Killers and apologists are horribly adept at furtively scuffling to save themselves.

Almost daily, we see cases where civilians who have killed other people are scrambling to save their own lives. It doesn’t seem to matter to their apologists and attorneys that the defendants may have wantonly, even worse, casually, killed somebody who will never again inhale or exhale and enjoy anything.

It is not long after someone is charged with murder that there is a rush to defend the fatal actions or even justify them. There is, indeed, justifiable homicide, to be considered and dealt with accordingly. Self-defense is a case in point.

But there also are cold-blooded killers who have taken one or more lives and then suddenly decide their existence is more vital than that of their victims. And they fervently appeal for “justice and mercy,” both of which they did not offer those who died.

The Lawrence area has seen a number of incidents in recent times where punishment for convicted killers seems far too lenient for what they did. Without even considering whether capital punishment is or is not sensible and viable, how can they get off so lightly?

People like this are brought to trial and before long some spin doctor is depicting them as unfortunate and misunderstood, perhaps abused as children, as if that makes it right for the murdered citizens and their families and friends. And quite often the victims are innocents.

Some think the issue is overstated, but the fact remains more attention, far more attention, should be paid to the rights of victims of crimes and the prices they and theirs pay because of perpetrators of various types.

But often the victims are dead and buried, perhaps after terrible punishment, abuse and violence beforehand. Suddenly the spotlight is shifted to making certain the sociopaths get full protection and assurance of all the rights they denied their prey. It seems inevitable that we’ll get a lot of this from the vagrant scum who kidnapped the teenager in Utah and subjected her to so long an ordeal. No murder took place, but deep scars will last forever for the victim and family.

We see all kinds of new dodges of personal responsibility and to many it is sickening how often people can pull off such scams. In fact, a lot of people literally do get away with murder by paying a pittance of what they should for atonement.

Most disgusting is to see some killer who took a life or lives scuffling and pleading to avoid punishment or being killed as he or she killed. So much attention is focused on this unsettling process that the people in their graves are forgotten.

We should never let such happen, but too often we do.