Made off, really??

Everybody's heard of Bernie Madoff. He recently received 150 years in prison for operating the largest ponzi scheme in American history. He has become the symbol for evil and a scapegoat for all economic frustration, anger, and misery. Apparently, this is not the best economic climate during which to get busted swindling billions of dollars of savings from the hands of investors.

Someone's got to pay for such misery, right? Since we can't do public lynchings, it appears that 150 yrs. in prison will have to do. Don't get me wrong, the man needs to do some heavy prison time....... for a thief. Bernie Madoff did not kill anyone. There were no assaults, no rapes. No children were sexually abused during the swindling. Call me crazy, but it appears that Bernie Madoff's sentence should have been that of the common convicted murderer's, and our murderers should be receiving Bernie's sentence. (As for the rapists and pedophiles, they're not even in prison long enough to decorate and call it home.) If you're strange like me and watch alot of Forensic Files and First 48, then you know what I mean. Ten to twenty years in prison for murder is all too common. Serving a full sentence, however, is uncommon. A murderer has taken the life of another human being and that can never be replaced.

Bernie Madoff stole money. Period.

So why can someone who stole life in cold blood receive 15 yrs. in prison, and a man who stole billions of dollars from investors receive 150 yrs. in the slammer?

Because people love their money. Unfortunately, some of Madoff's victims loved their money so much that they felt that they could not continue living without it.

We do not hear widespread public outrage and mass media coverage over weak sentences given to murderers ~ unless, of course, there is a political, racial, freakshowish, or otherwise outside motivated element driving the story. Unlike a doll sold resembling Bernie Madoff, there is no unquenchable market for a "Rapist and Pedophile Doll" sporting a red cape, pitchfork, and horns in which we can smash into smithereens.

No, but with Bernie there was. Please do not get me wrong, I do not feel sorry for the man and I won't be protesting outside the jail with signs saying "Free Bernie". What I am sorry about is the message that is conveyed by this decision. And the message is this: money is more valuable than life; it is better to kill someone than to steal their money. Our justice system sends the message. Our news coverage sends the message. Our public hysteria (or lack there of) sends the message. Murders make us sad. But money makes us crazy.

God tells us not to rely upon earthly riches, but to store up eternal riches in heaven. Madoff's actions were horrible. Had he relied on true riches, he would not have stolen from the life savings of others. Had many of the victims relied on God's provision, they would not have depended on their money to save their lives. And had us, as a society, checked our hearts instead of our pocketbooks, we would have thought clearly enough to judge a man according to his crimes. There is nothing more precious than life. Life is so precious that Jesus gave His so that we could live forever with Him. There is no greater expression of love than Jesus' gift of eternal life. And, as far as the law of the land is concerned, there should be no greater crime than to take the life of another.

~ Lester