When Criminals Have Human Rights

Of course, they have human rights! They are people too! But since our justice system in this country takes so long to resolve cases, the public usually won’t mind a swifter resolution of justice, when they just allow the police to rub out the suspects, instead of giving the suspects the chance to redeem themselves in court. It has happened several times before, and it happened once again last week, when suspected carnapping gang members were summarily wiped out, instead of being hauled into court so they could defend themselves.

On one side, I’m glad the execution of justice was swift. That they had to pay for their lives is a question, since it was found out later in the autopsies that they may not have fought back. But the world will be a much better place without them terrorizing the car-riding public. As for them losing their chance to change, if they were kept alive? Well, you live by the sword, you die by the sword. They made their choices to engage in a dangerous and illegal activity, death as a consequence was just many of the options to go out. And that’s how they deservedly went out.

On the other hand, this way of summary dispatching of suspects may not work if the people involved are just innocent passersby, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It has happened before and it could’ve happened here as well. That’s why police operations like this have to be planned carefully and away from where the public can be used by the suspects as human shields.

Too bad this young gang had to go out this way but they were on a roll the past two weekends, getting cars, here and there, so the police had to act swiftly before it got out of hand. In the end, even if they also have human rights, I think the rights of law-abiding citizens should weigh more in the end, and if justice had to be dealt quickly – then so be it. The truth is, when bullets coming from a desperate criminal are whizzing past your face, it would be your life to give if you don’t offer any resistance or offense.