Insanity vs. Guilt Part I...

Click here for Part II...

Click here for Part III...

Click here for Conclusion...

Click here for Clarification Statement...

It's been my contention for as long as I can remember that insanity should never be considered a valid defense for those accused of crime...The accused either did it, or not...Seen in the proper light, the commission of any crime is an act of insanity since it is well known that the criminal, whether brought to justice or not, becomes a prisoner in his own mind...

Knowing that one must constantly backtrack looking for tell-tale, left behind clues, wondering whether unseen witnesses will come forth and trying to keep the lies of the alibi separated from the truth would drive the sanest among us over the brink...Regardless of opinion to the contrary, insanity is a prerequisite for all crime...Those contemplating the commission of a crime would be far better off to employ competent mental health treatment instead...

Then how should punishment be addressed for crime when insanity is no longer a defense?...Simply put: In the same manner as similar crimes in which the perpetrator is found guilty...They do the crime; they do the time...If the crime is heinous enough, you die as punishment...

Don't have enough mental faculties to aid in your own defense?...No problem; that's why the Public Defender's office was created...Can't remember what happened that day?...No problem either as long as enough evidence exists to prove guilt...But it begins to get tricky as we pack more and more convicted criminals into already overcrowded prisons...

Fortunately the forward thinking Truckman has the solution...The solution involves activating the unused portion of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America - you know, the one that authorizes slavery...The 13th has long been lauded, and rightly so, as an important step in eliminating the stench of racism from the march toward progress undertaken by the American experiment, but that very element of racism has held us back from shaking loose our life-sucking criminal element...

The wording of the 13th Amendment is clear and simple:

"Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

The underlined portion is that which is so far unused, and it is the foul, unspeakable taste of racism which has prevented it...Removing this roadblock is as simple as separating the criminals in our society from the protection of racism...Using race as a denominator in the fight against crime is long recognized by the courts as improper and illegal...Why should it be allowed as a tool for criminals?...

That last paragraph needs explanation in order to advance thinking towards this important step...It is my contention that the only race which should be recognized as a basis for law is the human race...When a human being sets aside responsibility as a human to engage in criminal activity, the rights afforded a human can also be expected to be denied...

More articles concerning Crime and Punishment...