Crime And Consequences: Punishment Matters

A lawless country is bound to chaos, anarchy, and destruction. Without an operating government and a legal system that works to make sure bills are passed down to laws to protect the peace of citizens and the country at large,) the country begins to break down from the top to the bottom. Ultimately, the country will be left in ruins. This is why laws are important. Laws prevent criminals from doing as they please. Consider this: if there were no laws against murder or rape, people who do not have conscience would go around committing atrocities as they like. However, these laws put criminal acts in check. Depending on the gravity of your action, as long as you break the law and commit a crime, you will face the law. However, the big question is whether there are justifiable crimes. Are there crimes that people commit, yet warrant pardon? Do you agree with their motives even though the act is against the law?

On the surface level, the phrase “Justifiable Crime” seems like an oxymoron- placing contradictory words side by side. How can a crime be justifiable? Isn’t it going against the whole idea? Do you feel a crime is a crime and when people go against the laws of a country, they should be punished duly, regardless of their motives? Today’s edition of Hive learners prompts asks us if there are justifiable crimes. Are there crimes people can commit and you’d agree with their motives even though the act is against the law? It is important to know that there are two sides to every coin. Meaning, we are all entitled to different opinions and perspectives. So, it is fine to have different answers regarding this topic.

First off, it is important to understand the concept of morally justifiable crimes. I have established the fact that a lawless country is bound to chaos and destruction. Laws are there to keep people safe and that is why when people break them, they are duly punished. However, the concept of morally justifiable crimes creeps in when the action (although still illegal) is considered right due to different reasons. The first step to determining whether a crime is morally justifiable or not is to take a deep look at the motive of the perpetrators.

All crimes are committed with a motive in mind, and this is where we draw the line for moral justification. For example, let’s use a rapist as a case study. A man wakes up in the morning and gets possessed by god-knows-what. Filled with lust, he chases after a young girl and rapes her. To worsen the case, the girl happens to be a minor. This man right here has committed a crime against the law, and looking at the scenario, there is no atom of morality in the crime he committed. When these types of crimes are committed, all the people will be against the perpetrator. I’m pretty sure if this happened in real life, no one would say, “Oh, maybe he did it for the right reasons. Maybe he should be pardoned instead of getting punished.” Everyone will say, “he committed a crime and should be killed immediately.”

It is evident that in the above case study, the motive behind the crime is lust. Pure lust. In my opinion, any crime that makes people take sides with the criminal is justifiable. Crimes that make people go, “Yes, the criminal broke the law. His actions are illegal, but they are for the right reasons.” Again, this is where motive comes in. If the motive behind a crime is for a good cause, whether to save a life or to do something good, then that crime is morally justified and should not be treated as a “normal” crime.

Let’s consider another scenario as a case study. In the middle of the night, a man breaks into a store to steal drugs to save a dying patient. On the surface level, the man has just committed robbery. However, looking at the intention behind the crime, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that he did it for the right reasons. I’m pretty sure a larger percentage of the audience, if not all, will take his side.

HARSH LAWS

The fact that people break the law, whether for the right reasons (morally justifiable) or the wrong reasons (utterly unjustifiable), means they should be punished. However, in my opinion, those with morally justifiable intentions should be given the most lenient penalties. Although it is for a good reason, the fact remains that they broke the law. In the case study, I mentioned above, where a man broke into a store to steal drugs for a dying patient. The fact remains that he committed robbery, but instead of giving him a grave penalty, he should be made to repair the damages, and maybe pay a fine instead. Regardless of the motive, offenders should not be left unpunished.

Thanks for reading.