Random thoughts:
We are appropriately saddened when we read of the
death of the beautiful young mother of two in Orlando who was shot in her bed
with her (surviving) 4 month old child beside her. We originally were led to believe by her “boyfriend”
that she was the victim of home intruders who were trying to kill him as he was
trying to defend them, thus explaining the GSR on his hands! Today we find that the boyfriend is in jail
after being charged with her murder. There can be no doubt that the boyfriend, a
former Latin Kings member with 35 (yes, Virginia, 35!) arrests on various
charges including several violent crimes, is a bad guy. Unfortunately, in my
opinion, there can also be little doubt that if the young woman, who also had a
four year old child, now orphaned, by a previous relationship, had used even a
modicum of good judgment, she might still be alive. All who knew her describe
her as a devoted mom, going to school and trying to do the best for her
kids. Since when does doing the best for
your kids include cohabitating with a gang banger felon? There is an old and
still valid adage that says “when you lie down with dogs, you may well get up
with fleas.” Time and time again we see
this proven in the untimely death of women and children because of horrible
lifestyle choices made by the women who are the mothers and, in many cases
victims of these bad choices. If one believes that they will change a 35 time arrested
bad guy, that belief is, in this case as in others recently, sheer fantasy. The
same is true for the mother so desperate for male companionship, and with such
low self esteem that she entrusts their welfare to men who have no business
being in the same house with young children, let alone being left alone with
them to be care givers. It sadden and
sickens us all, yet it continues.
In like manner, we see reports of various atrocious acts
committed on college campuses by persons with too much alcohol and too little
common sense. These range from sexual assault to hazing deaths and accidental
deaths from various causes, usually alcohol fueled. Right off the top, sexual
assault is always, unconditionally, the
fault of the perpetrator, and no one ever “asks for it” or “deserves it.” Having made that clear, is it just possible
that bad judgment and inexperienced drinking may allow victims to place
themselves in precarious situations into which they might otherwise never dream
of treading? College administrations are
all too ready to publically decry hazing, usually only after a death or near
death event which makes the news. Why are they not immediate in permanently banning
any campus organization which allows even one hazing? Stating a policy and then
enforcing it only in the breach is an open invitation to “do it as long as you
don’t get caught.” The parents of the
dead Florida A & M drum major certainly wish the school’s “no hazing”
policy had been enforced over the years, as their son might still be alive. Of
course, the person with direct responsibility will be fired or disciplined, as
the school says all the right conciliatory words and makes the proper press
releases, but enforcement of such policies begins at the very top. Paterno and
the others who even considered trying to find a “humane” solution to the Sandusky
sex crime spree may well have been guilty of allowing further assaults of
children while dithering over whether or not to perform their state
mandated duty to report him. You
want to reduce the number of times your school makes the news for sexual ,
criminal acts or hazing incidents? Enforce existing alcohol laws. Simple ain’t
it? Try and find a public university outside Utah that seriously does it.
