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Even when I'm feeling tired and discouraged, I always get quite the pick-me-up from reading news like this: Ex-soldier gets life without parole
This is the case of former soldier Steven Green. Per the article, "Green raped and killed a 14-year-old Iraqi girl after first murdering her parents and 6-year-old sister in their home." He was discharged -- for a personality disorder -- before anyone learned of the crimes, so he was tried in a federal civilian court.
The defense team never denied that Green committed the horrific crimes. From what I've read, I am presuming that they never even denied that he should spend the rest of his life in prison. They just begged the jury not to execute this "broken warrior." Sometimes as a defender in a capital case, that's all you can do: fight like hell to convince a jury to let your client live out the rest of his life in prison. Congratulations to this defense team: a very difficult, emotionally-draining job well done!
What this man did is awful, horrible, and whatever other adjective you can think of. But killing him would not fix anything or solve anything. I always get a little boost when at least one juror agrees that a vote for the death penalty will only add one more killing to the whole, tragic mess.
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3 comments:
Yeah, ain't life grand? How about life for his victims? Oops, their lives weren't spared!! He was their judge, their jury, and their EXECUTIONER.
He isn't some "broken warrior". He's a pig who raped a CHILD, murdered her and her family, and then burned their home down to hide his crimes.
It makes me absolutely sick to think that his fellow cohorts could be released in 10 years.
"Broken warrior" will never be synonymous with murdering child rapist. It is sad the two have been confused.
Of course the two terms aren't synonymous, but no person can be limited to just one small label. We are all multi-dimensional, even the murdering child rapists.
And, yes Paris, he did not extend to his victims anything like the mercy that the jury extended to him. That is why I find life verdicts so satisfying: because it's a reminder that we are still capable of rising above vengeance. This jury (or the one who voted for life) treated Green better than he treated his victims. That's a good sign for humanity.
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