Posted by
Cindy Coughlon on Thursday, November 06, 2008 11:00:00 PM
Today my 63 year old father was pistol whipped by a punk during a bank robbery. So, today's topic is security.
In the news coverage, a witnesses was asked about the robbers' motivation. The response? Desperation due to the tough economy. My dad and I got a good laugh out of that comment, as if armed robbery was an unknown phenomenom until last month. Of course, the question itself was far more ridiculous than the answer. Since when does evil need motivation? And why does it matter?
While the press spent their time interviewing witnesses about the human interest story behind the robbery, my dad was bravely fighting off pain so that he could lucidly give the FBI and police every tiny detail that would help them catch the bad guys. Once the detectives cleared out, my dad expressed how thankful he was that he took the hit, rather than some of the younger employees of the bank. He was happy to take the blow if it meant a promising young person could avoid serious injury. After he was released from the hospital, he returned to the bank to check up on his co-workers and assure them that he was alright.
This is how a conservative responds to evil - with bravery, calm, concern for the welfare of others, and a determination to bring the perpetrators to justice. We must never apologize for pursuing those who seek to harm us. We must never allow our tender hearts to neglect the victims in a misplaced moment of empathy for the poor, confused thugs who hate humanity. What most impressed me was how little my dad spoke of the robbers. Sure, he wants them caught, and will cooperate fully in their appprehension and conviction, but he was far more concerned with the condition of his co-workers. A conservative approach to security is always preferable because it values the safety of the community above all else. It's not that the sad plight of the social deviant isn't compelling - even heartbreaking. It simply isn't as important as the protection of the community. My dad has a huge heart, and he has probably already made his peace with these punks, but don't think for a moment that he will waver in his pursuit of justice. It's not about revenge. It's about his duty to protect others from the same, or even worse, crime.
Ironically, those who empathize with the perpetrator often point to the "cycle of violence" which seemingly destined the one-time victim to morph into the victimizer. Compassion leads to a desire to lighten the sentence - forgive and forget. Give the victimizing-victim a second chance. What does this accomplish? More violence! I contend that the bleeding heart conservative who places his concern with the victim is not only more compasssionate, but his compassion actually halts the cycle of violence by separating the criminal from any further victims. Justice and the pursuit of peace and security is not antithetical to mercy - it is merciful.