Crime and Punishment... Or Lack Thereof

I'm not really sure what's going on in the world lately.  People are committing crimes and not being punished for them. 

The guy who shot that gal in California but was found 'not guilty' because he said the gun went off  - several times into a crowd - accidentally after he'd dropped it and picked it back up again.  He was already a criminal, but hey...

The woman who passed out from being high on drugs and let her child freeze to death on her porch.  No jail time.

The man who raped a 12-year old girl while wearing his monitoring anklet, who - if he'd been punished in the first place - would have been in a cage instead of walking around where he could ruin some poor girl's life.

The numerous people who get off on 'not guilty by reason of disease or mental defect'.  (Personally, I'd prefer they re-word that to 'guilty but insane' and then they still get punished.) 

Plea deals that let murderers walk free after 5 years.

Bleeding hearts who go easy on offenders who then go commit more, and often worse, crimes once they're let go.

People who commit multiple crimes but are only charged with one, and then get off lightly.

:shudder:

Punishment.  Crimes are supposed to include punishment.  Not reform.  Not help.  Pun-ish-ment.   It's supposed to be a deterrent.  Think about what you've done so you are less likely to do it again.  What deters a criminal if they are either never punished at all or are lightly punished for a heavy crime? 

Jus' somethin' to think about this morning.