Do people deserve a second chance @ life after a serious crime ?

lowrider007 said:
Can people come back from terrible crimes and be 'good' people ?

Do these people even deserve a chance at being better human beings ?

And what if there is no one to forgive you but yourself ?

Can you forgive yourself ?
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Thats quite a question, and i would say it would all depends on a few things.

1. Was it premeditated? Crimes commited under an charged emotional state can sometimes not be meant (anger, jealousy etc) although if it was carefully planned out, then no.

2. When the crime happened, i mean, i am 40 next year, and i am very different person than when i was 25.

3. What the crime was !!
 
lowrider007 said:
You see this is the thing, are you saying that there are certain crimes that can never be forgiven ?, or at the very least that person who committed them given a chance to redeem his or her self ?
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It always depends on the nature of the crime. Murder is not always pre-meditated, and it is not always intentional. Tragic mistake happen imo.
 
Depends on the circumstances of the crime and if there's a chance they will re-offend

not all criminals are bad people either
 
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Richdog said:
It always depends on the nature of the crime. Murder is not always pre-meditated, and it is not always intentional. Tragic mistake happen imo.
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ummmmm, so someone who commits a pre-meditated murder, no second chance ?, or do you have to also take into consideration why the 'criminal' planned to kill 'said' person also ?

For example,

Someone who is cheated on after being married for X amount of years murders wife/husband. : No second chance ?

Someone who was abused by their partner for many years and murders them. : Second chance ?

(Taking into acc that both murders where pre-meditated)

At the end of the day where do you draw the line ?

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And also when I say 'second chance @ life' I don't just mean in the eyes of the law, but ethically/morally speaking.

A serial killer for example, is it really their fault they are the way that they are ? although I agree people that commit these types of crimes should be kept away from 'normal' society, should they be hated on, or rather understood and helped, or at least it be recognised that it may not be their fault that they committed these terrible crimes ?
 
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I do indeed think it depends very much on the crime.

For example, a rapist or pedophile or murderer has done something so terrible that no number of years can change that. Normally, with this sort of case there has to be some sort of mental problem which drives them to do it the first place, and that can never change.
There is of course no black and white in this area, since even after writing that I question myself.
What if the murder was out of anger, and they are truly resentful?
hmmm

It's a really difficult thing to say.
I do however support that argument that some people are just plain evil, and some never deserve forgiveness from others, nor will they ever forgive themselves.
 
Short answer is it would depend on the crime and their response to it.

Talking in generalities people deserve the possibility of a second chance but it very much depends on individual circumstances and would have to be decided on a case by case basis after weighing up the risks to the public and sometimes to themselves.
 
Just that if we are saying people dont deserve a second chance at life for committing certain crimes then we must be 100% sure they are guilty before they can be punished.
 
Depends what the crime is, Violent crime where someone his hurt in some way I don't think so. I do think people can change but if I was the victim or victims relative I would want an eye for an eye.

So murder, rape or serious assault when it was unprovoked and not in self defence or anything like that then nope.
 
lowrider007 said:
Can people come back from terrible crimes and be 'good' people ?

Do these people even deserve a chance at being better human beings ?

And what if there is no one to forgive you but yourself ?

Can you forgive yourself ?
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Mercy always!
Who are 'we' to judge?
Saddam on the gallows was trying to get out the basic affirmation of Faith, and was cut off halfway by those who were apparently his betters.

As for self-forgiveness - most people are able to rationalise and justify (to themselves) anything at all.
 
No. A crime is a crime, they made their choice when they commited those crimes. In most cases, second chances lead to more crime and so begins the cycle.
 
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