Take bail procedures: Criminals out on bail commit a great number of addition& crimes.
Many laws as means to a goal should be reconsidered in relation to that goal and other goals of society rather than as absolutes in themselves. Ironically in an age when even the Ten Commandments have been relativized out of sight, too much of our law, protective and valuable as it is, is looked upon as metaphysically absolute. I'm not even that much concerned about “punishment.” But I am concerned that the people who assault human lives should be safely contained like nuclear waste so their destruction in our midst will stop. The criminal get a lottery ticket in the justice casino, the drawing to take place psychologically an epoch later.Īs a priest and a citizen, I am unalterably opposed to capital punish ment. A violent crime must be followed by immediate justice when the criminal is caught. Our society needs Draconian justice, swift and sure, to contain such offenders. All the experts tell us that most crimes are committed by persistent offenders. There must be equal concern for containment of those forces that are destroying lives and eyes and hearts with the immediacy of a knife thrust. Its destructive effects take place slowly. There is great concern over containment of nuclear waste. What can we do? Call for the National Guard on the streets? More police? No. And now at any hour their lives and the security of their persons are under relentless attack. The barbarians have our people triple‐locked in their apartments. We have no freedom to have church services at night. But her modest jewelry and keepsakes of a lifetime were taken. She was not harmed despite violent threats. A few weeks ago she surprised a burglar rifling her apartment. Until a few weeks ago you could sense the vivacity that many years ago gave civilized charm to the boulevards of Paris. Her faith and devotion help keep her together. She'll shake for her remaining years with the memory of that assault.
A burglar raped her in her apartment some months ago. The mugger took some small change- and John's left eye. The sight in that eye is completely gone.” John had recently been mugged. Joseph's, I spoke to John D., who is 62 years old. After mass on a recent Sunday here at St. an elderly lady slain in a nearby housing project a young woman killed in her apartment at 89th St. Recent events in our neighborhood: a young woman murdered in her apartment on East 91st St.