I looked up mercy to make sure I had the right definition http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/mercy

1. Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy.
3. Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt.
4. Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.

While I disagree that we only show mercy for those we love and ourselves, we can all agree to disagree. I can show mercy, empathy for others and that includes people I may never meet nor know.

Do I think she should be shown mercy, truthfully no. She should not be shown any special treatment but this is only my opinion. Her crimes warrant no mercy from me.

I certainly accept your view, Fran. Here's what I wonder.. Must be my week for wondering stuff, been doing it all week. Anyway what I wonder.

Can someone who has commit a crime like this ever be forgiven while alive?

I wonder if anyone in the other families found a way to forgive her?

I wonder what haunts her? I would say that being alive and knowing what you did and reliving it millions of times is unbearable. It would be for me, though I don't assume it is for her.

I wonder if we consider the influence of Manson and her age at the time of the crime.. that's just a side thought, because I think many many people are too incensed by her actions they can't even entertain such a thought.

I certainly accept your view, Fran. Here's what I wonder.. Must be my week for wondering stuff, been doing it all week. Anyway what I wonder.

Can someone who has commit a crime like this ever be forgiven while alive?

I wonder if anyone in the other families found a way to forgive her?

I wonder what haunts her? I would say that being alive and knowing what you did and reliving it millions of times is unbearable. It would be for me, though I don't assume it is for her.

I wonder if we consider the influence of Manson and her age at the time of the crime.. that's just a side thought, because I think many many people are too incensed by her actions they can't even entertain such a thought.

I lost one to a violent crime..many years ago. The forgiveness is for us, not the criminal. I do hope after all this time the families of these victims have been able to forgive, for their sake, not hers.

Oh I can entertain those thoughts (especially with all the digging you've been doing )

Have you ever heard that sometimes it's easier to forgive than to forget. Assuming the families of those affected by 'all' of their actions (manson clan) have forgiven her but should their forgiving her actions reduce her sentencing?

Can you imagine how many people will step up and say release such and such for I have forgiven the accused.

But I see your point - just making sure thread doesn't die as I too am quite curious as to how others think

You have a point.

How does SHE feel about being released?

i hope they release her. this woman is paralyzed over 85% of her body. she can't sit, she's barely there...she can't get out of bed. if she goes home, she frees up space for others...she's not going to go frolic in her back yard or go have a wonderful time.

she's already lived longer than the experts thought she would; she's on the down-hill slide...she can certainly do no harm to anyone.

i also believe that forty years is a very long time; that people are capable of great change in that amount of time.

You have a point.

How does SHE feel about being released?

The people Atkins helped kill didn't have a say in where they could be as life was drained out of them in a horrific, violent manner.

i hope they release her. this woman is paralyzed over 85% of her body. she can't sit, she's barely there...she can't get out of bed. if she goes home, she frees up space for others...she's not going to go frolic in her back yard or go have a wonderful time.

she's already lived longer than the experts thought she would; she's on the down-hill slide...she can certainly do no harm to anyone.

i also believe that forty years is a very long time; that people are capable of great change in that amount of time.

EXACTLY! How difficult is it to understand the phrase, "Life In Prison"? Those three words should mean exactly as they say. There is no shade of grey! The mercy she is seeking, as well as that of others on her behalf, has already been granted to her over the past 40 years when her sentence was commuted! By all rights, she should've been fried by 1972, at the very latest. She will NEVER fully pay for the crimes she committed, whether it's through her own execution, or through life imprisonment. She can never un-ring that bell.

It's also been said in this thread that "she could not control herself being under Manson's influence, as well as the influence of drugs. We are not like her" (excuse my paraphrasing). Again, this is right. We (at least, MOST of us) are NOT like her. Her path in life was forged by her own decisions she made and followed through with, whther it was to be influenced by Manson, or to be influenced by drugs. He actions determined her fate. At this point in her life, whether she can barely move, is terminally ill, or theoretically poses no threat to anyone any longer is of little consequence. She already got better than she deserved when her sentence was commuted from death to life in prison. For what she did, or anyone else like her, that is not a person who can simply apologize and expect the penal system to just pat her on the head and say, "Aww, that's okay, you just go on home now and don't do it again, okay?"

She has been denied parole 17 times and has been denied compassionate release.

Why would some want her to be released because she's not well? If it works for her - let's empty out all the jails, the inmates are sick, feel bad for their actions and have apologized.

morning sunshine

Hiya Fran.

Well for me it was 'because she is sick' she is of no threat to anyone in her state, so why take up the space and cost the tax payer anymore than necessary. Of course then someone mentioned she'd cost us outside of jail as well.

We wouldn't be doing her any favors, unless she was well and able to enjoy her leave. In her state I highly doubt she is enjoying anything, no?

Yes I say empty the jails of unnecessary prisoners to cut costs. We have thousands of people in jail for petty crimes and that would be a good idea. Of course I would not want to see violent prisoners let go unless they were so incapacitated they couldn't harm a fly.