Today's the day you may have thought would never come. The day when Whitey Bulger finally meets justice. But I'm afraid there can't be justice for Bulger. Because justice should be fair, and there is no fair punishment- none- for him.
Two consecutive life sentences? That's legal gobbledegook. Bulger is 84, so two consecutive life sentences is more like 5 years. But what if Florida, or Oklahoma pursue more murder charges against him, and try him, and then sentence him to death? For Bulger, even the ultimate punishment falls short.
The jury here convicted him of killing 11 people, though prosecutors argued the true number was 19. So there will never be an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, because Whitey simply doesn't have enough teeth. Or the humanity to look at the relatives of his victims in the eye.
Today, the survivors of his crimes had their say in court. But nothing they say will revive their dead loved ones, or return their lives to what they were. Their words may bring comfort, but little change.
And tomorrow, when the sentencing is over, Whitey will go back to jail, where we– us–will pay an estimated $45,000 a year to keep him alive, or more. How's this for irony? We'll also pay for his health care, so he can live longer at our expense.
Finally, there's the FBI which wasn't on trial with Whitey, but should have been. It's hard to believe the FBI gave him immunity, but they certainly gave him invisibility to kill and corrupt. Which makes Whitey's FBI corrupt, too. And that's why, when the Whitey van pulls out of the Moakley Courthouse tomorrow, I'm not convinced Whitey should be taking what could be his last ride alone.