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Voices From
Victims of Grief
From time to time I hear comments from persons who wonder how it is possible to have compassion for a condemned killer. Shouldn't all compassion be reserved for the victims of the condemned? Some may say yes, but many today say no. It is vitally important to have sympathy and compassion for those who are the victims of violent crime. They most certainly deserve our support, sympathy and love to help them through a situation that indeed causes much pain and suffering. In most cases this is automatic and there is almost never a lack of compassion for those who have been stricken by tragedy. However, I sincerely believe that it is not only possible, but necessary to also have compassion for the condemned and innocent members of a family who makes the decision to stand by the side of the accused. This may be hard for some to understand particularly if one has never been down a path where someone they love has been accused and/or convicted of an unspeakable crime. Most people mistakenly believe that such a thing could never happen to them or anyone that they love. It is hard to imagine that one who could have done such a reprehensible thing could have any redeeming value. But all creations of God have some redeeming value no matter what they have done. If God can forgive, so can we. This is not to imply that these persons should simply be forgiven and released back into society. We should instead try to learn what circumstances led this person to do what he did. In so doing we may someday discover the causes for and remedies to prevent future acts of violence. This, I believe would be a very compassionate thing to do. To promote vengeance rather than rehabilitation encourages a spirit that can only lead to further violence in our society.
There are many reasons why certain individuals may become capable of doing such horrible things. Among them are acts of self defense, crimes of passion, crimes of hate, crimes of revenge, acts committed by persons suffering a mental illness and of course let us not forget those who are convicted of crimes for which they are completely innocent. It is important to understand the underlying factors surrounding each. Most people can understand an act of self-defense. It is called self-preservation. Crimes of passion are committed in the heat of some sort of anger or jealousy. There have been times in our history when this was considered a justifiable act of violence. Crimes of hate are committed against a member of a group, culture or race that the perpetrator holds a grudge against. Crimes of revenge, in which the death penalty is included, is a strike of retribution against someone who has wronged another. We commonly see this type of violence today among our youths that are killing each other in retaliation. It is interesting to note that our government sets an example of this every time an execution is carried out. Of these reasons, the most commonly misunderstood, are those acts committed by persons suffering from an organic brain disorder. Without having lived with such a disorder or with someone who suffers from one, it is difficult to understand how someone can commit such acts and yet not be responsible for what they have done. Persons suffering certain forms of mental illness experience "unreal" things in a very "real" sense. Their brains interpret auditory and visual hallucinations as something that is actually happening to them. This can be a very frightening experience.
I believe that it is important to show concern and compassion to all of these individuals. Some have never known what it is like for someone, anyone to care about them as a person. This may be part of the cause of their acts of violence. If they are mentally ill, they should receive treatment for their illness. Treatment has come a long way in the past few years and many can lead fairly normal lives with proper treatment. If we lock them in a cell and throw away the key, we simply cannot expect any of them to come out a better person. Many of them will be released someday. Would you rather have someone who has been rehabilitated, educated and treated or someone who has been treated like an animal, living next door to you? I encourage you to think about this.
It is important to support and show compassion to the victims of crime. It is just as important to support and show compassion to the perpetrators of crime as well. I believe there is room for and a need for both!
