I. Intro
Imagine you are the parent of a new born baby. He smells so sweet like the milk he drinks. You are even afraid to hold him because he is so fragile. So you wrap him into softest blankets like his skin. After all, he is a sweet defenseless angel and deserves to be loved and cared infinitely. Little time passes and apple of your eye turns 1 month old when he gets brutally raped and sodomized that he suffers serious sexual and internal injuries, a broken arm, collar bone, punctured lungs and fractures to every rib. His rape causes him so much pain that your 1 month old suffers a heart attack. It is extremely graphic and unbelievably dramatic isn't it?
But this is a true event that took place in December 2011.
How do you feel about this? Anger? Disgust? Revenge?
What punishment is appropriate?
What does Child Rape do to a Victim: If you read about rape victims' testimonials, they say the brutal rape of a child is more heinous and more hideous than a homicide. It takes away their innocence, it takes away their childhood, it mutilates their spirit. It kills their soul. They're never the same after the rape. The victim does not continue to live like you and I live. They die inside and no therapy can reverse what has been done to them. Victims call their attackers "soul murderers". What punishment is appropriate?
My Opinion: I am a mother of a 2 year old toddler. Whenever I read the news about rape of a child, I go to a dark place. Imagining that anyone would even lay a finger on my son, let alone beat and brutally rape him takes me to this dark place. In this place, I only have one punishment for the attacker; death penalty.
II. Why Death Penalty?
Current Status: In U.S. only homicide is punishable by death penalty.
What does Constitution say (Cruel and Unusual Punishment): Constitution says "besides murder, no crime deserves death penalty". Let me explain what it means. Remember the 1 month old who had heart attack during his attack? If law puts a silent but lethal injection to his rapists arm, then, it is regarded as a cruel and unusual punishment. Cruel and unusual...I thought what he did to this defenseless child over and over again while poor baby cried in vain, was cruel and unusual! The cruelty did not end with the attack either. The surgeries little boy will have to go through to fix his sexual organs and his bones and his internal organs will continue to give him pain. Lastly, he will continue to live knowing what has been done to him.
Too bad, your monster will live. He might get parole. If your monster gets released, he might come back to get you!
All because constitution says we cannot seek death penalty for the rape of a child.
Death Penalty for Child Rape is not a new idea:
Congress added child rape to the military death penalty in 2006.
Five states passed laws allowing the death penalty for the rape of a child.
Supreme Court's Decision: However, U.S. Supreme Court made a close call decision on 2008 and held that the death penalty would be grossly disproportionate and an excessive punishment for any offense against an individual that did not involve death of the victim.
What Now?: If the rapist was nice enough not to use a weapon (sexual assault charge), he can get 2-20 years in prison. If he was a mean monster with a weapon, (Aggravated Sexual Assault charge) only then, he can get 5-99 years in prison.
Can you imagine living with the possibility that your rapist will continue living his life and might be released and rape other children.
What I am proposing: I am proposing that Death penalty be legalized for child rape. I support all the precautions taken within our death penalty system, in order to guard innocent people being sentenced to die. The burden to establish irrefutable evidence is on law makers and if they can establish that innocence is out of question through DNA testing then the death penalty should be carried through a lethal injection right away.
III. Why?
Firstly, victims' thoughts matter. They prefer their rapists be penalized with death. They view their attack as a destruction of their lives which usually leads to a life of self destruction, suicide and even drug addiction. The spiritual damage rapists cause is worse than death. Therefore death penalty for child rapists is not cruel and unusual punishment. It is justice.
Secondly, this punishment is for society to protect its children. We simply cannot risk repeat offenses after parole.
Thirdly, none of us, especially the victims, as taxpayers should have to pay to provide food and roof over the heads of rapists in prison.
Finally, we should have death penalty for the peace of the public conscience.
IV. Conclusions:
As President Obama says "this is a crime so heinous, so beyond the pale, that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment."
Lastly I would like to quote a child rape victim on her thoughts when asked about her thoughts on her rapists' death penalty conviction: "It's going to be justice, it's going to be that I can look forwards and not backwards, and not have to look over your shoulders, and one day see him. Or see him coming after me."
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