Crime and Punishment

Crime and punishment is the question that worries people all over the world. We live in the wicked society, which breeds evil. Every minute a crime is committed in our society: we are frightened, we are afraid of being robbed. Robbery takes many forms, such as: pickpocketing, shoplifting, mugging, burglary, theft.

We see a lot of violence on our TV screens, such as: terrorism, hijacking, murder. While reading newspapers, we become aware of the cases of manslaughter, blackmail, forgery, assault, drug-trafficking.

If we live in a wicked society and society is to blame, as the misguided defenders say, why we are not all criminals? What makes people commit crimes?

May be poverty, when people can’t make both ends meet, or the excessive permissiveness of the parents, when a child is allowed to do whatever he likes and gets away with blue murder¹, poor living conditions, lack of education. Some people try to get away with their usual routine and that provokes them to commit a crime. Some people base their life on the definite ideas, they say, that “Stolen sweets are best” (they realize their dreams in the most effortless way). Some people think, that “laws were made to be broken”. Some people are in need of hospital treatment. Crime is a kind of disease and it should be treated as such. Some people consider the pleasure to be the beginning of leaving happily, different people find different pleasures. Some people find pleasure in challenging nature, doing sport and keeping fit, while other people find pleasure in taking drugs, hunting, disturbing their neighbours and committing the crimes. The violent criminal has become a kind of hero-figure in our time. He is glorified on the screen; he is pursued by the press and paid vast sums of money for his “memoirs”. The hardened criminal is cuddled and cosseted by the sociologists on the one hand and adored as a hero by the masses on the other. It's no wonder he is a privileged person who expects and receives VIP treatment wherever he goes. So how should we refer to such people?

It's a controversial question. There are some points of view. On the one hand we refer to them as “social misfits”. As the saying goes: “Society prepares the crime, the criminal commits it”. It has become fashionable to pose as the defender of the under- dog², people are always willing to hold liberal views at the expense of others, but as long as you, personally, remain unaffected. But if it concerns us, we demand that punishment should fit the crime because crime doesn't pay and honesty is the best policy. The defendant might be given one of the penalties, depending on the seriousness of the crime: imprisonment, fine, driving ban, community service, putting on probation, capital punishment. Unfortunately it was replaced by life sentence. We all know that “life sentence” doesn’t mean what it says. After ten years or so of “good conduct”, the most desperate villain³ is free to return to society where he will live very comfortably, thank you on the proceeds of his crime, or he will go on committing offences until he is caught again.

Capital punishment used to be a major deterrent. It made the violent robber think twice before pulling the trigger. It gave the cold - blooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up his arsenic cocktail. It prevented unarmed policemen from being mowed down⁴ while pursuing their duty by killers armed with automatic weapons. Above all it protected the most vulnerable members of society, young children, from brutal sex - maniacs. It made the professional killer think twice before using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death.

I think that our attitude to crime should be tough, we should have harsh laws and in this respect we have a good example to follow Singapore, which is called “the intelligent island”, where huge fines are imposed for such offences, as chewing gum, smoking in public places, jaywalking, spitting, or failing to flash a public lavatory. Any act of vandalism is severely punished. More serious crimes, such as drug - trafficking, automatically carry the death penalty. May be that is why Singapore is one of the safest places to live. Muggings are practically unheard of and a woman can safety walk at any hour.

Be sure, that if we changed our attitude to crime and criminals, we would enjoy the same pleasures, the same way of life and we would be called “intelligent nation”.

Notes:

¹blue murder - to complain very loudly

² under-dog - a weaker person, country, etc., that is always treated badly by others;

³ villain - a criminal

⁴to mow down - to kill, destroy

Task 13. Read the text & decide if these statements are true or false.

1. Crime and punishment is the question that makes people glad all over the world.

2. Every minute a crime is committed in our society: we are happy of being robbed.

3. We see a lot of violence on our TV screens, such as: terrorism, hijacking, murder.

4. What makes people commit crimes? May be wealth, when people can afford everything they want, high living conditions and higher education.

5. Some people think, that “laws were made to be broken”.

6. Some people find pleasure in challenging nature, doing sport and keeping fit, while other people find pleasure in taking drugs, hunting, disturbing their neighbors and committing the crimes.

7. So, how we should refer to such people? On the one hand we refer to them as “lucky men”.

8. The defendant might be given one of the penalties, depending on the seriousness of the crime: imprisonment, fine, driving ban, community service, putting on probation, capital punishment.

9. After ten years or so of “bad conduct”, the most desperate villain is free to return to society where he will live very comfortably.

10. Singapore is called “the savage island”, where huge fines are imposed for such offences, as chewing gum, smoking in public places, jaywalking, spitting, or failing to flash a public lavatory.

Task 14. Complete the sentences below.

a. We live in a wicked society, which breeds ... .

b. Every minute a crime is committed in our society: we are frightened, we are afraid of being ... .

c. Robbery takes many forms, such as: ..., ..., ..., ..., ... .

d. We see a lot of violence on our TV screens, such as: ..., ...,

e. While reading newspapers, we become aware of the cases of

f. “Stolen sweets are ...”

g. “... were made to be broken”

h. “... prepares the crime, the criminal commits it”

i. “Honesty is the best ...”

j. The defendant might be given one of the penalties, depending on the seriousness of the crime: ..., ..., ..., ... .

Task 15. Complete the sentences using the words from the box in the Passive Voice Construction.

catch, find, inform, question, return, search, see, steal, take