Bob Mount: Should we bring back the chain gangs?
Columnist
Published: March 31, 2009
A week or so ago, an entire page of this newspaper was devoted to instances of criminal activity in Auburn, Opelika and other areas of Lee County. Many involved burglary, thievery, and apparently, dope-dealing. Reports of rape and child abuse appear regularly.
As a youngster, where I grew up, perpetrators of such crimes represented a miniscule segment of the population and, if caught and convicted, were sentenced to ‘hard labor,’ which usually meant serving on chain gangs. I vividly recall seeing chain gangs working on roadsides. An officer holding a shotgun would be guarding the gang. I remember thinking to myself I would never, ever do anything that would result in my being sentenced to working on a chain gang.
Former governor Fob James Jr. reinstituted the chain gang system in Alabama during his tenure, resulting in complaints from criminal coddlers that the system constituted ‘cruel and unusual punishment.’ Unfortunately for the citizens, and fortunately for the criminals, the system was abandoned.
I fail to understand why service on a chain gang is more cruel, in the immediate sense, or ultimately, than burglary, robbery, thievery, rape, child abuse, or drug dealing.
Cruel is defined as “willfully causing pain or distress to others.” Don’t the aforementioned cause their victims to experience either pain, distress or both? I submit they do and challenge anyone who believes otherwise to submit reasons why they do not.
Are the acts of such criminals unusual? Of course they are, and God help us if they become committed so frequently by so many that they become considered usual.
Maybe it’s because of my ripe old age and having grown up in places that were relatively crime-free that I feel the way I do about punishing criminals. The way we go about it nowadays reminds me of a comment made by an old jailbird who had spent most of his adult life behind bars. He was being interviewed by a TV reporter who asked him, “What would you do if they released you today?” He replied, “I’d throw a brick through a Zippy Mart window so I could get back in.” I bet my bottom dollar he never served on a chain gang.
* * *
Thank goodness, the moistures have met. My frog pond is at full-pool for the first time in three years. I assume APC’s lakes are full, and its hydro-power plants are generating at full capacity. I hope so. My house is all-electric and my bills have been increasing steadily for quite a while.
I don’t keep a record, but if my memory serves me correctly, they are twice as high as they were two or three years ago. I assume the increase was due to the drought, requiring the company to rely heavily on its coal-powered plants to meet the needs of its consumers. Hydropower is considerably less expensive to generate electricity. I anticipate a substantial decrease in my next month’s electric bill, and if I don’t notice a decrease, I’ll drive to Lake Martin Dam to see if it’s still in place.
Bob Mount is emeritus professor of zoology and entomology at Auburn University and writes a weekly column for the Opelika-Auburn News.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Professor,
Individuals committing crimes might be “cruel” yet the 8th Amendment applies to us collectively. I personally don’t favor the death penalty and grieve when anyone is killed in my name. For the record, I grieve for those they murdered before anyone wants to go down that path.
Another thought is that the Courts determine the meaning of what is “cruel and unusual” and they thankfully don’t rely on the lay definitions of either.
To question the effectiveness or wisdom of Fumbling Fob’s political stunt makes one a “criminal coddler”? Would that apply to the business groups, especially those in the tourist industry, that sought to shed labels, rightly or wrongly earned, of Alabama as regressive, racist, etc.?
Thuggery and the like will not be “cured” by a chain gang nor will it effectively deter Sir. I actually worry about harsh punishments making people more dangerous if and when they get released. It costs too much to keep people beyond the clearly hopeless incarcerated doesn’t it?
Sorry folks lacking understanding and decency are part of our world. They were when you were a child as well.
Perhaps it seems like there are more from merely the “if it bleeds it leads” rule. The O-A News, like many small papers today, can report on the local scene only so much given current financial circumstances.
We can try our best to fix our troubled (and admittedly troubling) or at least limit the harm they cause to society. Often the damage they cause to their own is far beyond what we relatively affluent have to suffer.
Relax Professor! I can understand your frustration. But lets look toward more Progressive solutions rather than frankly regressive approaches such as a chain gang.
Additionally, I’d not hold my breath on the Southern Company dropping rates. I could actually applaud higher rates if they money they are presently spending on fines, propaganda ... would go to switching off their many, many ancient coal fired plants.
Before any of their minions holler “Clean Coal” there is really no such thing. We may have to live with transitions off coal, and admittedly there are some technologies that make it “less dirty”, but coal remains coal.
Given your academic background I’d hope you’d be one that could accept the judicious increase of rates under the right circumstances.
Hi Bob! In regards to your power bill frustration, I’m afraid high lake levels may not help you. Alabama Power receives only 6% of its electricity from hydroelectric sources. This information is found on their Web site at the following link: http://www.alabamapower.com/lakes/power.asp. This site does confirm your assertation that hydroelectric power is cheaper. I suppose the notion that it is also more environmentally friendly is open to debate; original onstruction of these dams probably was not applauded by the many terrestrial creatures that found their habitats slowly inundated.
Consequences, there are no consequences and real deterents today. It is all about making everybody FEEL good, and not about what really is the truth.
Advertisement