Given he is likely to live for another 60+ years, he has to do something to support himself and rebuild his life. I imagine an assessment is made as to whether he is a threat to the general public or not and whether he is safe when in drink. The difficulty arises when people like me are so revolted the we don't want to encounter him at work or in our community. Criminals HAVE to live among us and I wish I had a more trusting and forgiving heart because many turn out well. But it is problem.
@Posy Totally - but what people (or is this just me projecting?) want out of a justice system is retribution - the feeling that the criminal has in some way paid (not financially) for their crime. The punishment must give some form of comfort to the victim. Justice tries to balance that.
Depends on whether you're employing someone with the skills for the job, or for their character I would guess. It seems tha DG had the skills to play football, but the club assessed that his character was flawed. If his character is judged by his actions, then does that imply ALL people who acted the same should be judged in the same way in all jobs? So if his character is what precludes him from playing and not his skill, where do his character traits ever fit?
Playing football on the pitch is not all that is required of a professional football player these days ... they do a lot of 'outreach' work in schools and sports clubs ... it is part of the job ............. his employers have to consider their responsibilities in this part of the job as well as performing on the pitch.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I doubt that Dove. I don't think when Fergie signed Cantona or Rooney the thought of how they would be at the local community sports centre went through his mind - I may be paying Fergie a discredit there. What sways the managers and recruitment more is the players stats. Obviously Raith didn't think that way either. Nor the people who recruited Ched Evans (apparently while he was still in prison - and didn't CE later win his appeal? So what do you do there? Is he a criminal because he was accused and served a sentence?) nor the people who knew Maradonna was a drug addict nor... I could go on for pages. None of these people I would want (Edited: badly phrased that - but I hope you see what I mean) judged by their character. IMO Gerrard was a thug as well .
It's one of the ironies of our society that a convicted criminal is likely to get more care than a victim. But the alternative is tough. Some societies have a price list of compensation and end up with the absurdity of calculating a beating against a theft, a rape against arsen. Exactly how much is murder worth - do we start asking if the victim was old or young, loved or disliked, clever or thick? I feel we should do more for victims but only offering money where there has been financial loss. Your whole life may be altered by a crime but only in a few cases is money the answer.
It's an odd one isn't it? We had 'an eye for eye' and as society moved on, so did justice. But I still think people want a feeling of the criminal in some way suffering like they're suffering - however insane that is. The move has been (and rightly IMO) away from punishment and toward rehabilitation - but for that to work, society has to believe that people can and do change. What then happens to that feeling of retribution in the victim? And what if the rehabilitation fails because the person is inherently a thug/bad/sociopath? How does the victim reconcile their feelings when seeing the criminal getting on with their life?
I doubt that Dove. I don't think when Fergie signed Cantona or Rooney the thought of how they would be at the local community sports centre went through his mind - I may be paying Fergie a discredit there. What sways the managers and recruitment more is the players stats. Obviously Raith didn't think that way either. Nor the people who recruited Ched Evans (apparently while he was still in prison - and didn't CE later win his appeal? So what do you do there? Is he a criminal because he was accused and served a sentence?) nor the people who knew Maradonna was a drug addict nor... I could go on for pages. None of these people I would want (Edited: badly phrased that - but I hope you see what I mean) judged by their character. IMO Gerrard was a thug as well .
You'd be surprised ... almost all sport in the UK, including football is very dependent upon Lottery Funding ... who do you think funded the rebuild of Wembley Stadium ... Lottery Funding demands that certain criteria are met, and many of these are about community involvement, and while many clubs are very wealthy, many other smaller clubs depend on various forms of matched funding for their activities.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It's not just punishment/retribution vs rehabilitation, there's also protection of the public which is key especially with violence and abuse - not putting people at risk. Given repeated crimes combined with a lack of contrition, I'd suggest that's a factor here.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Football players play football. They are no more all role models than musicians are. A manager will not be thinking 'I bet he's great at talking at briefings' when they employ a player. They will look at his past to assess risk - fine. It always amazes me, that you see players with RESPECT on their sleeves hurling absolutely vile abuse at linesmen and referees on the pitch - people only doing their job. And I hate to think how many players across the leagues take drugs and drink - all then trotted out as roles models? George Best? Maradonna, Paul Gascoigne, Merson. As in any profession, there are good and bad. Thugs and angels. I know clubs in the community is a big thing - fine - but players, irrespective of how they act - are seen as gods by their supporters in general.
And if you're willing to ignore certain character flaws (who wouldn't have signed Best or Maradonna), where is the line? If the player committed fraud is that ok? What about blackmail? What about drink driving?
Weren't gangsters given recording contracts?
We have this absurd thing about role models and people being put on pedestals. Footballers are human as are bankers, politicians, doctors, lawyers, nurses, bin men, media tycoons,presidents - some are good, some are bad, some bland, some evil, some angels.
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The difficulty arises when people like me are so revolted the we don't want to encounter him at work or in our community. Criminals HAVE to live among us and I wish I had a more trusting and forgiving heart because many turn out well. But it is problem.
Totally - but what people (or is this just me projecting?) want out of a justice system is retribution - the feeling that the criminal has in some way paid (not financially) for their crime. The punishment must give some form of comfort to the victim. Justice tries to balance that.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I feel we should do more for victims but only offering money where there has been financial loss. Your whole life may be altered by a crime but only in a few cases is money the answer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.