Can Corporations Commit Murder?

If a corporation is considered a person (as it is in the U.S.A) I believe that if the corporation was responsible for the death of another person, the corporation has committed murder. However, finding the group or single person who was responsible for the death and the punishment for that death is another matter. Although the CEO is responsible for the corporation and the welfare of its employees, it may not be directly the CEO’s fault. Investigation and interviews would need to be conducted to find the person or people at fault.
An example of a corporation committing homicide would be the Granite Construction Company in 1981. The company was held responsible for the death of seven construction workers after an accident at a power plant construction site where the safety standards were relaxed. A grand general jury charged the corporation for manslaughter. The company tried to dismiss the charges, stating that a company can’t be charged for manslaughter. However, a court of appeals upheld the charge.
If a corporation has the same legal rights as a person, then all the aspects of those rights should be implied, not just the good ones. Therefore if a corporation is responsible for the death of a worker or citizen, they should be charged with homicide.

Auto Theft in Canada

Auto theft is a major crime in Canada. According to a recent study, Canada has 376 cases of auto theft per 100,000 people. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates 20,000 stolen cars skip the country each year, that's approximately 30% - 40%. Approximately 30% of stolen cars are not found. However, theft rates in Canada have been declining since the mid-1990s. 125,000 reported cars were stolen in 2008; 145,000 were stolen in 2007; that is a change of 15%.Every province has had declining rates, ranging from 1% in Saskatchewan to 39% in Manitoba. Despite these large decreases in auto theft in Manitoba, it still has the highest auto theft rates in Canada; 81% of Manitoba's auto theft occurred in CMA of Winnipeg.
According to an unspecified study, the top ten cities home to the most auto theft in Canada are as follows:
1) Winnipeg MB
2) Abbotsford BC
3) Edmonton AB
4) Regina SK
5) Calgary AB
6) Vancouver BC
7) Saskatoon SK
8) Montreal QC
9) London ON
10) Hamilton ON
There are several reasons why thieves steal cars, but they're divided into two categories: amateur/occasional and professional. Amateur/occasional thieves steal for two reasons. They either steal for the joyride or for transportation. Youth who steal cars usually steal for the joyride. Those who steal for transportation may steal for long-term transportation or for long term transportation. Professional auto thieves steal for profit by the resale of the car or the chop shops where they would sell pieces of the car individually. Professional thieves also steal for the commission of another crime, such as robbery or theft. The top ten types of vehicles stolen according to a 2007 study are as follows:
1) 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
2) 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3) 2002 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD
4) 2004 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD
5) 2005 Acura RSX Type S 2-door
6) 1997 Acura Integra 2-door
7) 2000 Audi S4 Quattro 4-door 4WD
8) 2003 Hummer H2 4-door AWD
9) 2006 Acura RSX type S 2-door
10) 2004 Hummer H2 4-door AWD
Although auto theft is a major crime, it is usually simple to prevent. Simple ways to protect your car from being stolen are locking your car, parking in your garage, keep your keys out of your car (do NOT leave your keys inside your car; most cars are stolen with the keys IN them). Other ways of preventing your car from being stolen are using alarms, steering lock devices, immobilization devices, tracking devices, and reward offers/hotlines. Marking your car with a bumper sticker or decals also makes your car more noticeable and easier to find if stolen.
However, most devices do NOT reduce theft rates.

Sexual Assault

Men are taught at a young age to be masculine. They play with toy guns and army men at young ages. They are encouraged to establish a 'manly' appearance and not to show their sensitive feelings. This has been taught since the beginning of time but it seems as though it is getting more and more enforced because of the rising number of homosexual males. Some men may feel as though they need to convince others of their masculinity in order to be considered "normal." This may be alright for some men, but others may take it too far and feel as though they need to take advantage of women in order to establish that masculinity and power.

Men who commit sexual assaults are often seeking to be more masculine and powerful through their 'conquered' women. However, in actuality this means that they are insecure in their identity and need to achieve a horrific action to convince themselves and others of their masculinity. Men are naturally masculine due to hormones but these extremes are usually learned.  Men learn this behaviour from other men, fathers, older siblings, media, music, and pornography.  

A 27 year old man in Camrose Alberta was reported to have inappropriately touched a five-year old boy; it was later found that he also inappropriately touched a four-year old boy.  The man was living in the basement of the house the children lived in.  He was also reported to be an "uncle" to the kids.  He has now been charged with three accounts of sexual assault, sexual interference, and sexual exploitation.  What would encourage this man to sexual assault young boys?  The feeling of being powerless and the need to feel in control; he may also feel the need to boost his self image and self esteem.  The opportunity was most likely often available as well.

Mass and Serial Killers

One aspect of violent crime is murder. This includes serial and mass killers. Marc Lepine was a mass murder at the University of Montreal. At around 5:00 pm on December 6, 1989, he walked into the Ecole Polytechnique and stepped into a classroom. The male students and professors were ordered to leave the classroom while the ten women present were told to stand in a specified area. He then proceeded to tell the women that he was killing them because "I'm fighting feminism." He shot all ten women. He continued on a rampage all throughout the school, injuring or killing any women he could find, even shooting men who were standing with women. He killed a total of fourteen women and injured thirteen other students (men and women). By the time police had entered the building, Lepine was standing in front of a desk in a classroom, taking his own life with the same assault rifle he used to take so many others'. There are many reasons as to why Marc Lepine killed so many women. It all started when he was young, he was abused by his father and watched his mother be beaten by his father as well. Although Lepine hated his father, he still adapted his views on women. Lepine had continual setbacks in his early adult life and blamed all of his problems on women. Finally, when he was rejected into the Ecole Polytechnique he blamed woman and decided to make a statement. Lepine is the perfect example of what Jack Levin and James Alan Fox call a "revenge killer." A revenge mass murderer kills for revenge on a certain indivdual or group of individuals.

An example of a serial killer is Clifford Robert Olson. By the end of his career Olson will have killed a total of eleven children in British Columbia; He was also reported to continually pick up female hitchhikers.

After Olson had been charged with the first degree murder of Judy Kozma, he made a deal with the police.  If the RCMP gave Olson $100,000 then Olson would give them eleven bodies.  This deal is commonly known as the "Cash for Bodies Deal."  Through this deal the police were able to find evidence that Olson was indeed the killer of all these children.  Olson was inprisoned for life and never spent another day as a free man.  Clifford Olson is an example of Levin and Fox's 'Thrill Killer.'  These murders kill for the joy of seeing someone hurt or be in pain; they also murder for dominance.
Everyone can learn from people like Olson and Lepine.  Being aware of people like these can make you better prepared for preventing events like these.  Perhaps people should think twice before they hitchhike and get into a car with a complete stranger.  I don't think it is possible to stop people like this in Canada, or anywhere else in the world unless our justice system was x100 harsher.  But even still, if a killer really wants to kill, he probably will.  Being cautious of strangers and aware of these people can go a long way in keeping yourself safe.

Crime Victims

     A victim of crime is often not considered because when we hear of a crime, all the focus is on the criminal. If a headline reads "Woman murdered by husband" our thoughts travel along the lines of "how long is he going to jail for?" and "wonder why he did it", not, "I wonder what the woman's family is thinking" and "I wonder if the woman's friends are in therapy". It's just not really something that intrigues us, or perhaps, the thought makes us feel guilty and sorry for the people so we like to pretend they don't exist. But if we ever stop to think about how a victim of crime, or someone who is associated with a victim, actually deals with all this pain and suffering, the answers are perhaps way more shocking then what we first thought. The effects of being a victim of crime can be split into two categories: short-term and long-term.
     Short term effects of crime victims would be things such as shock, oversensitive nerves, emotional downs, lack of sleep, lack of appetite, nervousness, required counseling sessions, lack of relationships, change of housing, disinterest, anger, stress, and extreme fear. Long term effects would be things such as over cautiousness/ fear, lack of interest, anti social behaviour, continued counseling sessions, anger, hatred, changed personality traits, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nervousness.
     An HIV-positive sex offender by the name of John Francis Dionne is wanted for kidnapping a young girl in Calgary. The 10-year old girl, who was shopping in a local mall, was accused of shoplifting by Dionne, who was posing as a cop, and forced to get into a green/turquoise Dodge Caravan on a Thursday night. The victim was released shortly after in a McDonalds restaurant. However, it is far from over for that young, 10-year old girl.
     That young girl won't find closure once she is 'safe' again.  She won't even find closure when the criminal is caught.  The victim of a crime, as well as being constantly reminded by his subconscious mind, has to relive the crime in order to tell others what has happened.  The victim will be interviewed by multiple policemen,  investigators, and reporters.  Every time that girl retells the crime, she is reliving it.  All throughout her teen years and her young adult years she will be greatly impacted by this crime; how she deals with it is key to how she grows up and responds to the world around her.  She will probably grow up being a lot more cautious with strangers, especially when alone.  She may even be over-cautious as a teen and may have issues with older men and trust.
     Softening the impacts victims have to deal with could be done in many different ways.  First of all a police officer, or whoever is the first one conducting the first interview with the victim could audio record the interview and use it as reference for others who need a similar interview so that the victim doesn't need to repeat himself so many times, therefore he doesn't need to relive the event so many times.  Also, creating a soft, compassionate environment for the victim, instead of disregarding them, will make a victim feel more comfortable and less stressed about their situation.
     Making a victim feel better and more relaxed after a crime is really important because these crimes are life changing and the shape the way the victim's view their lives and life around them.  Easing the pain and the stress could make a world of a difference to their lives.
     

Crime Rates in BC

     Crime rates in BC have been surprisingly low compared to previous years.  Crimes such as homicide, assault (both sexual and nonsexual), property related crime, weapon related crime, arson, and theft have all reduced in frequency, some, by quite a bit.  However, crimes such as drug use and distribution, and prostitution have all increased, some with surprising numbers.     
     So if violent crimes are rapidly decreasing in their probability, then why are we all so paranoid about being murdered or assaulted?  Part of it is a natural fear of having something horrific happening to us, but mostly it's because of the media.  News broadcasts over the radio and television all contain mostly crime-related stories, as well as the newspaper.  Crime is what interests people, so that's what the media wants to feed us.  For example, the headline "Woman Found Dead in Edmonton Alley" is a lot more interesting to us then the headline "Quebec Union Leader was Convicted Drug Producer".  We want to read about something exciting and that we can gossip about, not something that happens often.
     The drug bust that happened on September 27, 2010 was large-scale  but not that uncommon.  BC especially is home to many drug busts related to marijuana.  This drug bust, however, mostly consisted of cocaine and methamphetamine.  The drug bust was not a dangerous one (no one was injured) and was not uncommon either. 
      Being afraid of violent crimes and being over cautious is common in most people in North America, yet this is not necessary.  I'm not saying that it's not good to be cautious of crimes and that you shouldn't be fearful of anything because that would be stupid, but if you actually look at crime statistics and follow crime trends in BC and even Canada, you'll save yourself a lot of stress and paranoia.

Who Would Kill Their Spouse?

     The reason for murder leaves just about everyone confused and surprised.  The crime never ceases to amaze us.  We all wonder what could make someone willingly take another's life.  The notorious Demetrious Angelis was one of those people that leaves our heads spinning.  He not only, in an act of sudden rage, killed his wife of sixteen years, but also did it right before his two children's eyes.  Angelis told his eldest child, who was eight years of age at the time, to ignore his mother's cries for help.  After the death of his wife, Angelis reportedly, wrapped her in a carpet and took her to the bedroom.  He didn't call for help until three hours later, after taking his children to Sunday school.
      So what would make a man murder his wife in front of his two young children, completely ruining their emotional lives, out of complete rage?  My guess is that it started at his childhood.  He was probably brought up by unstable parents and was either physically or emotionally abused for most of his life.  He learned, at a young age, that physical actions help relive anger and stress.  It was reported that Angelis's wife, Lien Li, had been having an affair for thirteen years and had just decided a month prior to her death that she was going to leave Angelis.  Angelis had supposedly known about the affair for five years but had decided not to do anything about it for family reasons.  He must've had a large amount of anger and rage building up throughout those five years.  When he started suspecting that she was going to leave he decided to act on that anger. 
     Angelis probably felt his pride being squashed when his wife was going to leave him for someone that she had been with for thirteen years.  This is very dangerous because he was probably feeling powerless to do anything and was wanting to feel like he could take matters into his own hands.
     Anger and rage are very dangerous when added with a hurt pride and a broken childhood; and the results can be deadly.