Heads (f)or tail

The logical part of my mind understands that what this man did was inexcusable if human society is going to continue. If people took the law into their own hands for every after-the-fact injury in society, civilization would crumble. At least that's what I, and likely you, have been raised to believe since we could formulate thoughts, and I can't argue with the logic of the idea. But the other part of my mind that has not been so steeped in logic, the part connected to emotions, cheers what this father did to his daughter's rapists.

In case the link above doesn't work at some point in the future, I will synopsize the story. In South Africa, at least 4 men raped an ex-South Africa rugby stars daughter and infected her with HIV, effectively giving her a death sentence. The father tracked down and stalked her daughter's alleged (oops, sorry for the candy-a**ed lawyer-speak) assailants and killed them with an axe, decapitating one, nearly doing so with the other, and apparently merely killing the third. He went after a the fourth man, but he escaped with only a scratch. The father has been arrested and charged with murder.

The murder charge is understandable. Regardless of the circumstances, he did, allegedly, kill the men. So, in the interest of preserving society, I can see need for the state to prosecute his violation of the law. But at a grittier level, I can also understand the action this father took to punish his daughter's rapists.

Nothing can change what happened to the man's daughter, even the disposal of her attackers. But at least they will never again enjoy a laugh, a beer, or any of the other little pleasures of life. Conversely, they will never be able to endure any of life's discomforts and pains, something I wish they could still experience, in concentrated amounts, daily, in a special prison tailored to mete out severe punishment to its unlucky inhabitants. A prison with no television, no books, no exercise equipment, no amenities of any kind, and no pretense there will be any attempt at rehabilitation, just plenty of tedious, pointless work, for a meager ration of lousy food and swift corporal punishment for minor rule infractions. In other words, a living hell. I believe that would be a more fitting punishment than the quick release of murder from this mortal coil.

Take care,
DAL357