I want Guyger's sentence to be unbelievably long and terrible. Not because I think deterrence is generally a very effective means of keeping the population in line. It isn't. I could be mistaken, but I believe that there has been recent psychological research showing that the perceived legitimacy of the law is the major factor in compliance. I don't believe this is really a case where a temptation not to follow the law was the critical mistake. Not because Guyger herself or Botham Jean deserve it.
I want Guyger's sentence to be so unspeakably terrible that it horrifies not merely Guyger's friends and family...but everyone else in this country. So that the next time a police officer reaches for their gun first, they pause for just an instant and think and feel in a visceral way "Wait, hold up, I don't want to end up like Amber Guyger"; and reflect for just a few moments on what they really know about the individual they are about to challenge and the circumstances of what they are about to do.