I closed this blog a number of months ago due to an apathetic writer rash that popped up unexpectedly. It was mainly a political-like blog but my distaste for all parties involved forced me into a writing retirement. Unfortunately for some, the latest attacks in Oslo and the small island of Utøya in Norway have awakened my keyboard of vile font-vomit.
The Norwegian law enforcement community has recently identified the accused bomber/shooter as Anders Behring Breivik, a 32 year old native Norwegian. Speculation at this point points towards some kind of whacked out right-wing extremist/Christian fundamentalism/anti Islamic ideology that fueled the attacks. Early reports state that 7 people lost their lives in Oslo and approximately 80 on Utøya, the site of a labour party camp for children. 80 lives taken by a single monster is hard to imagine, but it appears to be true.
Anyway, worldwide condemnation is the norm and you’ll find nothing different here on my little corner of the NET. As the title suggests, monsters do indeed live amongst us and some know that better than others. The family and friends of the planets terrorists/freedom fighters/windowlicking snotpockets know that all to well.
While reading about the Norwegian attacks, I was struck by the fact that Norway trashed capital punishment many years ago. Their prison system is built upon a framework that focuses on rehabilitation. According to GlobalPost.com, besides the lack of capital punishment the maximum sentence anyone can receive is 21 years. While waiting to reach that milestone of 21 years, even for murder, inmates can graduate to an open prison where they can walk and mingle freely with other inmates.
I’m not here to trash another countries justice system because my countries (US) reputation isn’t exactly a shining example of anything. Though better than most, we screw up constantly as evidenced by the recent Casey Anthony debacle that wallpapered televisions worldwide. Then of course there’s OJ Simpson…but I digress.
Anders Behring Breivik will probably do his 21 years for coldly murdering 87+(?) innocent lives, adults and children. He’s guaranteed a comfortable living for 21 years. He’ll go to a normal prison setting for a little while and eventually be transferred to a prison where walls, for the most part, cease to exist.
The families and friends of his victims will endure the pain, faced daily with the horrors brought upon them by Behring Breivik. Incarcerated in a prison built by the monster that murdered their loved ones, their hopes and dreams walled in behind a structure of grief. They will never know probation, they will never again enjoy life as it was and they’ll be reminded of the horrors every day.
And then eventually the monster responsible, like so many make-believe horror flicks, walks free and returns to the stagnant pond he slithered from.
The Telegraph has uploaded a PDF examining Behring Breivik’s Facebook profile here.
Some of Anders Behring Breivik’s writings can be found here. (Courtesy of VoieVod )
This is the video purportedly left on YouTube by Anders Behring Breivik:
In case the above video is removed again by YouTube, it can also be viewed here (Twitvid)
Strange times we live in.
And so it goes….
Gunman Breivik walking among corpses~Photo: MARIUS ARNESEN/NRK
I don’t think he’ll have a comfortable life (in prison). First of all in the prison’s hierachy he stands low. After prison, there are still 90+ Norwegians and their relatives, an entire angry country who’ll still have a mighty grudge… He’s a dead-man-walking…
@Frederik
You may be right. Although Norway’s prison system is a tad different than what our two countries are used to, there are those factors you mentioned…general population within the prison and the vilification of his very being. I have to believe though that Norway will probably segregate Behring Breivik from the general population while allowing him all the rights he’s guaranteed as a citizen of Norway. It’s the Norwegian way.