More and more often I see people telling outright lie's to either protect their interests from unjust acts from a higher order or even to save their lives and physical integrity from what we may deem harsh punishment from a particular societies drastic laws.
Politicians are the masters of lying, just before a federal election we were all told that illegal immigrants were throwing their children overboard and that there is no way we would tolerate such people in our society. After the election was over it was revealed that these kids weren't being thrown overboard but jumping from a sinking boat. No one admited responsibility for these lies and eventually we forgot all about it.
When Michelle Leslie was first arrested with a couple of lollies in her bag she was quoted as saying she was addicted to E and couldn't go out partying without them. After meeting with lawyers her story changed to her being addicted to anti depressants and she thought they were such drugs. (As well as being a muslim).
This is a quote Schappelle Corby told in a Bali court. "I have never been involved with drugs, I don't like drugs. It's not my drugs. I wouldn't even know where to get the drugs from. I am not a person involved in drugs and I am not a person who might become involved in drug-smuggling operations."
Recent reporting has discovered that a South Australian man who was caught with 4.1kg of hydroponic marijuana and $60 000 cash had photos of himself and Schapelle in his house.
I'm not saying I agree with the punishments that Michelle and Schapelle were faced with but what pisses me off is our society thinks it is fine to lie to save yourself from other countries laws because they are not the same as ours.
We are in the process of bringing in rules where anyone who wants to become an Aussie has to pass exams on our way of living. If you want to live in or visit our county
you have to abide by our rules. Fine you may say, but shouldn't it work both ways. Shouldn't we accept other societies laws and way's of life.
I am totally against the barbaric punishment of being put to death like an animal for any crime, let alone for smuggling drugs and I bet Van Nguyen was against it as well, yet he never lied and accepted the crime with the dignity that I have never witnessed in any politician.
Johnny, Michelle and Schapelle could all take a leaf out of Van Nguyen's book. As Derryn Hinch would say shame, shame, shame!
4 comments:
WORD MICKUS!!
LOVE THE FEELING IN YOUR ARTICLE!!
Oh Mickus, no.
I agree - when you are in another country you are prone to their laws, as any visitor is here. However, if you're convicted in Australia, your lawyers job is to find a legal loop hole to diminish punishment. Why is it different overseas? If I, or you or any of my friends or family were caught, I'd be doing whatever it takes or saying whatever to get you home, in Australia or from overseas.
We may not agree with some of the international, barbaric laws, yet we should be aware of them and ready to face the consequences (just as we should in Aust!#! but I'm sorry but if I was caught in exactly the same circumstance as Michelle or poor Schappelle, my survival instincts (and those of my mum god love her) would do and say whatever is needed to ensure I didn't die in a festery prison.
If Van's lawyers could have found anything that would have saved him - and they were searching - they would have said he was anything. Singapore laws are too black & white.
Thanx for your feedback Rusty.
What worries me is you are right, a lawyer's job is to find a legal loop hole to diminish punishment, even if it means just flat out lying. I always thought it was about seeking justice.
What we are saying if you think a societies form of punishment is unjust then it is alright to concoct any story to avoid punishment.
I do feel sorry for Schapelle's future, only because I think the punishment is to harsh for the crime. Would it be right if she was freed from loopholes brought about from misleading information her lawyer provides?
Was it alright OJ Simpson got away with murder? I guess it was because his lawyer did his job and found a loophole to diminish his punishment, even it was all construed from lies.
killing in the name of justice doesn't make sense to me..
i think it matters how you are considering the people involved in such situations ...if you are viewing people according to the society/country they live in then it would seem evident that you should have respect for the rules that that particular society has decided to live by, especially when you are in their country.....but if you take a step back and look at people as being part of humanity then it seems grossly inhumane and fundamentally wrong to kill another human being with intent in this manner...remembering that the laws/rules/concept of justice of any particular society are arbitrary and fleeting in the scheme of things, as are the divisions of countries and societies...none of these actually exist anywhere independant of human thought and agreement...whereas as humankind does.....
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