As much as I try to remind myself that comment threads are not representitive of entire communities, sometimes it is just too difficult.
The Nebraska state legislature is trying to work out an agreement to compensate people wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to prison. This has come about due to a case where a number of people were found not guilty of a crime they spent twenty years in jail for. The state wants to cap the compensation at $500,000. AND force the exonerated person to prove they didn’t do the crime (I guess being found not guilty isn’t enough?). People who were wrongly convicted are upset (rightly) at this. You’d think, particularly in this case where confessions were cooerced that we’d want to try and make up for having robbed these people of twenty years of their lives, right? Actually, not if you read the comment thread at the bottom of THIS article.
From the comment thread:
"Why should he be any different than the rest of us, having to work the rest of your life in order to live? None of us will be able to retire either, and why aren’t they taking into consideration the $20K+ that it cost a year to house and maintain them in the prison system? They at least got free food, medical/dental care, clothing and an education, can’t say that for the rest of us. "
Or this comment:
"maybe he should be happy he is getting some restitution and is no longer in prison!!!!!!!
people are NEVER satisfied! "
Or:
"Welcome to the real world where you have to take care of yourself instead of an institution caring for you. Most of are going to end up not being able to retire either and will end up working the rest of our lives to make ends meet. What makes you any different than the rest? "
Unbelievable, eh?
Hokey smokes!!
Comment by Raymond — March 27, 2009 @ 4:49 am