Are they Really the Same People?

     Perhaps society is a bit hypocritical when it comes to handling criminals. The justice system we have works on the principle that justice is blind and fair. However, it is very difficult to put value on human life, and here is where the major flaw lies in the system.
     In cases where a person commits a crime such as murder many people ask what the fair punishment should be. But the real question is if the criminal should even be considered human. Moral and rational people would not kill for pleasure. The only cases where killing is justified by society is in cases of self-defense and war. Many people are alright with the bombing of innocent people and destruction occurring in other countries. But, whenever a few people are killed by people who want retaliation from the destruction of their homes, the media seems to put much of its focus in dehumanizing the perpetrators. The reality of the story is that the media does a good job of covering up the fact that there was a reason why these people wanted retaliation. Instead of covering the facts, the media focuses on the ethos and pathos of the crowd. In essence, the media justifies the killing of foreign "enemies" when the entire problem was caused by the instigators.
     So then, if the media enjoys trying to dehumanize these people, why is it so difficult for people to take such actions against criminals born and raised in their home country? In essence, the actions were the same. Killing a person is such an awful crime unless it is performed by a peer, and in such cases such peer deserves a fair trial with the possibility of living a life in a prison. Nonetheless, no harm was done the criminal. Of course this person is confined to living in poorer conditions, but the difference is that at the end of the day, that criminals' loved ones are able to visit him or her and hear him or her whenever it is possible. The only way the family affected by the criminal can visit their loved one is by talking to a grave.
     Then, what is a better option than capital punishment? No one has yet seemed to be able to give a good solution that pleases everyone. The problem with this is the fact that you cannot please everyone, and you cannot let people bear the burden of another person's mistake.
     But what if there was a way to rehabilitate people back into society? In the Black Mirror episode, White Bear, Victoria, a woman who recorded the brutal murder of a child, was punished according to her crime. The process erased her memory, and in essence she forgot the crime she committed along with any malicious intent. In fact, she felt sympathy towards the little girl she killed.
     What if instead of killing people who commit horrible crimes it were possible to eliminate the disease? What society is doing now is killing the symptoms of the disease. People act a certain way due to previous experiences they have faced. What if it were possible to eliminate harmful experiences that triggered criminals to act a certain way. By removing harmful memories, criminals would be rehabilitated. Society would gain one more law-abiding citizen, and the world would eventually become a better place one person at a time.