Fourth in a series
Re “Surely He Would Apologize. But I Was Wrong.”
There are criminals who have slaughtered people and yet they play golf and enjoy life. What a heartbreaking situation for victim’s families.
We hear that there are the special women or men who fall in love with criminals. They get married in jail, and even bear the child of a convict.
Our justice system seems more concerned with pitying criminals than with protecting, honoring victims. This is why many, including the families of victims, have found an admiration for Mr. Juan Martinez. For the first time, an intelligent man brave enough to present a victim in court.
Four years after my daughter Liana was killed by a drunk driver, I received a call from the probation officer, whom I never had never contacted. She told me she had good news for our family. They had just found the body of the drunk driver near Santa Monica Beach.
I started crying.
I asked if he had committed suicide.
“No,” she said. “He was so drunk he probably forgot he was in the ocean, and he drowned.” The probation officer wondered why I was crying when she was sure she had delivered good news.
“Death of any creature is not good news,” I said. “I am sad because he has disappointed me twice. Here was a young man who could have done so much good for humanity. He killed a promising, talented girl because he was bored and drunk. Now he disappointed me again. I hoped he would have learned to control his actions and helped others.”
Telling My Family
She was quiet for a moment. “You are such a good person,” she said. “I am ashamed to have caused you pain. We see so many cruelties every day. That is why I thought you would appreciate learning the news. I wanted to bring your family comfort and maybe joy.”
I thanked her and hung up.
That night while all of us were in the car returning home, I gave my family the news exactly as the probation officer had relayed it to me. Since it was dark, I was not able to see their faces. Suddenly there was an uncomfortable silence in the car. I understood. Everyone felt sad and shocked.
Later I felt relieved by what had happened. No more was there a walking figure to hate, to be angry with. No fear of seeing him next to our table or walking side by side in the street. I thanked God for His justice. The last chapter ended well. The book was closed.
Saddened though I was, I know I should no more worry about seeing the drunk driver anywhere.
He had (mis)used his free will and chosen the way he wanted to lie. He was responsible for his actions, for his ending.
I feel sad for his family. I do not know if they felt the same way for us.
While I never wished him harm, I also never pronounced nor wrote his name anywhere. For us, his name always will be the drunk driver. Now after twenty years, after hearing of so many atrocities around us, I feel lucky that justice was done in our case.
Death or Life?
On Friday morning, seeing the tears of Alexander’s family members, I could feel their pain. This is just the beginning of the family’s suffering. They are in a pain for which there will not be a cure, an end, or peace for generations to come.
I understood what the brother meant when he said, “I do not want to hear the criminal anymore.”
It is written that we are created in the image of God.
When it comes to condemning a criminal to death, we feel compassion. We are not able to make the right decision. Even to kill a criminal becomes difficult.
Why? Perhaps we believe we can see the faded image of God on the criminal’s face, and we hope we can pull out the image, restore and polish it instead of destroying it.
God Himself has made our work easier. Following an order is less harsh than making a decision.
He has given us the complete laws in this matter.
Like always, though, we try to become smarter and change the laws.
Unfortunately sometimes evil uses the mask of a beautiful image to confuse us, especially in the recent cases of the Boston Bombers, who looked handsome and innocent, and Jodi Arias, who used her skills to charmingly influence others with soft talk.
These perceptions make us forget the evil hiding behind them.
God is aware of the truth. That is why He gave us the laws.
Is the jury going to punish the victim and his family one more time by giving life with all its possibilities to Ms. Arias.
Will she be allowed to live on, like other criminals who are trotted out on television, on movie screens, on the covers of magazines and newspapers?
Dr. Rosemary Hartounian Cohen, who lives in the Fairfax District, received her Ph.D in sociology from the Sorbonne in Paris. She lived in two other countries before moving, with her husband and children, to Los Angeles in 1984. She has published four books in America. Since 1985, she has operated Atelier de Paris, an international art business, on Robertson Boulevard. Her email address is Rosemary@atelierdeparis.com.
