What if the the family of Colleen Slemmer, the teen tortured and murdered by Pike and others (they carved a pentagram into her chest before killing her) decides that justice would be served by all of them killing Pike the same way? Would the prohibition against “cruel and unusual” punishment apply? Clearly not, because having victims or their families take over the administration of the justice system is itself cruel and unusual. True, this certainly has precedent, since that’s often how these things were handled back when everyone huddled around a fire and wore animal skins.
The Constitution and our legal system were developed to elevate civilization in such matters, but Pike’s escaping death because of the failure of the stupid lethal injection execution system (which the ideologically useful idiots who have the same dead ethics compass as Whoopi, Ana, Joy, Sunny and rest ABC inflicted on America) apparently proves that mob justice deserves another shot. After all, it was never really tried…you know, like communism.
I guess the mother could also decide that it is godly to forgive and rule that Pike should be set free with a few million tax-payer dollars to compensate her for the trauma of not being killed. After all, she knows best.
Ana and Whoopi’s delusion is a predictable slippery slope result of the deplorable practice of allowing “victim impact statements” before sentencing. I was especially impressed by the family member of one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s snacks screaming during her confrontation with the maniac in court, “I hate you, Jeffrey!” That was certainly edifying for the judge and jury.
The real reason so many Americans are confused about the government’s necessary role in prosecutions is that prosecutors such New York’s Attorney General have been allowed for decades to perpetuate the legally false and unethical myth that they “represent the victims” in terrible crimes . It’s grandstanding, indeed often political campaigning, and a misstatement of the State’s function. The State represents (duh!) the interests of the State, all of society, civilization, the law, in its prosecutions—justice, not justice “for” any particular individual.
Three days before her appointment by Gov. Hochul to run an “independent investigation” of the alleged Cornell gang rape case, Letitia James posted the following statement on both X and Facebook: “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”
Wow. Nothing says “objective and independent” like announcing whose story you believe before your investigation even starts.
Lawyers exist to explain these concepts, and the public should be able to trust alleged professionals not to spin out of control because of “feelz.” Because of lawyers like Ana and James, however, the public can’t trust them. Instead of informing them, these lawyers make the public dumber.
