death sentence or life imprisonment without parole. She mentioned that the crimes that she felt warranted the death sentence were multiple homicides (i.e., serial killers, terrorists) or, in the very least, life without hope of parole. Alissa C. felt that often the crime, depending on the location in the United States, doesn't carry enough punishment to deter criminals, whether they are petty crimes or felonies. The government should rethink its positions on the punishments that match the crimes; murder, drugs, and terrorism are all horrible crimes and should carry sentences appropriate for the felons. The survivors or victims should be considered in the scheme of things as well, since, she indicated that those individuals (survivors) must struggle just to get through each day.Alissa C. indicated that right now the sentencing laws, correctional institutions and parole system are what we have to work with, but perhaps it should be put on the front burner and revamped.Finally, I asked her about gun control and she had a very short statement to give me on this subject. Alissa C. indicated that the person kills -- not the gun. No matter how strict our gun control laws might be, a criminal will find a gun to commit a crime. The government shouldn't punish the individuals that hunt, trap shoot, or enjoy indoor pistol ranges -- because guns have fallen into the hands of criminals. Also, as an aside, she mentioned that the students killed at Columbine was more than just a tragedy for the victims, survivors and the families of the victims and survivors, but legislation shouldn't be forced on legal card carrying gun owners to calm the outraged masses that blame guns for crimes.I thanked Alissa C. for her time and cooperation.Each of us is entitled to express our own opinions and that is what makes the United States a great country. I have a final comment to make about these issues also. While what we have as far as police, courts and corrections...
