeds.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    i do hope you are right, Mary. He does not need to be let loose, on the public, but you do see some of these anti-GOD people haters, get our of jail ahead of time,from time to time.
    - Mary Wood
      
      Myrtle: I read that in the comments in the original article access at
      http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/global/when-justice-falls-short or of course at the end of the article posted above by zionica
      
      here is the actual quote:
      
      Jean-Luc WuCollapseWhat needs to be clarified is that while it is 21 years long, he will need to remain in prison as long as he is deemed a threat to society even after his 21 year sentencing, and I don't think any Norwegians are going to want him out any time soon, even after 21 years. end quote
      We should all weigh-in with our opinions there. The people's opinions will decide his fate at the end of 21 years.
      - Evermyrtle
        
        You are right. Actually I was thinking about how we do things in the USA and was judging, wrongly according to that.
      - Mary Wood
        
        In that very vein you mention Myrtle, I was interested to see what the Europeans would say about the criminal mind of the guy. There are some observations about Americans in other comments, for example, one person compares a psychological possibility of the criminal to the Hollywood mind in America. I think you would find those interesting.
      - Mary Wood
        
        There was another post that would interest you. The comment deferred to an opinion of America, commenter:
        FourBarca1899
Mary Wood

At the end of 21 years, which is the maximum he can get under Norwegian law, he can still be kept in jail if he is deemed to be a danger to society. No doubt in my mind he will essentially serve for life.