CRIMEAPHOBIA 5

Early on, prison psychologists told the board of prison terms that I am insane; have no common sense; the intelligence of a moron and should never be released from prison. If all that were true why is it that ten years later (1985) every psychologist and every psychiatrist at the prison recommend that I be paroled? Either I'm insane; or I'm not. Either I"m intelligent; or I'm not. Either I should be released from prison, or I shouldn't Make up your minds already! Criminal justice can't have it both ways. It is not justice to make promises to offenders then break those promises in both ways. It is not justice to make promises to offenders then break those promises and think it's funny. It is not justice to lie to prisoners. It is not justice to punish all offenders for what some offenders do. It is not justice to reward prisoners for good behavior, then take those rewards away, stating they never should have been given in the first place. It is not justice to encourage an offender to correct criminal conduct and rehabilitate; then after he accomplishes those tasks; tell him he wasted his time because you'd just as soon parole Jack the Ripper as to parole him. These cross-eyed examples are NOT justice. They are examples of INjustice. Joe Public couldn't give two hoots whether criminals truly rehabilitate, or not: he demands only that we be punished for having broken the law. He might purport that we deserve a "second chance"... just so long as we don't ever come anywhere near him, or his family, or his friends, or his place of business. Because he has not forgiven us... and likely never will. We can't live in his neighborhood. We can't work where he works. We can't go to a school anywhere because education authority is afraid we might become a bad influence upon law-abiding students. Joe Public doesn't even want us shopping where he shops. Criminal Justice has become a two-faced salesman. It voices a proposed justice for all; but behind closed doors, it gifts justice only to those who financially support its bandwagon platform, and totally agree with its crooked conduct... the reformed offenders be damned. Without forgiveness there can be no such thing as justice; and, without at least some small measure of trust, there can be no such thing as forgiveness. THIS is crimeaphobia at its worst. It is nothing more than an ill-placed hatred. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody, at one time or the other, has done a wrong (committed a crime). No one is perfect. In the Christian faith, there is an old credo that goes: "hate the sin, not the sinner." to the non-believer, and to the defenders of a stern law-enforcement, I would say: "Hate the crime, and not the criminal." I fully realize that it is no easy matter to not hate someone who has brought great and terrible harm to you, your family, or to your property. But we should not visit our hatred upon another human being. But how are we to forgive others, if we cannot even forgive ourselves? The man who cannot forgive himself soon becomes his worst enemy. The American war against crime has become pointless and futile for it defeats not its enemy, but rather it defeats its own purpose. I am a victim of rape, and of horrible, torturous child abuse. There was a time when I hated rapists, and child abusers, and pedophiles so badly I would gladly kill them all... without hte least bit o remorse. But through an in-depth introspective self-analysis I had to ask myself the larger question: am I an better than the worst offender? Is one person any better than the next? So I gaze upon those lowly offenders and say to myself: "except by the grace of God: there go I." I am persuaded by common sense, and by grace, to purport peace on earth, and good will toward all mankind, and this is not made possible where hatred looms large, and the voice of command spews forth words of wrath and reckless rage. Crime is winning the war, hands-down.

Peace to all
Danny Fritchie