I’ve been out to see the sky anemones with the younger Monsterlings and Mrs. Horrible up in Bristol on a chilly Vermont evening with temps in the mid-fifties, probably, and I’ll be working tomorrow and Saturday to buy a little breathing space for some co-workers. My buddy Bob is taking Brendan to see Cheap Trick at Summerfest in Milwaukee, while he’s got a little time off from the summer Arabic program at Beloit. I hope you have a great 4th.
For that reason, I’m dumping a couple of atrocities right now, before midnight. The first is the story that’s been in the national news from here in Vermont about a 12-year-old girl who went missing May 25th from the Randolph area. Attention soon focused on her uncle, a registered sex offender who showed up on store security camera images with her the day she went missing. Her ex-stepfather also is implicated, though he lives in Florida, I think Texas, for having altered some MySpace pages belonging to her to make it seem as though she had had a rendezvous arranged. Testimony of a 14-year-old girl placed the 12-year-old at her uncle’s residence on the day she disappeared. The 14-year-old stated that she watched tv with the missing girl until the uncle took her upstairs, asking her and her boyfriend to leave. The 14-year-old states further that she has been having sex with the uncle since she was nine, and that the uncle intended to initiate the missing girl into sexual relations with adults. The body of the missing girl was found in a shallow grave near the uncle’s residence yesterday.
Pat Riotic also sends this link about a case in the Florida panhandle of a kidnapped Mexican girl who was beheaded in front of other intended sex-slaves to set an example of what happens to those who are unco-operative.
I’m not a death penalty advocate, and I’m not an advocate of torture, but crimes such as these and individuals such as KSM deserve special treatment, in my view. All the people who are stating that the right blogosphere is being silent about the US utilizing methods previously used by the ChiComs ought to tell me: 1) how many people are we talking about? They know, but they won’t say because it doesn’t fit their equivalency argument. 2) Was the point to extract false confessions for propaganda value, do they think? Was actionable evidence obtained? 3) Where’s the outrage about the non-combatants summarily executed by these thugs? Where’s the outrage about the civilian dead? Did they shed as much heartache over the Embassy Bombings? Are they as outraged by the fact that the “International Community’s” failure to do anything about Saddam resulted in many more American dead than otherwise there would have been had he not been able to rearm?
Not me, baby, I’m too precious. You’d better fuck off.
UPDATE: Yay, internationalists! What a way to celebrate Mandela’s 90th birthday!
Long accused by critics of a timid approach to the crisis in Zimbabwe, the government of neighboring South Africa is now leading opposition in the U.N. Security Council to U.S.-led efforts to impose sanctions against Robert Mugabe’s regime. South Africa has the support of three other elected members of the Security Council — Libya, Vietnam and Indonesia — as well as permanent members China and Russia.
I think I’m going to be sick now.
Please, please, please let there be a “paperwork error” that lets these freaks be housed with the general prison population.
Aside from the fact that the whole ChiCom story really amounted to “someone did a historical study of interrogation methods that necessarily included the Chinese water treatment” that really isn’t the same as what was done to ol’ Hitchy, you have identified the double standard I always liken to the joke about the drunk who drops his keys outside the bar, but will only look under the streetlight.
Sorry you’re working tomorrow. I’ll post something musical that I just know you will *heart* the most.
Remeber the Susan Smith case? I remember that there wasn’t a mother in America that bought into her bullshit story for a minute, “Yeah right! They would have had to kill me or drag me to my death, limb from limb, before they would drive away with my kids” was the response heard the nation over. Well, I venture to guess that I wasn’t the only mother who watched that convenience store video and knew instantly that the uncle was involved, even before they announced his criminal history. And, before it’s over, I believe the mother will be found culpable in some way.
I live in north Florida and this is the first I’ve heard of the case in the panhandle. And, I, too, believe I’m going to be sick.
Just knowing that crimes such as this take place, and to children nonetheless, makes me literally tremble with rage.
I struggled for many years with the idea of the death penalty and finally decided, just a couple of years ago that, in some cases, when guilt is not in doubt, and when the criminal cannot contribute to a well society… take them out. After agonizing for years with the pros and cons, I sleep very peacefully with my decision on the issue.
In these particular cases, isn’t it comforting to know that, no matter how atrocious the crime, simply keeping their victims broken, but alive, would prohibit the penalty of death and, even worse, that tortured children would then face attorneys such as the bastard Congressman who spoke so vicously during the Jessica’s Law debate.
Good Lord.
It’s all right, Karl. I get time and a half pay plus a paid day off for today and tomorrow, each. The Saturday thing, that’s just the summer schedule.
Oh, and I’d like to thank McGehee for the Best of Rex Harrison CD, too.
Damnit! What is up with the italics?
Where did you want them to end? Never mind. I found it.
I feel the same way about the death penalty/torture/enhanced interogation/ whateverthefuckyouwantacallit as I do about driving or voting or other age of consent type shit. If you don’t feel you are mature enough to make the call, then sit down, shut up, and let the grown ups hash it out.
I am normally not an enthusiastic advocate of the death penalty, but I will kill that sonuvabitch that raped his niece in a heartbeat if nobody else is available.
I struggled for many years with the idea of the death penalty and finally decided, just a couple of years ago that, in some cases, when guilt is not in doubt, and when the criminal cannot contribute to a well society… take them out.
Just noticed this, I agree completely, and I don’t think mental illness should be an excuse in cases like this. Dangerously defective humans are like any other defective merchandise- put them in a box and send them back to the manufacturer.
Thanks, Dan. No doubt I screwed up somewhere when I typed it.
Just saw this, a little closer to the PW homebase.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16781681/detail.html
The man has consensual sex with a 14 year old. He is sentenced to probation. He shows up for court, drunk, and he is sentenced to jail because he showed up drunk. Had he completed his probation, and not shown up drunk, his charges would have been lessened.
The kicker…the father of the fourteen year old who came home to find the man in bed with his daughter has been charged with misdemeanor assault. I suppose he should have sat back and awaited the police, or gently awakened the man and offered him a cup of coffee.
What a load of crap.
********alppuccino SERIOUS COMMENT ALERT!********
It’s summer.
String that nasty little uncle up naked in a tent. Charge $20 to anyone over 18 to throw their best fastball at him. 60′ 6″. Wouldn’t want to be cruel.
Vermont’s tourism explodes. Deficit eliminated. Baseball regains popularity. Degenerates think twice.
the father of the fourteen year old who came home to find the man in bed with his daughter has been charged with misdemeanor assault.
Trial by jury.
It is unfortunate for the father, but from a societal standpoint it is prefereable to the option where prosecutors have free reign in deciding who gets a pass.
Moe. I sort of look at as some people are wasting space on this planet better occupied by people who have more to contribute. You fofeit your right to breath when you’ve maliciously stolen someones life.
Next time you’re in metro Atlanta, I’ll rent a Cabriolet convertible and we’ll go out driving, listening to show tunes.
It’ll be FABulous.
hi, andar here, i just read your post. i like very much. agree to you, sir.