Another milestone in chutzpah, this time from the perpetrator of last year’s politically motivated atrocity in Norway. “Perhaps they have moisturizer in Hell, sir, although one thinks it unlikely.” [Lowering the Bar]
Another milestone in chutzpah, this time from the perpetrator of last year’s politically motivated atrocity in Norway. “Perhaps they have moisturizer in Hell, sir, although one thinks it unlikely.” [Lowering the Bar]
22 Comments
Hell is a village in the Lånke area of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Someone should check.
Bob
It rubs the lotion on its skin.
Those Norwegian winters can get awfully dry. Did they at least let him have some Chapstick? Oh, the humanity!
I’m real loathe to assume anyone is going to hell. I don’t think that is my call.
Otherwise, I guess I appreciate the point although railing on a mass murderer is bit of an easy target. I’m incensed by the fact that he killed. His television and moisturize demands are less of a concern in the relative scheme of things.
Putting this aside and moving to the larger picture, I do think many people think it is a good idea to reconsider wishing bad conditions on prisoners out of spite. I’m all for locking up the bad guys but making their lives miserable while they are there as a form of justice just means a greater likelihood of graduating a future criminal when they are released.
Tar. Feathers.
And a blowtorch to drive away any excess moisture.
“I do think many people think it is a good idea to reconsider wishing bad conditions on prisoners out of spite.”
No. It is out of a sense of justice.
“means a greater likelihood of graduating a future criminal when they are released.”
This guy is going to be released????
Justice and vengeance are not the same thing.
Nope, it is very unlikely that he is going to be released. It is theoretically possible, but extremely unlikely. Still, too bad conditions make prisons more dangerous for other inmates and those are going to be released one day.
[…] —from Lowering the Bar, by way of Overlawyered. […]
I know this does not apply to many situations, but capital punishment resolves the three fold quandary of letting a murderer loose, letting a more hardened criminal loose, and dry skin.
Justice and vengeance are not the same thing.
The latter is oft a component of the former.
John Fembup: “This guy is going to be released????”
He just might. It seems like the Norwegians equate 7 years in prison to life. After 7, then a little parole and then back to society.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_Norway
I’m not thinking this guy is getting released although I have no idea. What I was trying to do was pivot to the larger issue of how we treat prisoners in America, not how this guy is being treated in Norway.
John, I get your point. I just don’t think mistreating people is every a really good plan.
You can ignore this last point if religion this is not your cup of tea: I can’t imagine Jesus taking the position that we should treat prisoners poorly as a means of justice.
This worthless piece of detritus slaughtered innocent children among other. This kind of crap such as beauty aids serves only to rekindle the pain their parents must feel. He is a still living example of why the death penalty has true value. Perhaps headfirst into a vat of moisturizer until he reached room temperature would be a fitting end to the entire saga.
@John,
Yes, he’ll be released. Apparently they could only give him 20 or 25 years max even with the heinousness of the crimes.
C’mon guys. This prisoner’s complaints do not rise to the level of “spite” or “vengeance” or mistreating people” or even, you know, “treating prisoners poorly”.
Here, once again are his complaints. I have the same complaints at home from time to time. I’ll bet you do, too:
his coffee is often cold;
he has to “rush” when shaving and brushing his teeth;
his cell is “poorly decorated” and has no view;
he is not given enough butter for his bread;
the TV switch is outside his cell; and, most diabolically,
he is not allowed moisturizer.
This is not the stuff of high-minded discussions about prison abuse.
John, I agree. Again, I’m talking about the larger issue of how we treat prisoners. I’m not talking about this guy. He is a killer. Once you are willing to kill another human being, I have a hard time being outraged by much else you do so I’m not infuriated he is making goofy demands. (Unless, you know, like his coffee is cold EVERY single time. It which case he has a real beef. )
It’s Norway, Ron.
Bob
kimsch ,
According to the BBC, :
His 21-year sentence can be indefinitely extended for as long as he is considered a danger to society.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20270325
Yeah, I acknowledge that above, Bob. But I’m a citizen of the United States as are a a few other readers. So I thought it was a meaningful segue, especially since I think prisoners are mistreated in most if not all countries around the world.
If we are required to limit our comments to the Norwegian criminal justice system then I apologize.
It seems to me, Ron, that you have a habit of running your arguments far afield, citing other jurisdictions and inserting contrafactual arguments — not quite of the “suppose it happened to you” variety. You have good points to make, but your method of argument weakens them enormously.
As for it being Norway, I meant simply that it’s cold in Norway. I don’t expect coffee to remain hot there for very long — especially when one of the murder s**t’s other complaints is that his cell is so cold he has to wear three sweaters.
On a more serious note, people like this make it impossible for me to be a Lockeian in philosophy. I am not a Hobbesian. I believe that humans are born with certain rights, but that some crimes are so heinous that society has a right to decree those rights abrogated. I’m not sure where the line is, but I’m sure that deliberately taking part in the murder of seventy-seven people and then complaining that your cell — which is a lot more spacious than many a New York City apartment — is not decorated well is over the line.
“Although justice must be tempered with mercy, it must still maintain a sense of retribution.”
– Ben Stone, Law & Order
Bob, I’d be lying if I claim to understand your point in the first paragraph and how it would even remotely apply to this discussion. But I’m sorry I missed the Norway joke.