Jay C Victor comments

1/23/2018 6:48 a.m. EST The very first thing I was told when I moved to Japan in 1984, was: Japanese law is non-negotiable. It is held in high regard by its citizens first, and the rest of the civilized world after that. Violating the law has consequences,, usually equal in their severity to the crime(s) committed. There will be no martyrdom for the convicted cult leader or his imprisoned followers. They will be hanged and forgotten. The families of those who died in the subway may find some closure, some peace. That is the only unfinished business with regard to this tragic event. I think many Japanese citizens would agree that Japan should not repeal its death penalty. It has served long and effectively as a powerful deterrent against crime. The American judicial and prison systems are a shining example of the utter failure of a society to address the issue of violent crime. Crime is passe, violent crime a daily event; and Americans are numb, helpless and terrified. When I lived in Japan, I never had to look over my shoulder. When I returned to the States, that was the first habit to return. I miss Japan.

1/23/2018 6:40 a.m. EST SELL a flamethrower? There would have been many takers in the States: white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and extremist terrorist cells. This young man needs tome guidance. Serious guidance.

1/23/2018 6:14 a.m. EST Response to "MarkX": One scientist manipulation his data (read, LYING to the public, his colleagues and the world scientific community), does not make the Japanese look "weak, lazy and stupid". It gives you the opportunity to criticize his people, nation and culture en masse. One person, regardless of his heritage, does not represent everyone of his ilk. The Japanese are not, nor have they ever been, anything remotely akin to "weak, lazy, or stupid". Read your history! The Japanese created art, composed music, had a written language and were bathing daily, when our grunting ancestors were still clad in animal hides and swinging clubs at one another.