Dzhokhr A. Tsarnaev, if he survives his injuries, faces the death penalty if he is tried in federal charges, or life in prison if he is tried in Massachusetts courts.
Execution is probably the more merciful alternative. A life in prison means endless rapes and probably a messy death, like Geoghan’s at the hands another prisoner. Even prisoners like to demonstrate that they are superior to traitors.
Or Tsarnaev could be kept in solitary his whole life. A quick death would be preferable to such a living death.
He is immature and was under the influence of his brother and did not think through the consequences of his actions. They were living in a fantasy world and expected an invisible army to rise from central Asia; they had no escape plan.
But he killed three people, including a child, and maimed scores, and killed a police officer.
What could restorative justice mean in such a situation? What could retribution mean? The best result might be if he would die of his injuries. Then his fate would be up to a higher justice.
PS One always has to wonder if the police got the right people; but as the brothers had both guns and explosives, it is highly unlikely that the police made a mistake.
But he killed three people, including a child, and maimed scores, and killed a police officer.
Leon, God’s demands are clear, as stated in Genesis 9:5-6.
Restorative justice to the families of murder victims is impossible. That’s why Scripture promotes capital punishment (as adjudicated through due process by an unbiased legal system) as the only proportional response to murder, since murder is the ultimate desecration of the divine image in humanity. Unfortunately, institutionalized Christianity has rejected that idea for a mindless compassion that equates both the perpetrators and the victims of evil. Perhaps that mindless compassion comes from embracing evolutionary ideas?
Institutionalized Christianity also has forgotten one major point:
If God is the Author of life, then He has the prerogative to issue conditions under which human life may be taken. Too many “sophisticated” theologians, however, want to take that prerogative for themselves.
Yep, they got the right men alright. But, amazingly enough, some idiots like Mark Shea are claiming that Boston was turned into a police state to catch the bomber. They think it was terrible that Boston was locked down . Sheesh, the bomber were throwing explosives out of their car windows! How else could you protect the citizens of Boston from that?
Though we who live in free societies should always be on the watch for creeping government power over our lives, there are situations when martial law is called for. In Canada this happened when The FLQ (a terrorist French seperatist group) kidnapped and killed a member of our government. Pierre Trudeau (not a Prime Minister I particularly admire) declared martial law and the crisis was ended and civilians protected.
Just so long as extreme measures are not too easily resorted to and are abandoned when no longer needed.
The Boston bombings look like a Gladio-style operation, but with left-wing terrorists replaced by Chechen Islamic radicals.
As a dear friend recently noted to me ,”There is a lot of anger out there.”
From the 30 something lifeguard at the local rec center who complained to me he could not get a decent job because seniors will not retire to the senior citizen at the desk who complained he had to work because his pension went away. Then onto a call from a friend who was severely injured in an auto accident when the uninsured motorist hit her head on in her lane.Police told her 20% of all motorists in the state are uninsured. Her Drs refused followup treatment unless she could pay up front because it”takes too long to be reimbursed in insurance cases.” Onto Medicare recipients who are frightened that their ssi and Medicare will be slashed .
The deceased bomber suspect who was a boxer and won some golden glove championship was angry too because he could not go onto the nationals as a foriegn citizen with just a green card.
Anger and disapointment shows itself in many responses including the 9% uptake in suicides since 2009.The rapid rise and usage of antidepressants being created by Big Pharma.
Terror attacks and legislation to legitimize sodomy.Yep, there is alot of anger out there.So we introduce legislation to fix it all instead of turning to God because His Word is an outmoded model to live by?
One last thought,
As a former Clinician for Hospice I continue to be amazed how the majority of people find God in the end or as a last resort when they realize they are helpless in a given situation.
A 26 yr old husband was interviewed in Watertown after his home was being riddled with bullets . He emphasized how he held his young wife after they crawled with their dog to the bathroom ,expressed his sorrow at not being able to protect her and they prayed aloud together asking Jesus to save them from their situation.
Some of the Fathers of the Church used to say that the Devil has three big nets for catching souls: lust, anger and greed. He seems to be using all three today with a vengeance.
A friend of mine was just cut off of disability and has had to enroll for ordinary welfare. Canada is a “welfare state” but the amount of money he gets is ridiculaously low. He’s angry and feels about to burst. So I think you’re right Mary, anger is rising, even in the hearts of good people.
Fr, I also think the hardest thing in life is to realize when the time comes to let go and realize what you have no control over . Then to turn it all over to the Creator with your whole heart soul and mind.
Sursum Corda is the one daily exercise that does bring the peace we all long for.
So true, Mary. HE Himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:14
“Or Tsarnaev could be kept in solitary his whole life. A quick death would be preferable to such a living death.”
However, he may have time to educate himself and repent Leon, providing he gets some solid direction. Unfortunately, Truth is so clouded by errant teachings passed off by so many “experts” today, it is difficult to find.
I imagine that the gnosticism that infiltrated Christian denominations is not so different in some Islamic circles.There it is used to insight a blowback reponse to a false view of traditionalist faith as with the controversies over the SSPX’s Bishop Williamson .
When I compare the writings of a real Theologian
http://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Way-Kallistos-Ware/dp/0913836583
To what passes for a one in catholic circles today
http://www.lospequenos.org/RohrDossier/Sections/TableOfContents.htm
I understand the depth of confusion that has infiltrated modern catholicism.
Is anyone else wondering how it is that students from former soviet countries that are so cash strapped yet can afford U Mass /D campus room board and tuition?
The mother is accused of shoplifting $1200 in lingerie and gave facials out of her home, the widow of the one deceased accused bomber is a nurses aide and also an accused shoplifter. The roomates of the incarcerated bomber were also on student Visas and from the same poor region of the Caucases.
The mechanic who worked on the younger brother’s friend’s cars said they all had mercedes and expensive late model cars. How does that work? Were they all so brilliant and on scholarships or are there special arrangements at these colleges that the American public is unaware of?
http://gma.yahoo.com/3-more-custody-boston-marathon-bombing-case-cops-160713928–abc-news-topstories.html
Tsarnaev will not face prison assault because a conviction on his charges will result in him going to SuperMax at ADX Florence in Colorado, i.e., solitary.
They were not “living in a fantasy world expecting an invisible army to rise from Central Asia.” Both of them– including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev– had Chechen jihadist material posted and linked on their social networking accounts. They had subscribed to this jihadist philosophy. They are both adults and intended to maim and kill. They had no remorse afterwards and even partied. How much do you need to talk about bloodshed and how many people do you need to go ahead and kill and dismember before it can be said without qualification that you are evil?
I only wish they had been captured in Makhachkala by Spetznaz rather than U.S. law enforcement in Watertown.