I'm writing against the views expressed in the letter titled 'Don't Cry For the Criminals' published in your February 26 issue. In the letter the writer (Cantara Ruhi) argues that it's wrong to sympathise with the criminals. It also appears as if she supports the incidents of crossfire killing. I think she should realise that no human being is born as a criminal. Every person, regardless of class, is equally innocent upon his birth. But lack of proper education and awareness, economic deprivation, lack of conscience, and absence of basic moral values, which exist alongside the constructive aspects of the society, transform an innocent man into a violent criminal. We all are born in the same society, but unfortunately each of us doesn't receive the same treatment. It's undeniable that no human society is completely perfect. Some people simply become the victims of the imperfection of the society. I'm not saying that every poor and uneducated man turns into a criminal. People who have done better in adversity obviously got something motivational in their lives.But most of the people who live in adversities and fail to receive any good inspiration in their lives are unable to be completely civilised. We should accept the fact that our environment, heredity, experiences, and education shape our minds and we all act accordingly. For instance, men like Ershad Shikder are not born, they are created. Several politicians backed him up for their own profits. He got encouragement not resentment for his dirty deeds. If he had been born in a better society, he might well have been a different man. Criminals who were killed in crossfire also deserved a fair trial. However, it's true that the media should not represent a criminal as a hero. Nevertheless, we should realise that criminals are human beings as well and they deserve a chance to rectify themselves.
Cantara should remember the phrase: "Hate Crime, Not Criminals"
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