Our Blood Money

The concept of "blood money" is quite old.  Wigmore, in a book called A Kaledidoscope of Justice, (1941), wrote about it - the concept is not quite the same as the references in the Bible when Judas receives payment for the betrayal of Jesus.

It seems, we (that's right, you and me and the rest of American tax payers), have paid blood money.

"A Pakistani court has freed a US CIA contractor after acquitting him of two counts of murder at a hearing held at a prison in Lahore, officials say.

Raymond Davis, 36, was alleged to have shot dead two men in the eastern city of Lahore in January following what he said was an attempted armed robbery.

The acquittal came when relatives of the dead men pardoned him in court.

They confirmed to the judge overseeing the case that they had received compensation - known as "blood money".

Under Pakistani law, relatives of a murder victim can pardon the killer.

Reports say about 18 family members of the two dead men were in court on Wednesday and confirmed that they wanted Mr Davis to be freed and pardoned because they had received "blood money"."

I do not pretend to know what happened with Mr. Davis - whether he was killing in our name, in self-defense or for some other reason, but I do know that the payment to family members to obtain the dismissal of a case doesn't sit well with me. 

If the court had found that he had diplomatic immunity and set him free, I would be more comfortable with the outcome.  I guess the ultimate question is how do you value a life?  Does a person who has been a victim of a homicide deserve more than simply a value placed upon their head?  Obviously in civil practice, values are placed on decedents every day, but there is a line between negligence and murder, which is why the State steps in and prosecutes defendants, regardless of a civil settlement.  Does anybody think a defendant should be able to pay off the family members in our system?

"I'd sell your heart to the junkman baby
For a buck, for a buck
If you're looking for someone to pull you out of that ditch
You're out of luck, you're out of luck.

The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking

There's a leak, there's a leak in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers!^"