In America, capital punishment may still exist in several states, but in others, life sentences are an option. People can be given 200 years in jail, and society can be made safe for the rest of their lifetimes. This promotes a sense of peace, and American society becomes irate when the justice system doesn’t work out in their best interest, and instead sides with the rights of the individual. Yet, have the American people taken a second to look at justice in other parts of the world?
More specifically, in Norway, the highest sentence is punishable by only 21 years in prison. In 2011, Anders Breivik killed 77 people, and received this sentence. Now, he finds his home in a comfortable three bedroom suite. He has a fitness area, a television, and most recently, an electric typewriter. But per his standards, this is not humane.
The mass murderer complains that he has undergone 800 strip searches, and notes that in none of these has anything been found in his “buttocks”. He complains that his stab-proof pen is not appropriate for his literary needs, and says that the only letters he receives are from Christians (prison officials say that they censor his mail to prevent extremely radical racism). He isn’t given a computer with internet access for this same reason. He complains that he only receives 5 minutes of social interaction a day, and that this isn’t humane. Ironically, his attorney advocates his positions completely.
Looking at the difference, one can see that perhaps he is denied the freedom of speech. But for killing 77 people, in 20 years he will be free. This man, who killed so many, will walk the streets of Norway again. Doesn’t this promote fear for the Norwegian people? Or do they expect repentance and rehabilitation? Judging from Breivik’s current assertions, repentance is far off. He turned himself in, after setting off several bombs and performing a mass shooting at a youth camp in which he tried to protect the country from “Muslims and multiculturalism”.
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