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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Dead Police Officers, Supreme Court Rulings, and Families Betrayed
For those of you who read the headline of this article and thought that you might be about to read a movie review of Lemony Snicketts latest capers, I'm afraid that your cinematic appetites will go unfed. However, when it comes to unfortunate events, our friend Lemony has nothing on last week’s news. A series of unfortunate events indeed!
For the second time in as many weeks, we read of police offers murdered in the line of duty. The total is starting to mount up with the year still relatively young. From our recent killing of a police officer here in the State of Georgia, to the four Royal Canadian Police who were just killed, it sends a chilling message as to the lack of respect that some cretins have for the law. It is a fact of life that police officers have a dangerous job, but this recent rash of police brutality (in its truest sense) should make us appreciate the job that police officers do, day in and day out. Ever wonder why we don't see outrage, public marches and demands of quick justice when a police officer gets killed? Maybe that example of public review is only reserved for those who get killed after shooting at a police officer, or committing a crime in which their voluntary participation caused their death, or when a citizen tries to protect their property from a would be robber. And I think to myself....what a wonderful life.
The Supreme Court lowered the boom on us last week with their decision that juveniles could not face the death penalty. Isn't that lovely! Does that mean that juveniles can no longer kill other people? Does that mean that juveniles must now be held accountable for their actions? Does that mean that juveniles, who commit grown up crimes, must face grown up repercussions? No, not by a long shot. It simply means that we have just given some juveniles cart blanche to do whatever they want to, including ruthless murder, without having to worry about the ultimate punishment. It means that a juvenile can take the life of a police officer, leaving his family to fend for themselves, but that the system can’t do the same to them. It means that in a time where slapping a juvenile on the back of his hand (for crimes that deserve much more) has been a total failure, and we are not going to slap any harder. Surely, this humane approach to a group of lovely children will bring them back full circle to a full and productive life. I can hear the laughter from gang bangers, juvenile thugs and the like before the ink is dry on this Supreme Court ruling. Juveniles facing execution is something that should only be used in the most severe circumstances based on the atrocity of their crime. Maybe we can also have them write 100 times on the board, "I will not kill people."
And the last of the unfortunate events deals with families betrayed. As if it isn't bad enough to have to worry about crime being committed from strangers, crime suddenly has a very familiar face. In two recent cases where three people are dead, the perpetrators have been known, via relatives, to the alleged killer. Tragic cases that ended in blood by blood. The blood of their family tree. And on a side note, look at the three victims who were killed. All were senior citizens. Isn't it amazing how much respect that we have lost for life? Not only life in general, but the very lives that had a hand in our upbringing. Families have always argued. But, when did it also become okay to kill them? Just another piece of the puzzle as to our disintegrating family unit in this country. We love old Uncle Al.....until he makes us mad. Then old Uncle Al simply had it coming to him. Right?
When things were bad Scarlet O’Hara would always say, "I just won't worry about it, tomorrow is another day." I hope she was right, because the last few days have truly been a "series of most unfortunate events"
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
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