Lame execution excuses
I read with interest of the monetary punishment issued by the High Court for the wrongful execution of a soldier. What is baffling and disgusting is the statement by air force counterintelligence official Ho Tsu-yao (何祖耀), who said: “I was only doing as I was told.”
This line was repeated time and again by German officers and enlisted men as an excuse for what was done in the death camps in World War II. It was a lame and disgusting excuse then and remains so now.
There is no amount of money that can repay the wrongfully executed soldier’s family for his torture and death.
It goes without saying that there should be a criminal prosecution over the wrongful execution. And perhaps the defendants in this trial should have the same speedy punishment they demanded be meted out to the unfortunate soldier.
Tom Kuleck
Woodbury, Minnesota, and Greater Taichung
‘Good’ people need a chance
Cheng Chieh’s (鄭捷) cruel [alleged] killings on Taipei’s MRT rail system is the first frightening thing to happen on a mass transport system in Taiwan, which has prompted uneasiness and fear among commuters.
Besides, his act also inflicted unforgettable trauma upon the people injured and families of those he killed.
Confucius said: “People are born to be good.”
However, according to police, this boy had been thinking about killing since he was an elementary-school student, and had also written stories about killing. He said he would do a great thing after graduating from college, by which he meant killing a lot of people.
If Confucius’ idea is correct, how can a young boy like Cheng cultivate such scary thoughts about killing and eventually act out his fantasies?
Assuming Confucius is right and Cheng was born to be good, several external factors might have led this young college student astray.
His parents did not spend enough time with him when he was young. Even when he encountered the frustration of being kicked out of school, his parents did not show concern for their son. They considered him to be a normal boy, locking himself in his room and addicted to playing computer games.
Obviously, his parents did not know much about their son, which is the main contributing factor to this tragedy.
If people are born to be good and misconduct is caused by external factors and the environment, then society should be able to avoid these situations.
There might be a number of people like Chieh active in society, so people should show concern for them before the tragedy is repeated.
The inner goodness of these people can still be awakened.
Daniel Chen
Taipei
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