Forgiveness anyone?

When I read Newsweek's feature "Grace Before Dying", I must admit i was perplexed. I completely understand that dangerous people must be kept behind bars. But what about terminally ill prisoners. Kept behind bars, they perish there and are buried in numbered boxes (according to the magazine).


Of course, one may argue that, well, just because they're dying, their sentences must be revoked. Others may argue that they are provided with the best healthcare facilities and their rights to medical care are not affected in the least....(This of course would mean the U.S, let's just forget what's happening here in Pakistan)


Prisons have been used as far as 2000 B.C.E. What bothers me is the fact that we still don't have a viable alternative to the prison system. And no, crime rates have not improved even if we've managed to keep "dangerous" people off the streets. Turns out each one of us could be a criminal, if provoked, we cannot under any circumstances guarantee "civil" behavior in all situations.

So what should we do? we need prisons, can't pardon the terminally ill, we normal people must be safe, examples must be made of such people so that we behave ourselves....


I'll tell you what I'll do in this case (since I'm all goody-goody) , I'll focus on the good in those inmates who have volunteered to care for their dying prison-mates. And I'll hold on to belief that people can change and that they deserve a second chance...

Response to "history repeats itself"

I believe that in life we are drawn towards the things we are supposed to do... the locution "everything happens for a reason" comes to mind...

In my 'brief' (i like to amuse myself) life, i have always found myself quite literally standing between 2 parties (or opposing viewpoints) encouraging dialogue and tolerance. I have a feeling I'll be drawn into doing this a lot more in my coming years....

The following was definitely not intended to be my first post, however, I was drawn into the matter...
the features editor of DAWN magazine Miss Huma Yusuf wrote an article "history repeats itself"
http://blog.dawn.com:91/dblog/2009/08/07/history-repeats-itself/


As a Clinical Psychologist in training, I can confirm what Miss Yusuf says, people, even mental health experts, aren't still sure whether homosexuality is a choice or something entirely biological i.e "hard-wired".

There have been horrendous experiments involving electrically shocking otherwise 'normal' males each time they experienced arousal in response to pictures of near nude men.

The debate rages on...

However, cutting-edge research has brought to light so called 'differences in brain structure' between homosexual men heterosexual ones. some researchers have even theorized that the brains are shaped or respond to stimuli much in the same fashion as brains of females..

If somehow science does manage to 'prove' that homosexuality is hardwired, gay men and women have little to celebrate...
prejudices and biases are hard, if not impossible, to get rid of...

I believe the whole debate about legalizing homosexuality and the very manner in which such people are treated are two entirely separate issues...

I admit i am poorly schooled in matters that require knowledge of Islamic law, however, i am thoroughly surprised when i see so-called learned scholars and well-educated people react with alarming levels of homophobia.

The way i see things, the following may occur,

Science will prove that homosexuality is hardwired. The rift between science and religion will widen.
A debate will follow about whether it is, after all, a disease. Human rights activists will explode. Homosexuals will explode.
Others will want to "treat" it. they may try to genetically weed out the "gay gene" (of course human rights activists and homosexuals will-you got it-explode.
But let's say it is weeded out.. what will happen to the endangered species of homosexuals who are alive at the time... will we then ban them from indulging....
Once more human rights activists and homosexuals will....