Dubus Andre Killers Essay Example

Dubus Andre Killers Essay Example Dubus Andre Killers Essay Dubus Andre Killers Essay Killers Richard Strout is the true killer of this story. This man walks through the â€Å"front door† (Dubus 107) of his ex-wife’s house and proceeds in shooting Frank â€Å"twice in the chest and once in the face with a nine millimeter automatic† (107). Standing over the blood spattered couch he shifts his eyes from the brainy chaos, which was a man’s face just seconds before, to the children that are sitting on that same couch. He then looks at the mother of those children, his children. She is not looking at the killer, rather she is intently staring at her babies who are covered with the remnants of the man they have recently begun to call dad. And how does the executioner react to this entire scene? He â€Å"went home to wait for the police† (107). He waits for the police as though he just stole a loaf of Wonder Bread at the dollar store. This man is cold, grey and calculating. He goes home to wait because he knows what he has done, he lives in it, accepts it. Matt and Ruth, Frank’s parents, will never accept the cold blooded murder of their son. It is pure torture for a mother or father to see the man that took away from them, something that can never be returned, their child. â€Å"He walks the goddamn streets,† (103) Matt says. Matt did not think that the justice system would release a man like this on bail. This murderer is now tending to his daily routines without a care in the world, while the victims of his injustice helplessly watch. They watch as the killer of their child is shopping at a local grocery store; Buying skirt steak and quart of two percent milk while they wait in line to buy flowers for their dead son’s tombstone. Watch as that same man, who has shattered a mothers bond, is enjoying a Saturday afternoon at a local barbershop for his weekly high and tight haircut. â€Å"It’s killing her,† said Matt. Dubus writes â€Å"she can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin† (103) without seeing him. Not only has he killed their child, he is now killing them indirectly. Matt’s marriage is suffering and he is only a shell of his old self. How many people must endure pain and suffering before justice is dealt? Matt cannot bear the thought of facing his son’s murderer in everyday life. He believes that the only way to remedy this problem is to take matters into his own hands. Richard Strout shot and killed Matt’s son with a nine millimeter pistol. Matt pulled the trigger on his unregistered thirty eight millimeter pistol (104) ending the life of Richard Stout hoping to find closure in his death. Both men have now committed murder. Dubus named this story Killings because of Matt’s revenge. If the Justice system worked properly this story might have been called Killer. The real problem here is not the revenge murders but the inefficiency of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system should be blamed for the murder of Strout, releasing this man back into the same community where the murder took place is outrageous. Laws and regulations in the justice system are in place to prevent people from taking matters into their own hands. It is very difficult to deal with your emotions when you are being haunted by your child’s murderer. Everyone thinks they know someone that the world would be better off without. But why are we not running amok in the streets, viciously murdering our bosses, and curb stomping our neighbors or grimy politicians? Even the guy who stepped on your new shoes the night before nobody would miss him. We do not go around decimating each other because there is a system in place that punishes the wicked. The Laws must be followed and people must be held accountable for their actions. It is this accountability that allows us to move along comfortably through our lives. Not having to worry that you’re going to get shot in the face because you stole a parking spot from a driver that was taking too long. Or that your children are being shoved into creepy white vans after being lured with candy. The narrator tells us that Frank â€Å"was relieved when he came home in the evenings and they were there; usually the relief is the only acknowledgement of his fear , which he never spoke of, and which he controlled within his heart† (107). Frank was pushed into action due to the failure of the law to protect his family. Yes, Frank did commit murder and he should be held responsible. But there needs to be a difference between a man who blasts a guy’s head away while he’s enjoying television with his children and a guy who takes revenge because of the pain of seeing this murderer walk. The hard truth is that we need a criminal justice system that works. Criminals need to be punished to protect guys like Richard, who will never accept the cold blooded murder of his son, from taking matters into his own hands and become a criminal himself. Dubus, Andre. Killings. The Compact Bedford Introduction To Literature With 2009 MLA Update, Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston, New York: Bedford/St Martins, 2009. 103-07. Print.