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Everyone in the neighbourhood was afraid of him. He had threatened the neighbours dozens of times, he had vandalized their property. The frightened neighbours had called the police more than once, but like we all know, the police in Finland cannot do anything before someone gets at least stabbed. Killing three innocent individuals was just his sick way of revenging on the ones that had been afraid of him .
According to the statements of his former teachers, Mika Muranen had showed signs of psychopathic behaviour already as a child. He is said to be unemotional and not very intelligent. When he confessed the slaughter his face remained expressionless. Psychiatrists have stated that Muranen was totally aware of what he was doing when he murdered three people last spring in Kotka. Mika Muranen is not insane, he has been able to go to school, he could even go to the army. However, he is a dangerous and frightening personality. I am sure he can be a good boy in prison and after 10-15 years he will be pardoned. But who really believes that Muranen will not be a violent and aggressive killer anymore when he gets out of jail? I do not want to have a murderer living next door .
It is said that parents who do not discipline their children do not love them. I do not suggest that parents should beat their children, but I admit that I deserved every trashing I got as a child. A happy childhood consists basically of reasonable limits, sense of safety, discipline, good care and lots of love. If parents cannot provide this to their children, problems will occur sooner or later. Juveniles should be "punished with love" because they are not necessarily lost cases yet. Unfortunately many juveniles who do not know what love and discipline mean are often in an emotional dead-end, they will not learn how to love anymore .
Children need to learn what is right and wrong, what kind of behaviour is acceptable in our society. Kids are wild and disobidient little creatures if they are not taught how to behave. Many criminals have never learnt what is right or wrong, they do not know our moral rules. And it is almost impossible for adults to learn those basic rules which distinguish man from the animals. It is very easy to say that capital punishment is not right, but who could be responsible to us that those animal-like killers, those ruthless adults without any empathy will not threat us and our families anymore?
When parents correct their children or when a judge dondemns a criminal it should not be a question of power. Parents and teachers should not discipline children just to show their power and strenght. Different punishments deal with teaching people what is right and what is wrong. The person who delivers sentences, for example a judge, is just an instrument between the law and the criminals. The judge uses not his own power but the power of the society and the law .
I think the law in Finland is too "soft"; for example drunken drivers get so lenient punishments that they very often drink and drive again. Social workers try to help and understand those bastards who have killed innocent people, but those naive helpers do not seem to realize that drunken drivers have killed or injured someone's child, husband, wife, mother, father... Who would help their relatives and family members? And how do they feel when they know that after about one year or so the killer is on the road again?
As far as I know the law is rather equal to all in Finland and other Scandinavian countries. I say rather equal because I do not think it is fair that if someone robs a bank he has to sit in prison for several years but if a drunken driver kills someone he gets much lighter punishment. Basically, without some exeptions like drunken driver Heikki Haavisto, a criminal - no matter how rich or poor he/she is - gets a certain punishment for a certain kind of crime .
I do not believe that capital punishment scares other criminals and this way prevents crimes. Then, why do I justify death penalty? Because I think that ruthless massmurderers like Mika Muranen and O.J. Simpson deserve it. I do not think that they have a right to live anymore, I do not respect their lives since they did not respect their victims' lives. And I am certainly not very thrilled about the thought that Mika Muranen might be my neighbour some day .
