The Burr in the Burgh

Here's a story to give you morning indigestion.

First, there is a man named Mark Hulett who raped a little girl repeatedly over a span of four years starting when she was seven years old.

Second, the prosecutor asked for 8-20 years in prison, which seems like a light sentence to me. I would support hanging the man by his neck until dead. And I suspect a large majority of the American population would agree with me.

Except, of course, the judge overseeing this case. It seems the man was convicted of the crime and the judge only gave him 60 days. And his reasoning: "The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul."

That's got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who is this message for? The criminal or the victims? And of course he is dead wrong. Anger solves lots of problems. Who does this judge think is worse, the child rapist or the people who get mad at the child rapist? You want to know what is corrosive? Child rape. That's pretty bad.

For someone who is trying to eradicate anger, this fellow - Edward Cashman - is flopping big time. For instance, he's made me angry. What about you? What about the parents of the 11 year old victim? I'm guessing they were mad at Mark Hulett for repeatedly raping their daughter. Now, instead of helping de-corrode their souls, Judge Cashman has only made them angry at one more person . . . him.

And this is what really snaps the camel's back. The judge said he doesn't want to punish Mark Hulett because punishment - and here I have to quote - "doesn't work." What? Doesn't work how? The purpose of punishment is to punish. In what way does punishment not do that? Oh, I suppose if you think that punishment is supposed to cure cancer, then it doesn't work. Or if punishment is supposed to make the criminal a better person, then it doesn't work at that either. But the purpose of punishment, as far as I see it according to St. Paul in Romans chapter 13 is to . . . you guessed it, punish.

I thank God that there will be a reckoning. And I know full well that apart from God's grace in Jesus Christ, I likewise deserve God's wrath. No less than Mark Hulett. And that is why Christ instituted the Church: to preach about the atonement and the forgiveness of sins. And the reason why God instituted the government is to punish wrongdoers like Hulett.

Judges and courts exist, not to implement their own wills upon others - nor to forgive sinners and absolve the penitents for that matter - but to implement the just and perfect will of the Creator and Divine Lawgiver and Judge of All in these circumstances. Morally bankrupt judges like the Honorable Edward Cashman should recall that God is angry with sinners and it's his job to punish them.

Any dissenters should please take this up with St. Paul in Romans 13 and not me.


(Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin)