Some people think I go overboard on the crime issue, so I thought I would explain why I feel this way. About 11 years ago, in the early evening my son, who was 6 and myself were sitting at the kitchen table talking when three juveniles pushed in through our back door. One was 14 and two were 16. They proceede to try to beat me senseless with ballbats and a tire iron. I shielded my son and yelled for him to run upstairs and wake my wife to call the police, but he went into shock. Knowing I couldn't hold out forever I pushed the jerks into a pile, grabbed my son, locked doors behind me as I ran upstairs and woke my wife to call police. I was too out of breath. I found out from a detective they planned to come back later and kill us all in our sleep. After going to the emergency room to get pictures and treatment for the welts on my arms and back I talked with the police. I was told Iowa had a very good probation system to which I replied "Are you crazy!" I wanted all three of them prosecuted for attempted murder. After some insistence on my part, it went to trial, I testified, and all three were found guilty. After sentencing my wife and I made arrangements to visit one of the kids at a juvenile detention center. The head of the center asked if I had anything I wanted to say, and when I was through the only comment they had was "I sense some anger." Yeah what a system.
This is why I feel so strongly about this juvenile crime infestation we have. If this current bout of crime has to do with kicking these punks out of Chicago and St. Louis; why don't we start by giving them long sentences so they don't go somewhere else? We're building a new jail, let's use it. It doesn't take a village to raise a child, just two loving, caring parents.
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3 comments:
I think it takes being a victim and going through our horrific court system before anyone in this area wakes up to see the problems. Just like other problems in our city, many are ok with the violence as long as it's contained in a certain area. Then us normal people are just not supposed to go into the "ghetto" areas. That's the most ridiculous answer. You don't ignore a problem to make it go away and you don't turn your back on it. This past year's increase in violence should be a lesson that the containment theory doesn't work. I totally agree this is our cities #1 problem and needs to be addressed right away. Too bad the citizens don't run this city.
I had a similar experience, certainly as serious as yours, but
an experience that showed the system stinks. When we see the same names in the paper over and over something is wrong with the system.
Thank you both for posting another problem that I overlooked. Since most people have never been through the courts as a victim, and they have no idea how one-sided it is. As a victim we have no rights, and the criminals has them all. It's almost like they discourage you to do the right thing.
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