The father of a slain Florida girl pushing for mandatory prison time for child rapists in the Bay State is blasting a Taunton lawmaker who said hed torment young victims on the witness stand to defend his perv clients.
Why doesnt he figure out a way to defend that child and put these kind of people away instead of trying to figure ways for defense attorneys to get around Jessicas Law? Mark Lunsford fumed, slamming recent remarks by Rep. James Fagan. These are very serious crimes that nobody wants to take serious. What about the rights of these children?
Lunsford, whose daughter Jessica was raped and murdered in Florida by a repeat sex offender, will be in Massachusetts tomorrow to push lawmakers to pass Jessicas Law, which would require a 20-year sentence for rape of a child under 12. The House passed a watered-down version of the bill last week but Lunsford and other victims rights activists will be pushing the Senate to include mandatory prison time in the final law.
If this bill is not going to put these people away, dont disrespect me by putting my daughters name on it, Lunsford told the Herald last night. You have to put these guys in prison and admit these people are uncurable.
Fagan, a defense attorney, infuriated victims rights advocates during a recent House debate when he said he would rip apart 6-year-old victims on the witness stand and make sure the rest of their life is ruined.
In a fiery soliloquy on the House floor, Fagan said hed grill victims so that, when theyre 8 years old they throw up; when theyre 12 years old, they wont sleep; when theyre 19 years old, theyll have nightmares and theyll never have a relationship with anybody.
Fagan did not return calls seeking comment.
Was additional comment required?
Rep. Karyn Polito, a Republican from Shrewsbury who supports Jessicas Law, said of Fagans comments: The words speak for themselves. I think theres a large part of the (House) membership that doesnt agree with that.
Fagan also called Jessicas Law knee-jerk legislation and said every time the Legislature has named a law after somebody, it has been a failure.
That comment angered Ron Bersani, grandfather of Melanie Powell, whose death at the hands of a drunken driver inspired Melanies Law, which hiked OUI penalties. Absolutely ridiculous, Bersani said. I would beg to differ with Rep. Fagan.
Bersani also took issue with Fagans characterization of such laws as knee-jerk. I find that description despicable, Bersani said. Its a lot easier to call it knee-jerk when its not your daughter or granddaughter.
#1
> which would require a 20-year sentence for rape of a child under 12
Why only 20 years? Extreme Anti-Social People who commit these crimes can never be part of a civilised society. Separate them forever from the civilised.
#8
Fagan said hed grill victims so that, when theyre 8 years old they throw up; when theyre 12 years old, they wont sleep; when theyre 19 years old, theyll have nightmares and theyll never have a relationship with anybody.
That's already the emotional aspect with victims, not to mention the physical damage done, requiring lifelong catheterization, reconstruction surgery, or other unmentionable damage when adults abuse children. Fagan should be charged with torture and every cruel and unusual punishment imaginable allowed for defenders of this crap. Where's the ACLU and all those human rights defenders upset with harsh interrogation of terrorists? Geesh!!!! How can he possible sleep at night!!!!!!
#12
Rep. Karyn Polito, a Republican from Shrewsbury who supports Jessicas Law...
She's my state rep - a very rare voice of reason in this smug, self-righteous and idiotic People's Republic commonwealth. One thing I simply don't understand is the number of people who vote for her (she wins handily each time) and then vote for Jim McGovern for US Rep., who's as typical a liberal Dem as you'll find in Mass.
#15
You know, here at the 'Burg your comment lands in the sinktrap if you call for the death of a U.S. citizen, no matter how much said individual might deserve it...
Posted by: Thaimble Scourge of the Pixies4707 ||
06/25/2008 17:57 Comments ||
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#16
What does Fagan want to happen to people who commit child rape? Should they not be prosecuted? Should they be set free automatically? What happens now to people in his state who are charged? His strategy as a defense attorney seems to be to attack the victim.
I understand that it should take more than just a child's word that somebody did something bad to lock a man up for ever. But if there is physical evidence of rape, it should not really require the child to be on the witness stand.
One thing for sure, if I were in his district, and got called for jury duty to try one of his clients, the SOB client would be guilty as far as I am concerned. I don't care what he was accused of. I would recommend the death penalty. Even for mopery with intent to gawk.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
06/25/2008 19:05 Comments ||
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#17
perhaps they should be defined as a "privileged group" and assigned to babysit his progeny?
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/25/2008 20:59 Comments ||
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Posted by: Mike ||
06/25/2008 08:57 ||
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#1
Limp d*ck cops arresting a drunk hillbilly on a riding mower. One might think there would be more pressing matters to attend to, even in Alaska.
A few years ago, they would have told this jerk to go home and take a nap. Today, he's charged with "evading police" (at 5mph ?) , DUI and probably Public Intoxication. You might wonder when it will be your turn to get railroaded for doing something dumb, but more or less harmless.
#3
They arrested SANTA CLAUS for public intoxication and for trying to mow frozen snow in his undies - you just know MRS. CLAUS is going to have "the Look" when Kris finally gets out of the caboose???
Feets...don't fail me now.
I'm sorry. I had to.
VANCOUVER -- We're likely to get fresh news this week about the feet. At least, so says RCMP Constable Annie Linteau, the poor soul responsible for dealing with the monsoon of media calls from around the world about the feet-stuffed shoes washing up on our shores. Any more?
No.
Okay. I'll call back.
Actually, Ms. Linteau sounds a little star-struck by some of the calls she's been getting. The king of talk, CNN's Larry King, wanted her on his show to chat about the story. So did Mr. King's CNN colleague, Nancy Grace. Constable Linteau graciously declined the invitations. Jay Leno may be harder to turn down. Sooooo, Annie...have you seen Hancock yet?
Why, no, Larry, I haven't.
Greatest movie of all time. Make sure ya do.
Constable Linteau says there will be a news conference this week to report on what, if anything, investigators and the coroner's office have learned about the possible origins of the five feet. We're thinking humans. Human legs if you want to get specific.
We could find out how long some of them might have been floating before being discovered. Whether there are any indications that the feet were severed, which could point to the involvement of a gang that has taken to lopping off feet as a sort of depraved, ritualistic coup de grâce. Maybe they just fell off?
Most everyone now agrees that five feet discovered in a relatively short period of time would appear to be no coincidence. Theories abound. It's the sick joke of someone who has access to cadavers. They are the feet of those involved in a marine accident of long ago. Or the tsunami that hit southeast Asia four years ago. It's the University of B.C. engineers.
Personally, I like the gang theory. There are so many of them operating in Greater Vancouver now, it makes sense that they would begin trying to distinguish themselves from one another. So one decides to chop off the feet of its victims. Macabre, yes. But as attention-getting signature moves go, it doesn't get much better.
While the feet are getting lots of attention these days, however, there is another emerging head-scratcher with far more serious implications.
Over the past four years, young, healthy men, with no known problems or associations with nefarious people, have gone missing. All in southwestern B.C. This little-known fact was brought to the public's attention thanks to the industriousness of a community newspaper reporter named Sandra Thomas, who works for the Vancouver Courier.
Using archives from newspapers around the province, Ms. Thomas started with a list of 60 men who had been reported missing in the past four years. She whittled the list down to 40 after eliminating those with a history of mental illness or serious health problems, or who had either been known to police or had links to gangs.
Of the 40 remaining, she discovered about a dozen were later accounted for, most found dead. The remaining men, all apparently content and happy at the time of their disappearance, seemingly have vanished without a trace. So few clues have been left behind, in fact, it's as if the men were snatched by aliens.
John Kahler, 29, of Langley was attending a 4x4 truck festival near Mission, B.C., when he disappeared. He had been partying with friends until the early hours of Nov. 4, 2007. Hours later his white Ford truck was found stuck in a sinkhole, running, the windshield wipers still going, the radio on. The doors were open and Mr. Kahler's cellphone was inside. The RCMP don't have a single lead or clue about what happened to the man. His disappearance is, in many respects, typical of many of the others. The Sinkhole Killer! Run with it, Johnson!!
Right away, chief!
Constable Linteau, the RCMP's spokeswoman on the washed-up feet, is now getting a growing number of calls about the missing men. Some of the disappearances, she said, are being investigated by Metro Vancouver's integrated homicide unit. And authorities are checking to see whether the five found feet could be connected to any of the missing men.
But at this point, there is no missing men task force planned, no efforts under way to see whether the disappearances are linked somehow or if they could be the work of one person.
Which I find odd.
If it were nearly 30 healthy young women who had mysteriously gone missing in Metro Vancouver in the past four years, I somehow doubt the response would be as lacklustre. For now, what happened to the men remains one of two great mysteries currently befuddling police here. And to me, it's the one on which they should be focusing their efforts.
#1
I think the last time we discussed this it was suggested that this was from a plane crash; there have been plane crashes in the area that were not found in the time frame in question, and feet are allegedly often severed in such crashes.
The missing persons... you know, that almost sounds like the so-called smiley-face killers to me.
(And yeah, that's a serious theory going around; google it and check out some of the articles).
"Go back to the fort and tell the Judge Advocate General to gather up his staff and legal briefs and ride here with all deliberate speed!"
"Yes, sir. Ah, sir . . . begging the General's pardon, sir, there's an awful lot of Indians over there, sir. I mean, I can understand sending for reinforcements, but why send for lawyers?"
"Because, my boy, we're about to be Siouxed!"
Posted by: Mike ||
06/25/2008 08:21 ||
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#1
The curator of an art gallery asked an artist for a painting depicting General Custer's last thoughts. Two weeks later, the artist unveiled the painting, an enormous canvas with a lovely blue lake painted in its center, with a fish leaping from the water with a shining halo around its head. On the shores of the lake were the most detailed pictures of Indians fornicating.
After gaping at the painting for some time, the enraged curator demanded to know what the theme was supposed to be.
The artist said, "You asked for a painting of Custer's last thoughts," he explained. "That's it. Custer was thinking, 'Holy mackerel, where did all those f*cking Indians come from?'
#2
Custer sent a scout over the hill to check on the Indian attack and their strength. When the scout came back Custer asked, "So, what is our situation?"
The scout replied, "Well, I have some good news and bad news."
Custer said, "Give me the bad news first."
"There are a lot of Indians coming our way and they look like they are out for blood. I don't see us being able to fight our way out of this."
"Damn," Custer said. "Well, what is the good news?"
"We will never have to see Fort Rylie again."
#4
I don't mean to be pedantic but Custer was not a General. He was a Colonel. He was Breveted a General in the Civil War but when the war ended he was reduced to the permanent rank of Colonel.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
06/25/2008 11:25 Comments ||
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#5
Courtesy of Gary Larson.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
06/25/2008 11:42 Comments ||
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#6
Rats! I forgot the caption. The previous is "Custer's Last View".
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
06/25/2008 11:43 Comments ||
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#7
Note well the number of Crow scouts. All the 'evil white man' crowd sort of ignore that the Crow were working with the Army because of the generations of deprivations visited upon them by the 'victim' classed Sioux.
#8
Custer died because of two major screw-ups on his part : 1) he split his forces, and 2) he left his Gatling Guns behind. If the combined 7th Cavalry had been fighting together with the Gatling Guns supporting them, the battle would be known today as the Sioux's Last Stand.
#9
In retrospect it seems pretty stupid that the Army Dept was issuing single shot rifles in the 1870's when there were 100,000 left over Spencer repeating rifles from the Civil War, not to mention 15 shot Winchesters were already in use. But in their infinite wisdom it was better to have a low rate of fire and conserve ammo than it was to be able to get a shot off every 2 seconds. Cheap bastards.
Posted by: ed ||
06/25/2008 21:13 Comments ||
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#10
Gatling guns break, and you are still screwed against 2000+ P.O.ed indians
#11
Custer was defeated by the same battle field technique that the US Cavalry used against the Mexican Cavalry in the Mexican/American war. As Custer's Cavalry raced towards the center of the injun camp, his objective, injuns started thining his column down from each side where they were in the thickets. Custer turned and headed back to take a stand and the injuns gave chase, cutting his column down from behind. Finished of the US Cav when they took a stand.
In Naval terms, they crossed the 'T'.
Posted by: one eyed wolf ||
06/25/2008 22:03 Comments ||
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#12
Custer's job was to find the Indians and he did - iff he took the slower GATLINGS he likely would had indeed won the Bighorn fight only under the presumption that the massive Indian encampment stayed together even after the Rosebud fight. THE ARMY's PLANNED OPERATION WAS OF LIMITED/FIXED DURATION DUE TO SCARCE RESOURCES, AND WAS DESIGNED/SCHEMED TO IDEALLY ENGAGE THE INDIANS IN "DECISIVE BATTLE" - IT WOULD HAD FAILED ANYWAY IFF NO INDIANS WERE FOUND "EN MASSE" = IN LARGE TRIBAL OR COMBINED MASSES-FORMATIONS TO FIGHT SAID BATTLE. What more the retreat of Crook's forces after the Rosebud fight [unknown to Custer], and the period delays of the incoming Terry-Gibbons column [mostly Infantry]?
IMO, Custer divided his battalion again POST-RENO/BENTEEN to cover any Indian retreat + "hold the high ground" above the Indian Camp. BWTN RENO AND BENTEEN, IMO THE GREATER DEFECT WAS BENTEEN'S FAILURE TO BREAK FROM THE AMMO PACK MULES AND PROCEED INDEPENDENTLY AHEAD TO JOIN UP WID CUSTER. Benteen's men could had carried extra ammo pouches on their horses and still arrived in time to help Custer.
IMO again, the interim volley firings heard by Reno-Benteen's forces atop Reno Hill were likely attempts by Custer's remaining soldiers to conserve the last of their ammo ["Making it count"] + signal of distress. POSSIBLE SCENARIO > Indians were executing COMPANY "I"? survivors en masse some time after Custer's force absolutely rab out of ammo ["I" = "LOST COMPANY"].
I personally would like for archaeological field and records investigations to affirm or not iff CROOK ever sent any of his armed Cavalry Units ahead to find and join Custer andor Terry-Gibbon after the Rosebud while Crook's infantry and wagon returned home, AS PER STRONG ORAL + PHYSICAL DISCREPANCIES IN INDIAN DESCRIPTIONS AND ART DEPICTIONS OF CUSTER'S SOLDIERS e.g. "SWORDS GLISTENING IN THE SUN" + Cavalry soldiers drawn wearing Brevet Caps/fighting with swords.
Custer's soldiers at the BigHorn did NOT wear Brevet Caps, and suppos also did not have swords -CROOK'S COLUMN DID, and so also may had POTENS LOCAL UNIFORMED CIVILIAN MILITIA CAVALRY UNITS USED IN SUPPORT OF THE REGULARS???
E.g. IIRC CHIEF TWO MOONS > counted 400 or 600 dead US soldiers above the Indian Camp on Custer Hill-Ridge???
D *** NG IT, AND TO THINK IT ONLY TOOK PENN STATE INTEL-PYWAR, PSU ENGINEERING, HEWLET-PACKARD, AND THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, + VALERIE PLAME, etal. TWENTY YEARS TO FINALLY DO THE CONCEPT!
D *** NG ED AUTOBOTS WAGING THEIR BATTLE TO DESTROY THE EVIL FORCES OF THE DECEPTICONS...TRANSFORMERS, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE...ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, THE TRASNFORMERS!
LITTLE ROCK Arkansas agencies have had the ability to offer employees shorter work weeks for more than thirty years, but steep gas prices have prompted the state to take another look at ways to cut down on workers' time behind the wheel consuming fuel and polluting the air.
Lawmakers said Tuesday they'll study whether the state needs to revise its policies and find ways to allow more workers to cut down on their transportation costs by cutting the work week to four ten-hour days instead of five eight-hour days. The move follows several other states changing their workweeks in response to record fuel costs. The Unions will demand time-and-a-half for the two extra hours a day.
'There's only so much that a person who is working hard every day for the state of Arkansas who is making maybe $8 to $10 an hour can bear paying $4 a gallon for gas,' said Sen. Tracy Steele, who proposed the study approved by the House and Senate committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Unions will go with the 4-10's schedule, I've done it many times when I was a Carpenter/Piledriver. What they wont do is let them switch back and forth to try to shave you out of 2hrs of overtime every time they switch in the middle of the week.
#2
Ah, yes. State workers and their union interpert the four day work week.
Instead of 5 eight hour days, they'll now be working 4 eight hour days. 4 X 8=40.
#5
if comment #1 is true, then this is indeed a glorious day; anytime bad things befall the diva of design i am happy! (Mrs. Ret has earned the local nickname of Martha S. from her co-workers. a tough burden to have to live with)
KUWAIT'S parliament voted yesterday to increase to £954 million a state fund designed to help citizens settle personal debts after deputies said a £573 million fund set up in December was not sufficient. The fund is to help Kuwaitis indebted from shopping sprees if their monthly repayments exceed half of their pay cheques.
#2
Ah, shucks. Nothing like the Christopher Dodd Friends of Countrywide Bailout and Culture of Corruption Act that is working its way through our own legislative body while we are paying for that oil inflated by the Fed's dumping of billions on the credit market because of those who are to receive this largess.
Hundreds of Kashmiris attacked government offices and a police post in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday to protest the killing of a local resident, police said. The protesters took to the streets after a 37-year-old man, shot at by police at the Mondays rally protesting the state governments transfer of 99 acres of forestland to the Amarnath Shrine Board, died of his wounds. At least 30 protesters were injured when police baton charged them after they stoned government offices, attacked a police post and damaged several vehicles and three-wheeled taxis in Srinagar and Ganderbal.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/25/2008 07:22 ||
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The Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellors office on Tuesday, received an application from PU Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS) student Muhammad Ahsan, alleging that Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) workers Sabir Shah, Muhammad Usman and a few others who live in the university hostels illegally, entered his room in hostel number 15 and threatened to kill him.
Ahsan told Daily Times that he was a worker of the University Students Federation (USF). He said that Sabir Shah, who belonged to the Tribal Areas, was living in the university illegally. He said Shah had threatened to kill him if he participated in any political activity. Ahsan asked the PU administration to protect him in this regard, especially since the USF workers had planned a protest against the IJT in the PU hostel.
He added that Shah was living illegally in room number 50 of hostel 15, but no action had been taken against him. He quoted Shah as saying that he was here to take revenge in response to the university administrations action against IJT workers.
According to a PU official, two cases had been registered against Shah. PU official spokesman Dr Mujahid Ali Mansoori said that when he found out about the incident, he asked students to submit an application for a disciplinary action.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/25/2008 07:22 ||
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In a live TV interview on Monday night, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad revealed the long-awaited economic reform plan.
The plan calls for energy and bread subsidies to be eliminated and would deliver funds directly to low-income families. The plan is also meant to reform the customs, tax, and insurance systems. If it is implemented successfully, it will finally end the waste of national revenues, especially in the energy sector. The plan will also promote energy conservation, save billions of dollars, and protect the environment. The main beneficiaries of energy subsidies have been the rich, a situation which has occurred at the cost of social justice.
The move has been welcomed by experts and politicians of various political persuasions. However, all economists and MPs insist that such a great task requires careful study before being undertaken. If all goes well, a competitive economy will emerge and industries will be forced to upgrade their standards or lose ground to their competitors.
The Ahmadinejad administration, which has always said the establishment of social justice is its main goal, will be able to save face if it succeeds in implementing the economic reform plan professionally.
Former commerce minister Yahya Al-e Eshaq called the plan a very brave and daring decision which would establish economic balance in the country. If the plan is implemented successfully, it will definitely bring about serious reforms, especially in spending subsidies in a proper way, Al-e Eshaq told the Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.
The implementation of the economic reform plan will be major surgery on the countrys economy, he added. He said the plan will positively affect citizens lives and lead to competitive industrial and production activities. Al-e Eshaq, who is currently the chairman of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines, said the organization is ready to provide technical assistance to the government to help it realize its goals. He also noted that successive governments had attempted to redirect subsidies.
However, if the current administration does it successfully, it will be a great step in the history of the countrys economic system, especially since a great percentage of the national revenues is allocated for energy subsidies, he added.
About 100 billion in energy subsidies, which mostly go to the middle and upper classes, have created an economic imbalance in the society, he observed.
MP Ezatollah Yusefian, who sits on the Majlis Budget Committee, said the people would endorse the presidents ideas, noting, Society is hungry for economic reform. According to the plan, food subsidies would be sent directly to citizens bank accounts and immediately after the implementation of the plan, they would be allowed to withdraw the money.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
"Orderly!"
LITTLE ROCK Arkansas agencies have had the ability to offer employees shorter work weeks for more than thirty years, but steep gas prices have prompted the state to take another look at ways to cut down on workers' time behind the wheel consuming fuel and polluting the air.
