Continuing on the theme of empathy, I'm glad to see the courts practising more of that these days. There was a report earlier in the week about more psychiatric care for 'criminals'. Long overdue but, really, better late than never. If you think about it, people who are in 'normal' situations are less likely to commit crime, so people who commit crime are likely to have had some 'abnormal' or even traumatic life experiences which contributed to their 'criminal' activity.
Incidentally, now going back to the homosexuality thing for a bit, I attended a talk many years ago where the speaker cited some stats showing that a significant number of homosexuals had traumatic experiences in their childhood (abuse, neglect, etc).
And now coming back to the courts again, the judge's decision in the recent case of the kleptomanic lady seems to me to be a more practical attempt to deal with the 'crime'. However, I read today's Sunday Times article about it and it sounds like the journalist is sceptical about the 'kindness' shown to this 'criminal'. Look at the language:
1. (On previous incidents of shoplifting) 'She got away with a warning but did not learn her lesson' and 'That brush with the law did not have much effect either... (she) embarked on shoplifting sprees as often as three to five times a week.'
2. 'But it seems Goh cannot control herself.'
Hello, she has a psychiatric condition, okay? It's not that she cannot 'learn her lesson' or whatever.
Oh well, at least the judge understands that.
Incidentally, now going back to the homosexuality thing for a bit, I attended a talk many years ago where the speaker cited some stats showing that a significant number of homosexuals had traumatic experiences in their childhood (abuse, neglect, etc).
And now coming back to the courts again, the judge's decision in the recent case of the kleptomanic lady seems to me to be a more practical attempt to deal with the 'crime'. However, I read today's Sunday Times article about it and it sounds like the journalist is sceptical about the 'kindness' shown to this 'criminal'. Look at the language:
1. (On previous incidents of shoplifting) 'She got away with a warning but did not learn her lesson' and 'That brush with the law did not have much effect either... (she) embarked on shoplifting sprees as often as three to five times a week.'
2. 'But it seems Goh cannot control herself.'
Hello, she has a psychiatric condition, okay? It's not that she cannot 'learn her lesson' or whatever.
Oh well, at least the judge understands that.
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