Your Choices Have Consequences

I’m not a criminal lawyer, nor an expert in criminal psychology.  This is my opinion, based on my own observations.  Disagree if you wish.

It seems that criminals and young people have something in common.  Often, they lack the foresight to consider or appreciate the consequences of their actions. 

With youth, it is usually immaturity and youthful enthusiasm and bravado that seem to get in the way of responsibility.  With criminals, it is usually just immaturity.

Consider two recent news events.  The two young men in Toronto who raced Mommy and Daddy’s Mercedes and killed the cabbie had no intention of hurting anyone.  They were only thinking of the event:  the race, the excitement of going fast, winning etc., not what might go wrong. 

They were thinking of NOW, not what might happen five seconds after now. 

Then there is the idiot (I would prefer a more forceful word, but Editor would have something to say about that) who dropped a chunk of concrete off a 401 overpass in Oshawa and mashed the face of a young woman after it smashed through her windshield. 

Idiot was likely only thinking of his timing and that it might be cool if he was able to hit the car.  It is, in my opinion, not likely that he was trying to injure anyone.  He probably never stopped to think what might happen if he actually hit the vehicle.  I’ll bet that if you asked him what he thought might happen if a car traveling 110-120 km/h (let’s not pretend that people actually drive the speed limit) hit a brick with its windshield, he would be horrified at the thought of the potential carnage. 

Of course, there is the possibility that the person was actually trying to kill people, but you have to accept that a person trying to kill complete strangers has something not working quite right in his head. 

In one case, a cabbie died.  In the other, five people could have been killed and one person has had the displeasure of major surgery and the possibility of being disfigured forever.  Senseless results, caused by people failing to think before they act.

There was also a story in the weekend paper about Charlie Hart, another Dork of the Decade contender, who is now in jail for his 37th, 38th and 39th impaired driving convictions.  This guy exemplifies my theory.  He just doesn’t think (or care) about what might happen.  He killed two people by driving drunk in 1970.  His attitude never changed and he drives whenever he wants.  Who needs to worry about having a licence or a plated and insured vehicle?  Charlie drives whenever he wants. 

My theory is that most criminality is not the result of people actually trying to cause harm to others.  It is the result of people who have failed to develop any notion of responsibility.  They live for the here and now and for the immediate pleasure to themselves. 

Until our legal system is able to instill responsibility into offenders, our courts will be a revolving door for them.