Okay, so one thing that looks like it's shaping up to be an election issue is harsher prison sentences for serious offenders. It looks like National, heretofore only the second most right wing part of NZ are going to outstrip Act in their demands for tougher penalties.

While they make token noises about stopping just shy of the death penalty and downplay the number of offenders who would receive the mooted life-without-parole sentences, this is still the fastest track to American style right wing "justice" I've seen in a while.

And you know what?

From the depths of my socialist hippy heart, I wish them all the success in the world.

Now, I'm, a big pink hippy, there's no denying it. I'm some manner of socialist agitator, it's that simple.

However, there is one thing I firmly believe - Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Take it like a man - If you've chosen to do something, accept the consequences.

You see, I've never really thought of prison in a rehabilative sense. There's no real rational behind this conception, just what I've grown up with - I've always seen prison as a punitive option - We don’t send you there to make you a better person, we send you there because you have done something you deserve to be punished for. You have sinned and you deserve to suffer for it.

Now, logically, I realise that this is not really feasible - If we don't offer people some kind of assistance to turn their lives around while they're in jail, they will come out no changed from when they went in, except for extra reserves of bitterness, and a couple of new acquaintances.

Of course, then I think - Why should we be nice to them - they gave up their rights.

Yes, they gave up their rights. When you commit a crime, you give up your rights.

Now, my moral high ground is, of course, only slightly eroded by the various escapades I got up to in my wayward youth. But I think (maybe wrongly, but what are you gonna do?) that there is a difference between a bit of healthy civil disobedience where no one gets hurt (except by the police) and then a nice piece of premeditated rape in the evening. Remember, the proposed legislation would deal solely with serious offenders.

If you plan and execute a plan to assault someone, rape them, kill them, violate their homes and property, well then, buh-bye rights. Where were the rights of your victims?

You know all of those prison riots which are basically protests over the substandard conditions in prisons? Where the prisoners say it is unfair that they are treated so shabily? My response is fairly straightforward - Get back in your cages you filthy subhuman fuckwits.

If you don't want to be beaten by guards, or to have to eat slop or have no privacy, or have humiliating body searches - there's one very simple thing you can do - Don't fucking kill anybody! If you hadn't committed a heinous violation of someone else’s rights, you wouldn't have this happening to you. You deserve what you get.

It's your fault you're there - You made your choice. You chose prison, so stop fucking whining and take the consequence that you decided on by your actions.

It's unacceptable for you to have to get shoved by the guards when you call them names. But it's acceptable for you to abduct a woman, and rape her repeatedly, leaving her to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and live the rest of her days seeing your face every time she turns out the light or looks at her husband? You put yourself in there you sick fuck, so take it like a man for once in your cowardly criminal life.

I don't approve of the death penalty, I think that two deaths don't make anything right any more than one does, but for fucks sake -

The two kids in England who killed James Bulger were released when they turned 18, the idea being that they had committed they horrific murder of a small child when they were kids and they were now adults, so it was okay. This was explained to me by one of my acquaintances who pointed out "How similar were you at 10 to when you were 18? They're completely different people now."

Yes, I'll agree- They're completely different people now, which is okay, because that magically brings James Bulger back to life.

Sorry?

What?

You mean to say that their remorse HASN'T magically revived the child that they callously slaughtered? You mean he's STILL dead? How can that be? I mean, they're REALLY sorry. They're completely different people now, and all.

But you know, the child they murdered is still dead. Their crime didn't go away just because they started regretting it after a few years in juvenile rape camp.

For murderers I think it's incredibly simple - You have taken someone’s life, so yours gets taken from you. When your murder victim gets their life back, you can have yours.

Rape and assault are arguably lesser offences, and I guess I agree. However - maximum sentence of 8 years for rape? Jesus Christ - the guy who thought up that stroke of brilliance had probably never been held down and violated, hurt, made to feel helpless and weak and degraded. I'm pretty much okay with castrating rapists. No, seriously. Obviously, there would need to be absolute proof of their guilt, if even the slightest possibility of doubt remained, we'd leave it at a fucking long prison sentence, but if there's dna evidence, well then, break out the torture toys.

Assault is a further down the spectrum of nastiness. Of course, it still isn't pleasant - I was assaulted well over a year ago, and the fear and anger it left in my mind and on my soul went away only very recently (like, in the last couple of months, I'm not kidding). It took me a long time to get over, and it messed me up really badly. I wanted to hurt innocent people, just because they reminded me of the prick who had mistaken my head for an offence against Allah.

Theft to my mind is a bit like that. While material goods are replaceable etc etc, coming home and finding out that someone fairly effortlessly came into where you live and went through your belongings, is a real violation, it really diminishes how safe you can feel in any given night.

It all seems pretty simple to me - The thing that separates us from animals is that we have brains and minds and we can chose to not hurt others and chose to treat them well. If you choose to give up your humanity in this fashion, you must be caged like the animal you are.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto to you. Well this cuts both ways - We'll treat you like you treat us. If you treat us with respect, we'll do the same - But if you violate our rights and abuse us, then we will treat you exactly the same way.

If you make a choice in full knowledge of the consequences, you deserve them, be they good or bad.

--Apathy Jack