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Old Aug 12, 2012, 06:52 AM
Person66 Person66 is offline
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Member Since: Dec 2011
Location: New York City
Posts: 43
I was reading some of the comments last week on The New York Times Magazine article about their July cover story about the killer Greg Ousley, who killed his parents at age 14 because they were emotionally cold and mean (yet nothing extremely terrible) because he felt so alienated and unheard. It showed him as a nice young man about my age (I just turned 30 last week) who is a model inmate, seemingly nice guy, completed college via Internet, the Prison staff had nothing but glowing things for say about him etc.
Reading it, my heart went out to him so much. I really fealt a profound sense of sympathy. When I was about 15 or 16 I was briefly psychotic and I remember hearing voices telling me to kill all kinds of loved ones including my parents (either because they were "evil" or "for their own good"). Yet I recognized that these voices and hallucinations weren't real and contacted my psychiatrist who placed me on anti-psychotics (Mellaril, much like Thorazine) and I was treated at home because he felt I had too much anxiety to hospitalize me. After about 8 months the symptoms stopped and I recovered never to look back, which I hear is pretty rare. I wonder if it is normal to treat such a sick patient completely as an outpatient? (though I certainly feel it was the right thing for me).
But even more I agree with the Times that says this young man should be let out of jail now while in his thirties and has more oppurtunities in life rather than wait instill he is older when he has less, he will complete his sentence at age 74.
The reaction to this article was that it was "pro-murderer" and that it was rationalizing his crimes. So is my judgement overly sympathetic? (I feal he should be released as this is the opinion of the Prison Authorities).
The exception was foreign readers who feal that in any "civilized" country he would have been let out in his 20's.
What is your opinion?
The original article is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/ma...pagewanted=all
You can read opinions about aricle here: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...New-York-Times

Last edited by Person66; Aug 12, 2012 at 07:42 AM. Reason: Providing a link to the article

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  #2  
Old Aug 12, 2012, 07:19 AM
Anonymous32511
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Mmmm i guess this all comes down to whether a person thinks a 14 year old is fully capable of understanding their actions as well as the implications. To my mind he can behave as much as he likes afterwards but it doesn't make him any less of a murderer. I wasn't able to read the article (think your link might be broken) but to be honest if he was given that sentence its probably for good reason - judges aren't idiots, they have A LOT to consider before delivering their verdict - but even on the face of it, killing your own parents is just.....well it speaks for itself. Only you can know if your judgement is overly sympathetic but if the alternative is having this guy back out on the streets i know which side of the fence im on.
Thanks for this!
missbelle
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attentionThis is an old thread. You probably should not post your reply to it, as the original poster is unlikely to see it.




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