Conducted robbery to pay the sugery fee for his wife
By billzehua
@billzehua (573)
China
August 9, 2010 9:07am CST
A villager was aporehended and sentenced to three years in jail. Normally people should have applauded to the conclusion of another case. but this time,it's more a upsetting story than a sobering news. Years ago the man's wife was diagosed with late uremia that totally tore his family into scraps.The only way he was told by the hospital to save his wife's life was to transplant a new kidney. It costs more than 100,000 RMB, which was way beyond the family's capacity.In order to earn the surgery fee,he wished he could work all of his 24 hours a day to add up as much as possible to his account.After consuming more than tens of thousands from all the way along, which most of them were borrowed from others,he finally fomulated the idea to conduct robbery after his last failed stretch.Unfortunately he was busted by the cop before he could turn in the robbed money to pay the surgery fee for his wife. The court sentenced three years' prison time. The judge tod the public that his deeds to help save his wife was noble and deserved sympathy from society, but no argument could stand in the way of a just and fair conviction for his crimes.This news pushed me to a question, how do we define the equality of the law? Coz to me, i think there exists a concept of absolute fairness, and relavant fairness. Sticking to the result assures absolute equality to every crimminal who have overstepped the line. but that brings to a relavant inequality under my view.For the honest and humble villager, he was desperate for help from goverment, society, and there's no more other options for him to save a life he cherried so much.The ruthless law is above humanity.But for those who are enriched with options to go on a better decision, a same sentence would clearly build up a sharp and unfair contrast to those who are cornered to as the villager.So what do think of this situation? what's your idea of the consequentialism that stresses ends justify the means?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@lulu1220 (1006)
• United States
9 Aug 10
I really feel for this man. I am not excusing what he did at all. He did try to raise the money legitimally too. However unless we actually experience this for ourselves (with his wife being ill and needing surgery), I cannot judge him. We always say we would never do certain things, but when faced with a situation like this who knows what we would do. He loved his wife dearly and got so desperate to save her. The law is a good thing, but not always fair.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
Hi both of you there,I like your points very much,we wouldn't be much better were we cornered into the deadend,and we are not entitled at all to judge him. But when we look over who is pushing him to edging, we might find a clue to blame.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
9 Aug 10
That is difficult to respond without allowing emotions to set in. I completely understand why he did this as sometimes life pushes us into un-Godly acts to save our loved ones.
I suppose the Judge felt that if he allowed this than the world would go ramped and resort to unlawful acts due to emotional turmoils. Hopefully he will not have to serve the full 3 years and he can still save his wife.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
you know,hardworkinggurl,compared to the another guy living in the same village who dumped his wife alone to die naturally when she was diagnosed with cancer, I feel he is noble anyway to even receive 3 year's sentence in prison.At least he is brave enough to risk his own life and future for others.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 Aug 10
Absolutely I agree. But but this is what the court is afraid of that all humans would begin to take laws into our own hands. 
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
10 Aug 10
There are times when one can break a law if the law is unjust. And unjust law is if the government says it is all right to persecute and kill people according to their religion. Going to jail or making restitution or both is not unjust. To base it on income or lack thereof is unfair. That would mean that if a rich man steals medicine which he cannot have, he goes to jail but the poor man gets sympathy and can work out his sentence at home.
That leads to inequality in the law whereby the poor person is considered better then the rich.
What needs to be done is to prevent this from happening. For instance, why is there not a health insurance plan based on income where those who make under a certain amount get their coverage free and those over a certain income pay a certain amount, the amount increasing according to their income. It does not have to be one plan over all the country, but a plan in each province And if it is administered locally, there is less chance of red tape.
@orevro (715)
• Philippines
10 Aug 10
this is one difficult situation. The deed was wrong but the reason for the deed is valid. it's not the man's fault that the government can't provide for him but his actions made the situation worse. he should have thought about the consequences for his actions. now that he's in prison, what will happen to his wife? The problem was never solved.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
you know, it's a very tricky situation and could be taken as a great phsychological subject to study.When it boils down, which exactly justifies the result? the ends or the means? I remember a lecture given by a professor in Harvard University. He presented a dilema to every student in the class.suppose there's a trolley car hurtling down the track where there are five workers ahead.but the brake is broken. if there's nothing trying to stop the trolley car, five workers would be killed for sure. now you are standing over the bridge and find a fat man leaning there. If you push him down to the track, you would kill him but spare the other five, wat would be your choice? and is that a crimminal act to you?
@tess_quinain (1149)
• Philippines
10 Aug 10
I fully understand his situation but what he did is totally unlawful. We shouldn't do something bad to others just because you have to save your love one. I mean, there's so many ways to save her without hurting others. He should have approached charitable offices or anybody. Prayers are very important. We should trust HIM.
Things like that happens. It's a challenge in our life. So we have to be very careful with our choices.
We shouldn't be desperate. We should have hope always.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
Thankfull that day hasn't come to us, but that doesn't mean we should take life for granted.pray for the world we live in
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
10 Aug 10
There are many ways how to earn the money for his wife and for his kidney as well with out really resulting to doing something stupid and illegal. He could approach a priest or church institution. Ask help from the church goer and the priest could ask help from the affluent people who supported the church.
He could approach a local tv station or any government official and ask for financial help. Is this man has no friends that could have advise him the right thing to do. He should have done every possible choice before doing something stupid. I just feel pity for this man and I think my heart is broken already.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
Yo,man,he has fullfilled his last streth to save his wife,done whatever he could.
@juliusports (274)
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
The needed cash may have sourced out from other sources and not from doing those desperate ideas like robbing. Being a robin hood is not an excuse for a heroic act being made to save a family life but of course you have to bare in mind that every good thing shall be rewarded and every bad act shall be corrected. so thats the price of doing the bad act.
@billzehua (573)
• China
11 Aug 10
Any thing we do has a price tag on it.Some one would still buy the things that cost too much for a purpose. but the word destiny tells us not everyone has the chance to go to a big-box where he's got tons of options.
