Instead of keeping my mouth shut (wouldn't you just love to have me at your family gatherings) I said that I believe, and the evidence shows, too many innocent people are arrested (and convicted and executed).
She then said "Well, I think if a suspect kills himself it is an admission of guilt." I agreed.
But then I thought about it.
I was wrong.
In the current US Police State a suicide could also be the result of the realization that, even if you are innocent, your life is over once you have been dragged in to the "justice" system by an accusation. Even if you are innocent and are set free by a jury, you will still have the cloud hanging over your head that says that The State thinks you did something bad. Too many State worshipers believe that you wouldn't have been arrested if you didn't do it. And, that's enough to make some people choose death instead of a lifetime of being suspected of getting away with something. In fact, I suspect the innocent might be more inclined to kill themselves after an arrest than people who really don't care.
And, that's also assuming that a suicide is really a suicide, rather than a murder by the kidnappers or their jailhouse "brothers".
Just my thoughts.
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Agree. Suicide of innocents is related to guilty pleas by innocents, I believe. In each there's a strong belief that there's no way out but capitulation. The government, of course, often threatens people with punishments which, even if they're guilty as charged, are horribly excessive, and suspects are surrounded only by people who either don't care (fellow prisoners) or who tell them they'll certainly be convicted whether guilty or not (government thugs). There is no sense of justice, no hope of justice, in many American courts.
ReplyDeleteHello, Kent...
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed your writing, although I haven't commented before. I don't know the specifics of the case you were discussing, but speaking for myself, I resolved a long time ago not to allow myself to be taken alive under any circumstances by the criminal gang that calls itself our government, even--or especially--if I am innocent. I have a chronic illness, and all that would be needed for any would-be captors to torture me to death would be to arrange to withhold the medication I need. Combined with what I've read about the workings of our legal system and prison conditions, suicide in the face of certain capture seems like the best option. I wonder how many prisoners over the years reached a similar conclusion.
All the specifics I know of the case are to be found in the newspaper article I linked to. I'm sure there's a lot that isn't said.
ReplyDeleteAbuse of a child, and especially sexual abuse (something that wasn't alleged in the case I referenced- as far as I know) are pretty much automatic guilty verdicts in our society. Which is tragic.
People are so emotional over the desire to overprotect children that they err on the side of the system. Which makes children much less safe in the long run. So I can certainly understand why someone accused of child abuse would decide there is no possible way they will ever see justice, and decide to kill themselves instead.
Sadly, suicide truly becomes an option when both flight and fight are eliminated as possibilities.
ReplyDeleteBut if you ever contemplate that as a solution to the dilemma... make sure you succeed. Suicide is also "illegal." You will be seriously punished for failure.
Reminds me of a line from the play "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum":
ReplyDelete"Suicide's illegal. The penalty's death."