No one here has said this guy is a nice guy. The sticky issue has been whether we are punishing this dying child for the sins of her father.
No one here has condoned the crimes of her Dad. To us, he is not the issue. The issue is the dying child who had no choice in the occupation of her parent.
She probably knew nothing about that. All she cares about is that she is dying and wants her parents with her.
This is a case where the sins of the parent should not be paid by the child.
I assume we accept that choices have consequences - in this case, he chose to involve himself in meth, with the consequence that he cannot be with his dying daughter.
That being the case, the consequence should have a deterrent effect.
Yes, I realize I’m saying, “Too bad, so sad, shoulda thought about that before you started handling meth.”
Bottom line is, the consequence has to happen for it to be effective. We can’t just say, “Hey guy, we feel bad for your daughter, so your choice has no consequence.”
Make it hurt. Make it hurt bad. Parents who love their kids don’t want the kids to suffer, and knowing that it’s possible you will not see your child live or die should be a powerful motivator.
Are you talking about the guy in prison, or about the illegals who don’t want to be deported?