collaberation - The 'If...' Project by anna @ thespyglass AUGUST 2003: true to self If you were the sole witness to a crime committed by a loved one, would you offer what you knew to the proper authorities? Which do you value more: your sense of loyalty or sense of justice? The law and punishments are not always 'just', but we need order in society in order to protect it. In this case, however, my concern for the family member etc. would undoubtedly overrule my sense of 'civic duty'. I'm naturally inclined to question aspects of authority and whoever assumes it over me, so it would come down to the welfare of the loved one. How serious is the crime? Who were the victims? How would the family member, or whoever, be helped if they were to be convicted? The title 'true to self' is misleading, since my morals and desire to do 'right' by people stem not from the law set out by authority, or from love for/loyalty to my family, but from my own concsience and world view, however varied and complex the influences of that are. Thankfully this rarely puts me at odds with the law in general, but if we took an example being that the crime in question was murder, since I live in Britain I would almost certainly turn the loved one in. However if I lived in an American state that advocates the death penalty, I would definitely not turn them in, since the 'punishment' is as barbaric as the crime. I do not hold with 'an eye for an eye', a very dangerous and damaging logic to adhere to. I also do not have much respect for prisons as they are today. People have tried long and hard for a legal system that holds truly with the idea of rehabilitation, and yet we still just lock people up and do nothing. And how is a person supposed to reform, to change their mindset and expand their ideas about the world if not given the chance of an education? True, there are some people who are psychopathic, who we do not have the capacicty to help and who will have to remain locked up for the rest of their lives, but however much some may believe that they 'deserve' death, nobody has the right to ensure that it happens. Some people are seriously mentally ill and need the best care and help. Some people have never been given the chance to be different in their lives, and need that chance now. Helping people often takes time, and skill, and a lot of money, but it's vital if we're serious about reducing the extent of crime today. Because it's not just about crime, or who the victims are; it's about improving the quality of life for everyone. If we're just going to punish we may as well give up now, because how can we live in a society that accepts no responsibility for the actions of its citizens? I so didn't mean this to turn into a rant about crime and punishment!