I never write in journals, but upon looking through the many documents on word, I found this that I had written years ago. After rereading it, I found it suitable for thought and placement here.

Friday, January 23rd
Justice for the Dead?
The day had started out as any other would. I’d dragged my barely alert body out of the top bunk in my dorm room, careful not to step on my sleeping roommate or let my foot slip from the precarious purchase on her bed. I made to the floor eventually, stretching my arms and legs in order to coax them to walk. After a quick shower and a hastily prepared cup of hot chocolate, I was off to DCM.
After what seemed like a long day of classes, I settled back at my trusty laptop and prepared to research for my DCM paper and figure out what to write about for my journal entry since I was drawing a complete and total blank. However, I simply could not become involved with that until I checked my email. So, with that feeble excuse for procrastination, however slight, I logged onto Juno and found two messages waiting for me. One was deleted on sight and the next might have been if I had not been searching for the waste of time.
I hate forwards. I really hate them. I have threatened to block anyone who sends them to me, but somehow my dear friends don’t quite get it. But this time I opened it and read it…and found sufficient distraction.
I had not read about the case of James Bulger before it was presented to me rather quickly and crudely in the forward. I read it quickly and, by the end, I was a little perplexed. To say I was not saddened by the little boy’s death in 1993 would not be true, but I was not ready to follow the instruction that said: ‘... then add your name at the end... and
>send
> > > > > >It to everyone you can! (sic)’
Now I know that some would condemn me as heartless and cruel for my blatant refusal to ‘help’ this murdered boy—probably those who signed the petition. And I call into question those who believe that signing this email or posting a petition will help to reverse the decision of the judge. And I will further dare to say that the opinion of the public, while interesting to note and important to take into consideration in certain areas of life and government, is simply pointless and unwanted here—expect if one seeks to gratify his or her own feelings. If it makes a person somehow relieved, their conscience unburdened with guilt or such an emotion, feeling that they have done their part to combat the forces of evil when they sign this then more power to them. They are at peace. I fully support that. But my position on the matter is somewhat different.
I have already established the uselessness of adding one’s name to such a list, but there is more than that fact that keeps me from sending the forward on. I did not know Jamie. I do not know his killers. I do not know his family, their friends or the judge that was in charge of the case. I don’t mean to say that this lack of connection renders me unfeeling to their positions, that my not knowing them personally makes them worth any less in my eyes. I simply mean to say that how can we as a public, as individuals—however horrified we have been, however shocked, however hurt or angry—how can we dare to make judgments about what we have not seen, lived through or are fully educated about? I’m quite sure that many people read the story once or read the forward and were immediately moved to act. And what else is there to do but to sign? It’s so easy, so tempting in a way.
And what of those boys, then, you may ask? Killers at ten years old…lock them up for the rest of their lives. They can do no good for society. I read quite a few signatures in petitions on the web that urged the death penalty. That statement is quite strong indeed. Personally I am still sorting out my own feelings on that type of punishment and find I sway a bit on both sides. But the fact remains that a decision such as the one the judge made is not one that should be rushed, hurried or botched. I am quite sure he is well aware of his duty to the public (and to the murdered boy’s family?). I doubt that anyone would wittingly set two murderers out on the unsuspecting world. Except possibly in a Hollywood movie.
I am not going to presume to know their minds or anyone else’s for that matter. I can only say that, for my part, no one can know for sure if these boys were ‘bad’ at birth and will only get worse or have truly ‘changed’ and wish to build new lives. I don’t know. I’d bet that those who signed and those who did not don’t know either.
Little Jamie’s death was a tragedy. The first scene that flashed in my mind was my little brother, three years old now, playing outside in our neighborhood. I thought about what might happen to him for a moment. And then I reminded myself that this world is full of death, injustice and pain—but there are redeeming qualities that one can carry as a beacon of hope and love. Jamie is dead. He is not coming back. Can there be justice for those dead? Perhaps this justice is to gratify the lusts and needs of the family of the dead. And perhaps not. If Jamie was looking down on this now, what would he say? And until the answer is whispered to us on the wind we can only trust as well we can and move in out own ways to seek justice for the dead, for the living and for those still to come.