I expected a surge in crime as the stock market tumbled.
I figured we would see marked increases in armed robberies, drugstore stickups and the like. Basically crimes of opportunity where the motive was money.
I sure didn't expect a rash of mass murder/suicides such as we've seen throughout March. Locally there's the guy who killed his wife and step-son in the parsonage of a Wilmette church and then shot himself. Over this last weekend, a man went on a killing spree at a North Carolina nursing home and, just this morning, I read of a mass murder/suicide in California.
What's up with that?
Used to be, someone wanted to kill themselves, they did it. What have we become as a nation when suicidal individuals decide to, not only off themselves, but take a whole crew of people with them? Often people they don't even know? What's happened to our culture?
I'm not going to try and armchair shrink an answer. That one I'll leave for the professionals.
Where I will inject an opinion is in the case of another mass murder, one of the most diabolical and evil cases I can recall. It happened in Los Angeles in 1969 when a guy named Charles Manson and his followers broke into Hollywood producer Roman Polanski's home and murdered his pregnant wife and six others.
The CNN website today has an article entitled "Aging Manson 'Family' Members Long for Freedom."
These are four people who held down an eight-months pregnant woman and stabbed her in the stomach until she and her baby died. Yeah, I imagine they 'long' for freedom.
Good luck with that.
They are described as "model prisoners."
Used car dealers throw around the phrase "excellent condition," too. And just as long as we leave those cars parked on the lot, they'll remain in "excellent condition," won't they?
Some inmates deserve parole and a second chance. Even some who have committed murder.
No matter how old or sick they are, no matter how well they have behaved in the regimented society of a prison population, the Manson 'Family' members should never be freed.
May God have mercy on their souls.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Fourteen-Year-Old Sex-Offenders
I think what officials in Passiac County New Jersey are trying to do to a fourteen-year-old-girl is criminally cruel and a monstrous misuse of the criminal justice system.
I'm speaking of the teenager who took thirty nude pictures of herself and posted them for her boyfriend to see on MySpace. (You know MySpace. It and Craigslist have sort of an informal competition going to see who can get the most publicity for maintaining a site where people can act outrageously and get national attention, thus allowing the owners of the sites to boost advertising revenue.)
The New Jersey authorities have charged this girl with posession and distribution of child pornography.
Say what?
She posted pictures of herself. She is a minor. Therefore, they argue, she is no different than any other sexual predator and should be treated the same. If found guilty, she should have to register as a sex offender.
One of the talking heads on CNN, who has five children, shrieks that, "We have to protect these kids from themselves!"
I'm not going to go on and on about this but let me just say to her and anyone else who supports this kind of prosecution; balderdash!
These are kids being kids. We give them cell phone and computer video cameras and, gosh, whaddya think? Some of them are going to act out. Surprise!! We don't put them into the system for it; we take away their toys, send them to their rooms and ground them for six months.
Megan's Law, which is what everyone is citing here, requires registration of sex offenders. This kid, and others who send each other nude pictures, are not sex offenders. They are kids who screwed up. They're still allowed to do that.
They shouldn't have to face a judge. They should have to face a very angry and embarrassed Mom and Dad.
I'm speaking of the teenager who took thirty nude pictures of herself and posted them for her boyfriend to see on MySpace. (You know MySpace. It and Craigslist have sort of an informal competition going to see who can get the most publicity for maintaining a site where people can act outrageously and get national attention, thus allowing the owners of the sites to boost advertising revenue.)
The New Jersey authorities have charged this girl with posession and distribution of child pornography.
Say what?
She posted pictures of herself. She is a minor. Therefore, they argue, she is no different than any other sexual predator and should be treated the same. If found guilty, she should have to register as a sex offender.
One of the talking heads on CNN, who has five children, shrieks that, "We have to protect these kids from themselves!"
I'm not going to go on and on about this but let me just say to her and anyone else who supports this kind of prosecution; balderdash!
These are kids being kids. We give them cell phone and computer video cameras and, gosh, whaddya think? Some of them are going to act out. Surprise!! We don't put them into the system for it; we take away their toys, send them to their rooms and ground them for six months.
Megan's Law, which is what everyone is citing here, requires registration of sex offenders. This kid, and others who send each other nude pictures, are not sex offenders. They are kids who screwed up. They're still allowed to do that.
They shouldn't have to face a judge. They should have to face a very angry and embarrassed Mom and Dad.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Give It Back, AIG, Give It Back!!
President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear President Obama,
How easy is it to get money back you've lost?
If the person who finds it is an especially Good Samaritan, chances are pretty good. We all love those stories about the found wallets, bags of cash, whatever.
In the case of the AIG bonuses, I don't think it's going to be quite as easy as you and all the politicians who are making promises think it will be. Sure, you can levy special taxes but let's not forget one important fact.
The folks who got those hefty checks are going to be just as fervent about keeping the cash as we are about retrieving it. And by now, they've had plenty of warning that you're pissed and may try to reach into their pockets.
Wouldn't it be better if those bonus-takers just decided to return the money out of the goodness of their hearts? Here are several pursuasive strategies for achieving that mindset:
--Bring them to the White House and ask them to "give it up" for the good of the country. Better yet, invite the networks to watch you shame them. Make sure there's plenty of b-roll of starving children, people losing their homes and other sorrowful scenes to run while you're chatting with them.
--Promise IRS audits for the past five or ten years and for the rest of the individual's life until the money is returned.
--Send building inspectors crawling all over their homes and businesses (I'm sure your buddy Mayor Daley could spare a few of his toughest inspectors. Give them each a fifth of Scotch and they'll be happy to help.).
--Have Immigration carefully scrutinize their domestic help.
--Scrutinize every single one of their financial transactions ("Excuse me, Mr. Car Dealer, I'm with the IRS...are you sure you want to sell a Maserati to that man?").
--Search their children's school lockers on a regular basis and insist on jail time for any contraband (if you wish, sell the guns and drugs you find and use the money to pay down the debt).
--Install GPS trackers on all their cars and follow them intermittently. Never know when and where they might be spending their ill-gotten swag.
--And finally, my favorite, the coup de gras: Flag their passports and require rectal exams every time they leave and return to the country.
Hope these suggestions help.
Good luck with the puppy!
Doug
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear President Obama,
How easy is it to get money back you've lost?
If the person who finds it is an especially Good Samaritan, chances are pretty good. We all love those stories about the found wallets, bags of cash, whatever.
In the case of the AIG bonuses, I don't think it's going to be quite as easy as you and all the politicians who are making promises think it will be. Sure, you can levy special taxes but let's not forget one important fact.
The folks who got those hefty checks are going to be just as fervent about keeping the cash as we are about retrieving it. And by now, they've had plenty of warning that you're pissed and may try to reach into their pockets.
Wouldn't it be better if those bonus-takers just decided to return the money out of the goodness of their hearts? Here are several pursuasive strategies for achieving that mindset:
--Bring them to the White House and ask them to "give it up" for the good of the country. Better yet, invite the networks to watch you shame them. Make sure there's plenty of b-roll of starving children, people losing their homes and other sorrowful scenes to run while you're chatting with them.
--Promise IRS audits for the past five or ten years and for the rest of the individual's life until the money is returned.
--Send building inspectors crawling all over their homes and businesses (I'm sure your buddy Mayor Daley could spare a few of his toughest inspectors. Give them each a fifth of Scotch and they'll be happy to help.).
--Have Immigration carefully scrutinize their domestic help.
--Scrutinize every single one of their financial transactions ("Excuse me, Mr. Car Dealer, I'm with the IRS...are you sure you want to sell a Maserati to that man?").
--Search their children's school lockers on a regular basis and insist on jail time for any contraband (if you wish, sell the guns and drugs you find and use the money to pay down the debt).
--Install GPS trackers on all their cars and follow them intermittently. Never know when and where they might be spending their ill-gotten swag.
--And finally, my favorite, the coup de gras: Flag their passports and require rectal exams every time they leave and return to the country.
Hope these suggestions help.
Good luck with the puppy!
Doug
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
On Murder and 20/20 Hindsight
Several people took me to task for yesterday's post about the double murder/suicide in Wilmette, just as they did awhile back when I made the assertion that crime victims often ignore warning signs of danger, particularly when they occur in relationships.
Richard Wiley was an ex-con who murdered his first wife by stabbing her almost two dozen times. He was convicted, served fifteen years of a thirty year sentence, and was released in 2000. The man who prosecuted him is quoted as saying Wiley,"gave me chills."
Eight months after his release, Kathryn Motes married him.
Over the weekend, the couple reportedly argued. Then, police say, Wiley shot her and her teenage son, spent the night writing a suicide note, then killed himself.
Motes knew Wiley killed his first wife. So did her pastor and the people in her church. The pastor who married them tells the Tribune she even had misgivings about marrying the two but that Motes assured her she had considered all the scenarios and could, "deal with it."
And some of you think there weren't warning signs in this relationship? C'mon! The man got angry and stabbed wife number one twenty-three times! Some relationships have subtle hints of problems to come. This one flashed, "DANGER AHEAD" in big red letters from the first day they met. Undoubtedly there were other, more subtle, warnings that went unheeded over the past eight years, too.
Yet, as one friend noted to me yesterday, "People see what they want to see." And no one wants to see evil when they look into the eyes of someone they love.
My final thoughts on the subject? God Bless Kathryn Motes for loving Richard Wiley despite his history. God Bless the members of their church for accepting him and supporting her. I wish it had all turned out differently for them and her son. May God rest their souls.
"Thus," as I am fond of quoting Sean Connery in The Untouchables, "endeth the lesson."
Oh, but not really. A little postscript.
Recently a young mother in the Chicago area moved in with an ex-cop with a history of checkered relationships. You know the one I mean. One ex-wife dead in their bathtub? The other one missing? His grinning face all over the news on a regular basis? That guy.
Another pretty obvious case of warning bells clanging loudly, right? Personally, I think she'll go missing someday, too. Just because he wants the thrill of doing it right under the noses of people who are watching and waiting for it to happen.
I'm more worried about the silent domestic alarms, however. The ones going off, maybe in a relationship in your community. Maybe even between people you know and care about.
Perhaps nasty words have given way to shouting. Making threats. Or grabbing an arm and twisting it. Or giving a shove. Maybe a punch. Maybe one of the kids has an unexplainable bruise. Or someone has a black eye from "running into a door." Or someone fell down a flight of stairs.
Accidents, pure and simple? Or warning signs of domestic abuse?
What does your intuition tell you?
What are you going to do about it?
Richard Wiley was an ex-con who murdered his first wife by stabbing her almost two dozen times. He was convicted, served fifteen years of a thirty year sentence, and was released in 2000. The man who prosecuted him is quoted as saying Wiley,"gave me chills."
Eight months after his release, Kathryn Motes married him.
Over the weekend, the couple reportedly argued. Then, police say, Wiley shot her and her teenage son, spent the night writing a suicide note, then killed himself.
Motes knew Wiley killed his first wife. So did her pastor and the people in her church. The pastor who married them tells the Tribune she even had misgivings about marrying the two but that Motes assured her she had considered all the scenarios and could, "deal with it."
And some of you think there weren't warning signs in this relationship? C'mon! The man got angry and stabbed wife number one twenty-three times! Some relationships have subtle hints of problems to come. This one flashed, "DANGER AHEAD" in big red letters from the first day they met. Undoubtedly there were other, more subtle, warnings that went unheeded over the past eight years, too.
Yet, as one friend noted to me yesterday, "People see what they want to see." And no one wants to see evil when they look into the eyes of someone they love.
My final thoughts on the subject? God Bless Kathryn Motes for loving Richard Wiley despite his history. God Bless the members of their church for accepting him and supporting her. I wish it had all turned out differently for them and her son. May God rest their souls.
"Thus," as I am fond of quoting Sean Connery in The Untouchables, "endeth the lesson."
Oh, but not really. A little postscript.
Recently a young mother in the Chicago area moved in with an ex-cop with a history of checkered relationships. You know the one I mean. One ex-wife dead in their bathtub? The other one missing? His grinning face all over the news on a regular basis? That guy.
Another pretty obvious case of warning bells clanging loudly, right? Personally, I think she'll go missing someday, too. Just because he wants the thrill of doing it right under the noses of people who are watching and waiting for it to happen.
I'm more worried about the silent domestic alarms, however. The ones going off, maybe in a relationship in your community. Maybe even between people you know and care about.
Perhaps nasty words have given way to shouting. Making threats. Or grabbing an arm and twisting it. Or giving a shove. Maybe a punch. Maybe one of the kids has an unexplainable bruise. Or someone has a black eye from "running into a door." Or someone fell down a flight of stairs.
Accidents, pure and simple? Or warning signs of domestic abuse?
What does your intuition tell you?
What are you going to do about it?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
An All Too Common Tragedy
A double murder-suicide in Wilmette yesterday.
It's a tragic story, made even more so by the fact the shooter had committed a previous murder. He was convicted and served fifteen years for killing his first wife back in the late 80's. According to the Tribune, in fact, he stabbed her almost two dozen times. The former states attorney who prosecuted him is quoted as saying the guy, "gave me chills."
Contrast that with the impression this guy gave the pastor of his church who described him as a "friendly man with a good sense of humor" who the church family, "welcomed and loved."
That's what chills me the most. And something tells me the members of the church are feeling that chill even more so as they remember and mourn this family.
I blogged awhile back about how crime victims often ignore warning signs of danger and violence, especially in domestic situations. In this case, I strongly suspect those warning signs were evident not only to the wife and her son, but to others.
In fact, the couple's pastor is quoted in the Tribune as saying she asked the wife several times over the years if she felt safe living with him. The pastor would not divulge why she asked. I'm going to guess she sensed trouble but probably could not pursuade the wife to take decisive action. There were no police reports of previous contact with the family.
Crimes like this do not occur without plenty of history behind them. Plenty of opportunities for the victim, their loved ones and their friends to sense something is wrong, perhaps dangerously so.
Problem is, we don't want to believe the evil we sense in someone we like. We certainly don't want to acknowledge it in someone we love. And society tells us to keep our mouths shut when it comes to offering advice based on our intuition about a friend's relationship. Even a close friend.
I'm not casting blame. One thing I learned as a cop and then as a journalist covering crime is that it's nearly impossible to pursuade a victim of abuse to leave their abuser if they're not ready to go.
But there are avenues of escape, beginning with professional counselors, even the police and womens' shelters when circumstances warrant.
Pay attention to your intuition. Encourage your friends to pay attention to theirs as well.
A little paranoia never hurt anyone.
It's a tragic story, made even more so by the fact the shooter had committed a previous murder. He was convicted and served fifteen years for killing his first wife back in the late 80's. According to the Tribune, in fact, he stabbed her almost two dozen times. The former states attorney who prosecuted him is quoted as saying the guy, "gave me chills."
Contrast that with the impression this guy gave the pastor of his church who described him as a "friendly man with a good sense of humor" who the church family, "welcomed and loved."
That's what chills me the most. And something tells me the members of the church are feeling that chill even more so as they remember and mourn this family.
I blogged awhile back about how crime victims often ignore warning signs of danger and violence, especially in domestic situations. In this case, I strongly suspect those warning signs were evident not only to the wife and her son, but to others.
In fact, the couple's pastor is quoted in the Tribune as saying she asked the wife several times over the years if she felt safe living with him. The pastor would not divulge why she asked. I'm going to guess she sensed trouble but probably could not pursuade the wife to take decisive action. There were no police reports of previous contact with the family.
Crimes like this do not occur without plenty of history behind them. Plenty of opportunities for the victim, their loved ones and their friends to sense something is wrong, perhaps dangerously so.
Problem is, we don't want to believe the evil we sense in someone we like. We certainly don't want to acknowledge it in someone we love. And society tells us to keep our mouths shut when it comes to offering advice based on our intuition about a friend's relationship. Even a close friend.
I'm not casting blame. One thing I learned as a cop and then as a journalist covering crime is that it's nearly impossible to pursuade a victim of abuse to leave their abuser if they're not ready to go.
But there are avenues of escape, beginning with professional counselors, even the police and womens' shelters when circumstances warrant.
Pay attention to your intuition. Encourage your friends to pay attention to theirs as well.
A little paranoia never hurt anyone.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Entitlement Solution
Reading in the Chicago Tribune this morning about a group of Winnetka kids who basically moved into an unoccupied home, used it as a party house and did some damage. About ten grand worth, according to the owner's attorney.
Right after that was an article about seniors at Deerfield High School hazing freshmen (although parents of the seniors deny it happened). All of this comes on the heels of what I wrote about yesterday...the teenage Deerfield girl who went missing over last weekend, prompting some 2 thousand people to look for her...only to turn up the next night and have her parents withhold the information about where she had been and what she was doing.
Entitlement amongst the rich is not a new issue on the North Shore where I live. Most of the time we just shrug it off. Ever since two Deerfield High School students died in a rollover crash after an alcohol soaked homecoming party a couple of years ago, I don't shrug.
I get angry.
That party became news because the parents of the teens who held it claimed they had no idea alcohol was being served. A judge believed differently. Ironically, during the trial, one of the teen girls who testified against the parents was arrested the night she gave her testimony for being drunk/high at another party.
The stories go on and on. And parents keep denying their children have done anything wrong. After all, why should children be taught to to accept responsibility for their actions? Parents don't have time for such nonsense nowadays. They have parties of their own to attend. After all, as a besotted dad bragged to me at the scene of a DUI crash that killed one of his son's classmates, "I pay taxes so teachers and cops can deal with my little creep."
I've come up with a solution to the entitlement problem and I'm inviting any legislator who believes they have the required cojones to help me enact it into law.
We'll call it the Teenage Entitlement Act of 2009.
My proposal provides that any young person convicted of crimes based in feelings of entitlement (ie: feeling they have the absolute right to do whatever they wish and acting on it by trashing a house, stealing, drinking and driving, disappearing for 24 hours and prompting an areawide search, causing pain and suffering to others in any fashion just because their parents never taught them how to behave like adults) would face a specific punishment, to wit: (a) required enlistment in any branch of the armed services they choose with (b) mandated immediate deployment to a combat role in a war zone. The law would also provide that, for every teen convicted and deployed, a soldier/sailor/marine/Coastie/airman already serving in the conflict would be allowed to come home.
Obviously this would deal with the problem on two levels.
Children would rapidly learn not only to accept responsibility for their actions but to take responsibility for the lives of their peers. And parents who have never really given a crap about how they raise their children would learn (hopefully) to worry about their kids for once. Really worry.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Because parents would not be permitted to use their clout to get an easier posting for their kid, we'd probably lose a few scions of wealthy families. But hey, wouldn't it be better that they die as heroes in war, perhaps while acting selflessly to save their comrades, (think Medal of Honor...) rather than be known for eternity as the dumbass drunk driver who managed to kill themselves and some innocents on the highway? Or as "that dumb freshman who drank himself to death at a frat party?"
Want to end entitlement in our lifetimes? Write your lawmakers. Let's get this bill drawn and passed.
Right after that was an article about seniors at Deerfield High School hazing freshmen (although parents of the seniors deny it happened). All of this comes on the heels of what I wrote about yesterday...the teenage Deerfield girl who went missing over last weekend, prompting some 2 thousand people to look for her...only to turn up the next night and have her parents withhold the information about where she had been and what she was doing.
Entitlement amongst the rich is not a new issue on the North Shore where I live. Most of the time we just shrug it off. Ever since two Deerfield High School students died in a rollover crash after an alcohol soaked homecoming party a couple of years ago, I don't shrug.
I get angry.
That party became news because the parents of the teens who held it claimed they had no idea alcohol was being served. A judge believed differently. Ironically, during the trial, one of the teen girls who testified against the parents was arrested the night she gave her testimony for being drunk/high at another party.
The stories go on and on. And parents keep denying their children have done anything wrong. After all, why should children be taught to to accept responsibility for their actions? Parents don't have time for such nonsense nowadays. They have parties of their own to attend. After all, as a besotted dad bragged to me at the scene of a DUI crash that killed one of his son's classmates, "I pay taxes so teachers and cops can deal with my little creep."
I've come up with a solution to the entitlement problem and I'm inviting any legislator who believes they have the required cojones to help me enact it into law.
We'll call it the Teenage Entitlement Act of 2009.
My proposal provides that any young person convicted of crimes based in feelings of entitlement (ie: feeling they have the absolute right to do whatever they wish and acting on it by trashing a house, stealing, drinking and driving, disappearing for 24 hours and prompting an areawide search, causing pain and suffering to others in any fashion just because their parents never taught them how to behave like adults) would face a specific punishment, to wit: (a) required enlistment in any branch of the armed services they choose with (b) mandated immediate deployment to a combat role in a war zone. The law would also provide that, for every teen convicted and deployed, a soldier/sailor/marine/Coastie/airman already serving in the conflict would be allowed to come home.
Obviously this would deal with the problem on two levels.
Children would rapidly learn not only to accept responsibility for their actions but to take responsibility for the lives of their peers. And parents who have never really given a crap about how they raise their children would learn (hopefully) to worry about their kids for once. Really worry.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Because parents would not be permitted to use their clout to get an easier posting for their kid, we'd probably lose a few scions of wealthy families. But hey, wouldn't it be better that they die as heroes in war, perhaps while acting selflessly to save their comrades, (think Medal of Honor...) rather than be known for eternity as the dumbass drunk driver who managed to kill themselves and some innocents on the highway? Or as "that dumb freshman who drank himself to death at a frat party?"
Want to end entitlement in our lifetimes? Write your lawmakers. Let's get this bill drawn and passed.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Of The President, Roland, and A Missing Girl
I had two comments to write on my Facebook page during the President's speech last night. One was that I was listening to him and, I said, "feeling hopeful."
The man has vision and some of the toughest problems to solve that any President has ever faced. I think he can make inroads if we, and Congress, work with him. That's my two cents. Disagree if you like but please, pray that nothing happens to him. If it does, we're in a world of hurt.
The other comment was that Nancy Pelosi would make a marvelous bobble head(tm if required).
I felt a little sorry for Uncle Roland, though, the man John Kass in the Tribune refers to as Senator Tombstone. CNN had two shots with him in the background as the President passed by last night. Temporary Senator Burris wore this odd little smile which reminded me of a new kid in the neighborhood wistfully watching the other kids play, knowing they will never let him be part of their group. It's ironic because many of them are probably looking over their shoulders at potential indictments just as he is. The only difference is, we know what he's done. The other senators' secrets are a little more hidden. At least for now.
Speaking of hidden secrets, how about the Deerfield girl who went missing for all of 30 hours or so last weekend.? What's going on behind closed doors there, eh? Rumor has it that within minutes of their little girl showing up, daddy and mommy told the cops, "She's fine, there was no crime, don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out."
I won't speculate on what happened, but I am willing to bet that the cops never had the full cooperation of her family or her friends.
The North Shore, despite appearances to the contrary, is a tough place to grow up.
The man has vision and some of the toughest problems to solve that any President has ever faced. I think he can make inroads if we, and Congress, work with him. That's my two cents. Disagree if you like but please, pray that nothing happens to him. If it does, we're in a world of hurt.
The other comment was that Nancy Pelosi would make a marvelous bobble head(tm if required).
I felt a little sorry for Uncle Roland, though, the man John Kass in the Tribune refers to as Senator Tombstone. CNN had two shots with him in the background as the President passed by last night. Temporary Senator Burris wore this odd little smile which reminded me of a new kid in the neighborhood wistfully watching the other kids play, knowing they will never let him be part of their group. It's ironic because many of them are probably looking over their shoulders at potential indictments just as he is. The only difference is, we know what he's done. The other senators' secrets are a little more hidden. At least for now.
Speaking of hidden secrets, how about the Deerfield girl who went missing for all of 30 hours or so last weekend.? What's going on behind closed doors there, eh? Rumor has it that within minutes of their little girl showing up, daddy and mommy told the cops, "She's fine, there was no crime, don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out."
I won't speculate on what happened, but I am willing to bet that the cops never had the full cooperation of her family or her friends.
The North Shore, despite appearances to the contrary, is a tough place to grow up.
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