I went to bed last night feeling sick. I woke up feeling sick. No doubt for the rest of today I will continue to feel sick. I know I'm a sensitive soul but really I'm just human. My post today is not about ASD but about the reasons I write about autism awareness, acceptance and understanding. Because I want all children with ASD to live in a humane, kind and fair world. Sadly, the events in Bali overnight epitomise the inhumanity, unkindess and unfairness that exisits in our world. The barbaric method in which the Bali 9 duo were sent to their deaths (along with their fellow inmates) is considered cruel when we talk about death by firing squad in war torn Nazi Germany. How can it still have a place on this planet in 2015?
Now don't get me wrong, I have no time for drug smugglers, drug dealers or indeed drug users. These are crimes that deserve appropriate consequences. Killing two men who have spent the past 10 years considering their crimes and making amends is not an appropriate consequence. Indonesia did not end the lives of two evil drug smugglers. They killed two rehabilitated offenders. The whole ethos of a successful prison system is to rehabilitate those who can be and to keep locked up those who cannot. The Bali 9 duo do not appear to have been born evil. As young men, they did something they knew was a crime but they did it out of stupidity. They needed to learn their lesson and they did.
There once was man named Nelson Mandela who, during the 1960's could have been sent to his death for the bombing of government buildings, amongst other crimes. The South African government were perfectly within their legal system's right to have executed him. But they chose to prove a point and show they were not the evil ones. The South African government finally stopped seeing things so black and white (not intended as a pun) and saw the bigger picture. Imagine if the name Nelson Mandela was just a name in South African history as one of many black activists who was killed for his crimes?
I truly believe the Bali 9 duo could have done so much more to help other convicted drug smugglers see the error of their ways and be a positive role model for what these people could become if they wanted to. Will other potential young drug smugglers see what has happened and say 'oh cripes, better not do that then?' I don't think they will. I think without a positive role model who has been there, done that, who can tell them the realities, they will simply think, they got caught, they were unlucky, I won't be caught. Until they are...
In a week when thousands of people have died in Nepal, did Indonesia really need to add to the weekly world death toll? I understand the new Indonesian President was trying to make his position clear; he will not tolerate drugs in his country. Sadly, the Indonesian President has not seen the bigger picture. He just wanted to make his point. I believe you made a point Mr President. But I don't believe it was the point you were trying to make. #IStandForMercy
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