For those of us that follow the news regularly as I do, there was a sad dénouement today to a story that gripped the nation and much of the United Kingdom and Ireland last week.
Jill Meagher, the attractive, spritely and bubbly Irish girl who was abducted and brutally assaulted and murdered in the northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick nearly two weeks ago was farewelled by her family and close friends at a private funeral service today. A sad day for them no doubt and also for those who followed the story closely and lived in hope that a miracle may occur rather than contemplating the typical end which unfortunately is all too familiar in cases such as this.
I noticed on the internet news today that the chief of police in Victoria, Mr Ken Lay was scathing in his comments towards Facebook and the fact that they refused to take down pages which were featuring hateful slurs against the man arrested for Ms Meagher’s alleged murder. I know Mr Lay was only doing his job and unfortunately in the real world it is a fact that making such allegations against an accused person on social media can jeopardize a fair trial which of course is sacrosanct in our society. As it should be. It should also be noted that Facebook has eventually complied with the wishes of the police and judiciary and taken down the offending pages much to the relief of the prosecution lawyers in this case I’m sure.
But the whole thing has really had me thinking. As a rule I am left of centre politically and socially in most ways although I can veer across that invisible centre line on some issues at certain times. I like to think I am reasonably socially progressive even though at times I can be conservative in my views in regards to certain issues.
But really, I have come to the conclusion that we are far too liberal when it comes to laws dealing with men who cause harm to women and children.
The accused in the above mentioned case is a convicted rapist who spent many years in jail for raping prostitutes and is actually still on parole after serving his sentence for that crime. I ask myself, ‘why should such a man be able to wander the streets at night looking for victims to satisfy his putrid desires”?
I am all for civil rights, in fact I applaud them but for there should be a limit when in regards to fellows such as this. He is obviously a psychopath, a sociopath of the highest order at least, who, as far as I’m concerned should have had his right to be living among us severely curtailed. He was a murderer in the making and if it hadn’t been Jill Meagher who was unlucky enough to stumble into his path that night it merely would have been someone else. What about the civil rights of those who live clean and innocent lives and deserve to be able to walk the streets free of molestation by such guttersnipes?
I have no problem with this fellow being named and shamed. Laws need to be changed. And men who are defective and who have a psychotic need to hurt and degrade women and take them away from their families forever due to their own repugnant failings as humans need to be tagged for life so as the authorities can keep track of them. This is the least we should be doing as a society to control monsters such as this. But it will never happen.
And I only hope that in their sadness and grief, Jill’s family will eventually find some solace in the fact their daughter’s story touched a nation, although I am sure that will never be a consolation. RIP.
Jill Meagher, the attractive, spritely and bubbly Irish girl who was abducted and brutally assaulted and murdered in the northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick nearly two weeks ago was farewelled by her family and close friends at a private funeral service today. A sad day for them no doubt and also for those who followed the story closely and lived in hope that a miracle may occur rather than contemplating the typical end which unfortunately is all too familiar in cases such as this.
I noticed on the internet news today that the chief of police in Victoria, Mr Ken Lay was scathing in his comments towards Facebook and the fact that they refused to take down pages which were featuring hateful slurs against the man arrested for Ms Meagher’s alleged murder. I know Mr Lay was only doing his job and unfortunately in the real world it is a fact that making such allegations against an accused person on social media can jeopardize a fair trial which of course is sacrosanct in our society. As it should be. It should also be noted that Facebook has eventually complied with the wishes of the police and judiciary and taken down the offending pages much to the relief of the prosecution lawyers in this case I’m sure.
But the whole thing has really had me thinking. As a rule I am left of centre politically and socially in most ways although I can veer across that invisible centre line on some issues at certain times. I like to think I am reasonably socially progressive even though at times I can be conservative in my views in regards to certain issues.
But really, I have come to the conclusion that we are far too liberal when it comes to laws dealing with men who cause harm to women and children.
The accused in the above mentioned case is a convicted rapist who spent many years in jail for raping prostitutes and is actually still on parole after serving his sentence for that crime. I ask myself, ‘why should such a man be able to wander the streets at night looking for victims to satisfy his putrid desires”?
I am all for civil rights, in fact I applaud them but for there should be a limit when in regards to fellows such as this. He is obviously a psychopath, a sociopath of the highest order at least, who, as far as I’m concerned should have had his right to be living among us severely curtailed. He was a murderer in the making and if it hadn’t been Jill Meagher who was unlucky enough to stumble into his path that night it merely would have been someone else. What about the civil rights of those who live clean and innocent lives and deserve to be able to walk the streets free of molestation by such guttersnipes?
I have no problem with this fellow being named and shamed. Laws need to be changed. And men who are defective and who have a psychotic need to hurt and degrade women and take them away from their families forever due to their own repugnant failings as humans need to be tagged for life so as the authorities can keep track of them. This is the least we should be doing as a society to control monsters such as this. But it will never happen.
And I only hope that in their sadness and grief, Jill’s family will eventually find some solace in the fact their daughter’s story touched a nation, although I am sure that will never be a consolation. RIP.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 