It looks like today is the last day that convicted drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have left on this earth before their executions tonight in Indonesia. The media has been in a frenzy covering the lead up to this day. There have been mixed reactions from everyone. Many are horrified that the executions are going ahead and there are others who believe they deserve what is coming to them.
I for one am very sad at this outcome and believe they deserve to have their lives spared. I am certainly not in support of their release from prison – these two men profited from the desperation of addicts which is a despicable thing to do. But I do believe that given their rehabilitation, good work and the example they have set in prison, they deserve to have their lives spared. Surely the past 10 years should count for something?
This situation has made me think about a number of things. Firstly, society’s attitude towards forgiveness and rehabilitation. Had Chan and Sukumaran been child abusers, as a mother, I would have supported their current plight regardless of whether they had been rehabilitated or not. No mercy. Crimes against children are unforgivable no matter what.
I have never lost a loved one to drugs or had anyone I love suffer from the consequences of addiction. Perhaps if I had experienced this kind of pain, I may not be so forgiving or sad about what is happening later this evening. I am really not sure how I would feel.
We all know drugs are bad yet they are socially acceptable among so many. Crime and corruption surround society’s drug issue as do parties, good times, mental illness, tragedy and despair. In a perfect world, if no one did drugs in the first place, there would be no need to smuggle drugs. And if there were no drug smugglers, people wouldn’t be able to do drugs. There would be no choice.
So really, who is to blame here? The person offering/providing the drugs or the person agreeing to take it in the first place? My answer to this is both but more so the person who chooses to say yes and to take drugs in the first place. We all know of the potential consequences of taking drugs and we are solely responsible for ourselves and our choices. There are some people within society who believe they do not have a choice when it comes to drugs. I don’t buy that. Why would anyone choose to stick a needle in their arm that first time knowing full well the consequences? Why?
Looking at society’s drug problem from every different angle, it is a ridiculously complex issue that is never going to be solved. Ever.
And that right there is my point. Executing Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will have no impact on the drug problem in Indonesia or anywhere else in the world. Their deaths will do absolutely nothing to deter others from smuggling drugs in Indonesia. All the good they have done whilst in prison to make up for their wrong doing is such a waste.
My heart goes out to their families who are the ones who have ultimately suffered from the poor decisions that were made ten years ago. I am terribly disappointed and saddened that the Indonesian Government is going ahead with these executions. They do not deserve to die in this way.
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