On international drug traffic
Tuesday, November 29th, 2005 | 6:29 pm @ SK
Yes, he is one very young lad, loving and might have bright future.
But, minus the emotion and symphathy, the fact is that, crime had been done.
And the consequence is being sentenced to death penalty, where the execution is scheduled to be at Singapore’s Changi Prison on Friday.
It’s apparent that, the anti-drugs laws is always there in Singapore, you break the rules, you bear it.
What? Just because you think you’re an oversea drug smuggler, you’re above the law?
Something for us to ponder.
November 30th, 2005 at 6:05 am
At issue here isn’t if a crime had been committed or the man is guilty. Fact is a crime had been committed and the man is guilty. But the problem here is punishment.
I offer for your pondering pleasure, the concepts that, Justice must be dealt with mercy and that the punishment must fit the crime.
It is not so much that they hang drug traffickers, I say, if they can find the degenerates that ruin the lives of so many, they should die. But the problem here is the policy of mandatory sentencing.
Why had this man smuggled drugs? Was he trying to get rich? The man isn’t rich. He was born a refugee and life hadn’t been kind to him. Despite that he worked hard to make a living for himself.
He did what he did for his brother. The brother was an addict who was heavily in debt with the wrong people and had pay up before he gets into a lot more trouble. So doing what family does for family, this man tried to help save his brother. He did what he had to out of fear for the life of his brother. The man had no prior criminal record and since his arrest, his help was instrumental in putting away a drug pusher in Sydney.
Now, this is not to say he is blameless… he obviously committed a crime and ought to pay for it, but is this man honestly deserving of a death sentence? Is justice served when a man is executed for being a victim of circumstance and loving his brother? Is it served when a kingpin, a person who gets rich by means of murder and ruining lives is given the same sentence as a mule forced into servitude?
November 30th, 2005 at 9:31 am
Viceice,
I understand where you came from, that he is such a loving guy, trying to help his brother settle the debt, so he shouldn’t be punished in such a way.
But think again, Singapore’s anti-drug laws is always there that anyone aged 18 or over who is convicted of carrying more than 15 grams (0.5 ounces) of heroin receives a mandatory death sentence.
The bottomline is, none can afford to think that, one is above the law.
November 30th, 2005 at 1:32 pm
Yes i agree that nobody is above the law. And yes the law is there. But then what i’m saying is that like all things man made, the law is not infallable, it is only as just as the people who wrote it.
As a matter of law, there is no question. The man is to hang.
But as a matter of Justice, I feel that it is not served.
November 30th, 2005 at 1:59 pm
If so, I choose to respect your belief then. ;-)
November 30th, 2005 at 4:15 pm
Viceice:
I do understand what you are trying to say too, and i’m really feel sorry for him too… But the law is just the law, and it’s there for a reason, which is to defend Justice…
Anyone that breaks it will be punished regardless of your motives. Whether you do it to get rich or even someone pointed a gun at your head to do it…
You have to understand that by smuggling the drugs, it will also affect the lives of others who actually manage to lay their hands on the drugs because he smuggled the drugs…
What about the other lives that are ruined just to save his brothers life? What are the difference of the effects of his actions compared with other drug traffics who do it for other reasons? Can that be consider as Justice being mercy, if he weren’t sentence to death?
It does sound a little bit selfish in some way…. if you understand what i mean….
December 1st, 2005 at 3:47 am
Yes it is selfish. But self presevation applies doesn’t it? Say you are on a boat that is rapidly sinking. There are 5 of you and only 1 life preserver. Someone else has gotten his hands on the life vest. You beat the crap out of him and take the life preserver. Only you live and the rest drown. Are you guilty of murder?
No you’re not. Because in your situation, you are all doomed, only you did something to better your chance of living. So how is this not the same as people who are coerced by the mafia into carrying drugs? Are they not doomed if they do nothing? Are they not only doing what needs to be done to continue living? Whats worse, with the mafia the gun is NOT to your head, but to the head of your family members.
Sure, maybe you are willing to scarifice your own life and stand up to the mafia, but are you going to do the same with the life of your own family?
Finally to answer your question, how is jailing the man for 20 years, putting him in a cramped 3mx3m cell with 4 other people to rot for twenty long years, totally out of touch with society, with stunted social abilities and no working potential when he comes out of jail not unlike what happens to an addict? Is ruining his life by putting him in jail not justice enough?
Remember, I’m not saying the man is not guilty. All i’m saying is he doesn’t deserve to die.
December 1st, 2005 at 12:00 pm
sk: i agree with thee -The law is the law, No double standrads.
viceice: sympathise with thy empathy with the "law-breaker"
there is hope yet. Clemency dismissed, also the Spore hangman.
So we pray for "his sake" (family too), no other hangman (from Oz, one offerer…from Msia, usual hunting ground for spore to do Bad job!) appears.
No hangman — no hanging. Problemo steal hangin’! Not ours tho, the Sin-gomen!
December 1st, 2005 at 2:04 pm
Viceice said
"Say you are on a boat that is rapidly sinking. There are 5 of you and only 1 life preserver….You beat the crap out of him and take the life preserver. Only you live and the rest drown. Are you guilty of murder?… No you are not"
Is this the kind of competitive and surival of the fittest society you want to live in? A society where everyone is just being selfish and care less about the rest. A society where people only care about their own benefits? Because of such mentality, the society is in its current dire state. That is why you have cheaters as businessman, you have ppl who robs and etc.
Viceice said
"….Whats worse, with the mafia the gun is NOT to your head, but to the head of your family members. "
Protecting your family members is important, but are you implying that we should forget about the others? Remember that we are one big happy family. Such disconnection is what causes war and fights.
Regarding that guilty man. I believe that, if you dare do it, then you must face the consequences. The fact remains that you are guilty, so face it! To me, it is not the hanging or the jailing that will ruin one’s life. The action that leads to the hanging and jailing already ruin his life. However, all these still being something very external. Nothing can ruin your life, if you do not allow it to! It is the same that no one can take your dignity away if you do not allow it to.
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:22 am
[…] Again, this is something for us to ponder and may his soul being blessed in peace. […]