Thrashing Criminals

Reading on the Bell Witch, I came across the following -

Bell Witch wrote:

The regulators took the two thieves into the dense forest and swamp ... strung them up to limbs of trees and whipped them from head to foot with keen switches. The men were still set free, and warned that if caught again after three days they would be hung.

The book then details what the thieves did afterwards. It speaks of them moving and becoming fine businessmen and fathers. After speaking of what became of the thieves, the book states -

Bell Witch wrote:

that the hickory used by our fathers was more potent in correcting bad morals than the penitentiaries of today. and was not less humane.

I tend to agree. I especially agree that the prison system of today is not deterring crime, and certainly not rehabilitating criminals.

I thought it good point to offer for discussion. There is the consideration that the criminals were not tried in a court, but there is also presented evidence that there was no doubt of the the identity of the perpetrators.

Well, people who are thieves aren't necessarily evil. Children who shoplift are just young and stupid for the most part, and I doubt a good thrashing from head to toe and hung if caught again would be the best for out anti-utopia as it is.

In today's world people recognise there is no such as thing as black and white, there is only different shades of grey. For to be black would make you a devil, and to be white? Well, that would make us angels wouldn't it. And humans are not angels...

So, hanging and other 'inhumane corporal punishments' are taboo, and now we have a total free-for-all, where violent criminals are coddled and protected and victims have to work very hard not to get into trouble for as little as defending themselves.

There was a case in England where two teens broke into a farmers house at night in an attempt to burgle, and the farmer discovered them and shot 1 of them with a shot gun, and unfortunately(?) killed him, and served hard time I think it was 4-6 years, he shot the other and wounded him and was later sued by the bugler for his injury.

Is this justice?

We live in an anti-utopia, plain and simple.

It is not an issue of "good vs evil" in the absolute sense of the individual, if it was, we would just execute anyone that committed a crime.

However it is an issue of people doing things that are destructive and disruptive to society and those actions being prevented either before they are committed or the elimination of the person from doing said action twice. By whatever means necessary.

Now you have sociopaths, which as far as anything goes are the closest we have in our culture to truly evil people. They can not be rehabilitated.

I think the problem runs deeper then just some justice system, and has corrupted into the very fabric of our current culture which eats away at our society like a cancer. Mainly the issue where people do not want to be accountable for their actions.

No amount of punishment will work if people have been spoon fed lies that they are not responsible and it is not their fault, because then the punishment is viewed as unjustified and the "System" that is trying to protect people is now viewed as evil.

We also have sub-culture that seeks to make problems out of solutions. Today those people who whipped the criminals would be made into villians. I see it all the time as a teacher -- those who cause a problem are coddled while those attempting to rectify the problem are punished. I will admit that there were teachers and lawmen that crossed the line, but to have those few tarnish ALL teachers and lawmen is wrong. It is further wrong that just because a few criminals have proven themselves to have some nobility to paint ALL criminals as having inner nobility. I believe that our society has to first get back to where certain groups are treated with the dignity, or lack of dignity, they deserve. Once our children can see that honest hardworking intelligent people are honored, they will also consider to become such people.

idolization is a big issue as well, I'll give you that one.