Archive for the ‘ State ’ Category

Picking & Choosing in the Republican Party

I have many different ‘kinds’ of friends in politics. I spend time with a nice spread of Republicans, conservatives who won’t classify as Republicans, liberty-conservatives, libertarians, anarchists, and maybe 1 or 2 (gasp!) liberals.

Post-convention, though, it seems that not only am I coming down from a political overload, I’m also recovering from the pressures of a social quandary. Everyone has an opinion on who you should talk to, who you should ignore, who you have to introduce yourself to and who you can’t be seen with.  This tends to come from their own personal interactions with the people they’re ‘warning’ you about. I’m guilty of it, too. We all create our own ‘haters’ by working in the party. I even have ‘friends’ that I coddle just because I’m a tad bit intimidated by the idea of being on their bad side. But just because you don’t have a positive relationship with someone, doesn’t mean the next person won’t. (There are a few stop sign runners who may be exempt from this, but we’re speaking generally here.) And let’s be honest, I don’t really do well when someone tells me not to do something. I’ve already befriended half of the Republican outcasts. I also tend to believe that everyone can bounce back from bad decisions in politics. My first campaign was for John Albers, for Heaven’s sake.

Besides, you run into the predicament of running out of people to talk to. If everyone has at least one hater and you have a substantial networking circle, eventually you won’t be chatting, or working, or seen with anyone. You’ll be the guy with the lollipop in the corner. No one wants to be *that* guy.

I’ll continue to think and learn for myself. I’m a watcher. If someone is a bad-news-bear, I’ll figure it out. It may be naive, but I’ll hold off on blackballing someone until they personally screw me. And not in the manner that Seth Harp referenced at the Cobb YR debate.

2013
05/21
CATEGORY
State
TAGS

4 comments

What To Do If Everyone You Know Used to Be a Democrat

At the Chairman’s debate over the weekend, there was some heckling because a candidate for a state party position voted for Obama in 2008. We hear this time and time again. It’s been going on for years. And as much as it rattles my nerves and makes my stomach churn, I know plenty of people who have ‘switched’ parties after an election.

Let’s recall a few ‘well-known’ Republican power players who used to be democrats.

  1. Ronald Reagan, the precious inspiration to many Republicans today
  2. Sam Olens
  3. Governor Deal
  4. Herman Cain
  5. Condoleezza Rice
  6. Sonny Perdue
  7. Half of the gosh darn Georgia legislature. Before the “turnover” not that long ago, many of them were moderate liberals.

Heck, handfuls of our elected officials who are supposed conservatives do liberal things all the time. Everyone is mad at Rubio, Paul, and just about every other Republican in D.C. right now for some reason or another.

I thought one of the goals of the GOP was to explain to members of the party why conservative principles are so important? Aren’t we in the time of ‘recruiting’ and reaching out? How can someone join our party if we set rules like ‘You need to be a volunteer republican for this long and then we will accept you’? If we ever want to attract anyone, we may possibly have to get over the fact that they may not have always been a bleeding red elephant. If we are looking for new party members, which by default means these people are either in another party or no party at all, and other party people are not acceptable, where are they going to come from? Why are we faulting people for ‘seeing the light’? How long are we going to shun them?

I’ve said time and time again that there is no perfect candidate…for any office. We are going to find faults in everyone. But is it really appropriate to annihilate someone who is dedicated to conservative principles and defending liberty now? In a time when there really are RINO’s, I don’t think we should be crucifying those who are beating the liberty drum. I think the GOP needs to take a long, hard look at how they are coming off to potential transferees. One thing’s for sure: they need to make moves sooner than later.

your note welcome

2013
04/29
CATEGORY
State
TAGS

1 comment

Your Liberty Drum’s Not Loud Enough

Dear Georgia House of Representatives Members (who voted ‘yea’),

I thought it would settle. I thought it would stop irritating me. But it hasn’t.

If I have to hear another one of you put yourself on a pedestal because you voted in favor of a bill that was a) dropped on a Thursday night (12 a.m. for the general public to read), b) scheduled for a hearing that following Monday and c) flown through the House by Crossover day the Thursday of the same week, I may just toss my cookies.
2nd amendment issues have been a concern since the before the legislative session began. (Hence the reason a couple other legislators introduced legislation much earlier). Why was there a need to push it all through so fast? Then we’re left with: Republicans who voted in favor of the bill because they didn’t want to be anti-2nd amendment and Democrats who voted against the bill because they didn’t want to be pro-2nd amendment. What happened to HB 28 & 29? Doesn’t anyone have any guts to make a true statement around here?!?!

Let me make this very, very clear. HB 512 is lousy and watered down. You completely ignored a group of citizens that needed immediate assistance and an immediate remedy and you manipulated wording of a lobbyist-backed bill (which is fine, but did you read it?) to make it seem all lovely. Put your liberty drum down. It’s not loud enough. You address bars and churches, but the very group that needed help now was ignored. I thought legislation was supposed to address the needs of citizens? Every student who attends a university in Georgia, every law student, every graduate student, every urban student in Metro Atlanta…you failed them. Each and every one of them. We see how gun-free zones have worked across America and we know how to fix the situation. HB 512 was nothing short of a publicity stunt to make gun owners think the Georgia Assembly supports students. I am not falling for it. As a student and a LICENSED PERMIT HOLDER, I cannot take my gun into university housing, on a university bus (this is crucial for students at Georgia State and Georgia Tech who walk and take school transportation depending on location and time) or into the classroom. Or how about the students at nontraditional campuses?

A ‘Yea’ vote makes it very clear that you place the ‘student’ status before ‘American’ status. Get off your soap box and sit down. You failed.

zip-it

2013
03/12
CATEGORY
2013 Legislative Session
TAGS



1 comment

Reflection of the Campus Carry Hearing

So it’s been a couple of days since the hearings and I’ve had some time to ‘reflect’. I was genuinely impressed by how many people turned out for the hearings -in the middle of the day- in support of HB 28 & HB 29. Georgia Gun Owners, Georgia Carry, Students for Concealed Carry, students from various Georgia universities and many private citizens. It’s clear from the people who attended, with the exception of one student who had no argument and the University System of Georgia representative, who is so out-of-touch with what it’s like to be a student and what it means to be an American, there was overwhelming support for both bills.

I’ve also had the opportunity to reflect a bit regarding a conversation I had with a police chief from a private institution after the hearing. (Oh, the irony…me having a conversation with a police officer who would like to see unarmed citizens.)  I told him that I had attended Georgia State University, and he saw my testimony (seen here), as well as other students from the Atlanta area. His response was ‘Well, you don’t HAVE to go to those schools. You can choose to go elsewhere.’. I found this extremely amusing for a couple of reasons: First, this is coming from a liberal gentleman who wants everyone to have access to education but now he’s telling me that students shouldn’t attend Georgia State or Georgia Tech because of the of the “danger”. This is also coming from a public safety officer who is supposed to be protecting students, keeping campus safe. He should know he can’t, and his officers can’t, be everywhere at the same time. I asked him what he would tell his daughter who had to walk across the campus of Georgia State at 8p.m. in the dark after an evening class. He responded that he would ‘never send his daughter there’. Ah.. okay. So 1) you’re on a higher socioeconomic status than many of us (more than 30,000) students who attend GSU and 2) you’re so aware of the violence on campus that you would not send your own daughter there but you still don’t think that students should exercise their second amendment rights on campus.

I’m not following the logic, because there is no logic.
At this point, I extended my hand, thanked him for his service and said ‘have a nice day’. Before I turned my back, he said, “Well, if I went to Tech or State, I guess I would understand why you feel that way”.

But let me go on the record and explain something to you, sir, because you seemed to have missed a giant component of both HB 28 & HB 29. These bills, while they target the second amendment, are more about property rights. They would grant each university, private or public, the ability to regulate campus carry rules. It would be on an individual basis. So, Chief, if you think your campus is so safe so as not to need students to carry, it would be the institution’s right to deny that on campus. It would allow Georgia State support second amendment rights WHILE you folks at unnamed private institution, {cough- Agnes Scott- cough} deny them. The same concept applies to the bill for places of worship. Each individual church, synagogue, etc.  would have the ability to determine whether or not the parishioners could exercise their right in that particular place of worship. It’s a novel concept- actually. It removes the government from the decision. Kind of how Taco Mac won’t let you conceal carry in their bars. It’s an individual organizational choice. I believe you are private university for many reasons, many of which include funding, resources, and meddling from other organizations/government. And surely you understand the concept of ‘property’, as a law enforcement officer.

I’d also like to go on the record and thank Rep. Charles Gregory. As I said in my testimony, I’ve been writing my legislators for some time now regarding students and their right to carry. Rep. Gregory has really stepped up to the plate and gone to bat for all students who walk their campus in the dark or at night or have to go to their car in a bad part of town. But what’s amazing is that he didn’t introduce the bill for any of those reasons. The reason was liberty. The reason was the Constitution.
Thank you for recognizing that I am a citizen first, and a student second.

2013
02/20
CATEGORY
2013 Legislative Session
TAGS



6 comments

Keep Tootin’ That TSPLOST Horn…

Screen-shot-2011-01-09-at-2.45.37-AM4
I feel like the TSPLOST will never die, even though the taxpayers bludgeoned it last summer. This week, a legislator from North Fulton threw down some legislation which would remove the penalty that local municipalities are facing after rejecting the TSPLOST. Senate bill 73 would remove a penalty, which coincides with the current clause that says ‘if a region failed to pass the referendum, every local government in that region must provide a 30 percent match to receive any Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants’ (often used for road and bridge maintenance). This would obviously be deflected onto taxpayers.

So, at first glance,it appears that Senator John Albers of Roswell does have some sense (It almost causes me physical pain to say that, though he is still untrustworthy and lacking a true value in the legislature.) Albers claimed in a press release that the measure was un-American  and unfortunate. We all know Albers likes to champion himself on efficiency and ‘for the people’, but the more I thought about it, this is really a champion of nothing. Legislators voted in favor of this in 2010 and put it to the voters who said ‘hell no’. You can’t vote in favor of something, then oppose it publicly and then spearhead legislation to repeal it. It doesn’t work like that. Sure, Albers wasn’t in office when this was passed, but some of the co-sponsors were, and I can assure you some of the prospective ‘yea’ voters were as well. So here we are: after having a mistake forced on us, we are supposed to applaud the correction? No.

Like I’ve said many-a-times: I am thankful that our legislature is more conservative than liberal, yes, but please– do something conservative and follow through. Stop wasting time on resolutions when the federal government is working daily to trample state’s rights and individual liberties. Stop generating legislation that requires fixing a year or two later. Stop reading resolutions for out of state sports teams. Don’t respond to my letter regarding guns on campus by copy-pasting some statistics from the internet and imply more restrictions ‘may be necessary’ when you’re a Republican. Do something worth applauding. Serve the people. Be accountable. Like for real- get it together.

2013
01/31
CATEGORY
2013 Legislative Session
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1 comment

The 2nd Amendment: Give it back to students

Below is a copy of my letter to my State Representative (and some others that I respect) regarding 2nd amendment privileges on non-traditional college campuses:
————————————————–

January 16, 2013

Representative Edward Lindsey
415 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334

CC: Representative Chuck Martin, Representative B.J. Pak, Representative Paulette Braddock,
Senator Hunter Hill, Senator Judson Hill, Senator Brandon Beach

Re: Second Amendment privileges on alternative college campuses.

Dear Representative Lindsey,

My name is Jessica ________ and I am one of your constituents. I am currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Georgia, though I attend the satellite campus in Gwinnett. If you’re not familiar with this campus, it is a multi-story office complex that serves as an alternative campus for working graduate and doctoral students. The “campus”, which includes classrooms, study rooms, a library and a few administrative offices, encompasses the entire first floor of the building, with corporate offices on floors two and three.

As I know you are aware, firearms are prohibited on any college campus, regardless of a carry permit presence or gun caliber. As a Georgia State alum, I recognize the vulnerability of students on a college campuses and I feel that vulnerability is no less simply because my current campus is in a suburb. A “gun-free” zone, regardless of location, places students at an unfair advantage. I recognized the true disadvantage when I was informed by campus personnel that even “non-traditional” campuses fall under prohibited zones. Students have no barriers, as most walls and doors are made of glass and doors open outwards into the hallways (I’m sure you recall the dilemma with this in the Virginia Tech case). Without the ability to protect themselves, the only line of defense is to duck.

Classes at the Gwinnett campus often begin late-afternoon or early evening and release late and after dark. This is true of other campuses, such as the Georgia State campus in Alpharetta, the Terry Business School in Buckhead and the Georgia Perimeter satellite campuses across metro Atlanta. Further, nearly 100% of these students are graduate level and higher, therefore invalidating any argument regarding firearms in the hands of minors or those not eligible for a carry permit.

I understand that a blanket permit of firearms on campuses across Georgia is a long shot, especially in this political climate. I am, however, asking for proposed legislation which would allow firearms on alternative campuses which are adjacent to business offices. Business persons have no restrictions on their second amendment, however, as a student, I immediately stripped of my right to bear arms simply because of a ‘status’, even though we are all operating in the same building. Not only am I student, I, along with my classmates, am a sitting duck with a label of “potential victim”. I believe Georgia can do better and I believe students deserve better.

I welcome your feedback.

Respectfully,

 

Jessica _________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________

2013
01/16
CATEGORY
2013 Legislative Session
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2 comments

My General Assembly Agenda. Now hop to it.

I’m not an elected official-nor do I ever intend to be, and no one ever asks me, but I’m just saying…here’s what needs to be done during the 2013 session of the Georgia General Assembly.

I want to see a strong emphasis on the 10th amendment. Protect the rights of the states. Be proactive, for the love of Pete. Please stop waiting until something happens…act now!

  • Nullify Obamacare
  • Nullify the NDAA
  • Nullify any legislation that would restrict our 2nd amendment rights. While you’re at it, why don’t you loosen the reins on our gun laws right now. They are a bit too stringent for a freedom-loving person like myself, anyways.
  • Deny the Atlanta Falcons any funding for the new stadium. It’s unnecessary and I don’t care where the money comes from, it does not need to go to some snazzy stadium that could and should be privately funded.
  • Ethics reform. Those of us who have any clue as to what is really going on know that you cannot legislate morals or ethics. If a legislator wants to be sneaky or take bribes, they will, whether there is legislation in place or not. But the constituents want it. They have no faith in the system right now. So, just do it. We are all waiting. We’ve been waiting.
  • Continued justice system reform. Long are the days where offenders got away with anything. Our systems are inundated with harmless and meaningless offenses. The courts are bogged down with paperwork and the lags for prosecution are out of control. Reform starts in the general assembly. Why don’t we work to decriminalize certain traffic offenses and victimless crimes? I don’t know about you, but I’m more deterred from speeding by a fine than points on my license.
  • Care to try again on the Sunset Bill that our Governor vetoed last year? I’m still wondering when we are going to hold government agencies accountable.

How many of these do you think will be accomplished?? I’ll pray for wisdom, control and restraint.

2013
01/14
CATEGORY
State
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Charter School Amendment: 2 VERY DIFFERENT Conservative Perspectives

Ahh, The Charter School Amendment: the issue which has conservatives calling each other liberals, debating ’til they’re blue in the face and liberals…well…just stomping their feet, like usual. So that’s why me and my pal Tori Wester (seen above fighting during our yard sign blitz) from ToriPundit decided to present two different conservative view points on the Charter School Amendment. She voted ‘Yes’ on Amendment 1 and I will be voting No.

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?

The Perspicacious Conservative:
As I mentioned in my Sample Ballot, I don’t condone any sort of government expansion regardless of the circumstances. That alone is reason enough to vote NO.
This amendment isn’t about the kids. It’s about government control. I would like to note that I am not as opposed to Charter schools as I am to this amendment. Sometimes, there is a need for a charter school in a district. There is a never a need for this amendment or its’ repercussions.

  • Georgia already has more than 100 charter schools in operation. There will be ZERO effect on the already operating schools whether the amendment passes or fails. If a charter is denied, there is already an appeals process in place: to the Board of Education.
  • Everyone says this is about ‘local control’ and ‘the parents’. Tell me what is local about a board appointed, NOT ELECTED, that is accountable to the Governor and his friends at the Gold Dome? This will allow states to override a denial decided by the local school board and require them to honor the charter. (I’m legitimately asking someone to tell me how this is local because I don’t understand.)
  • The denial of charters is not as common as proponents are making you think. It’s actually a rare occurrence for a charter to be denied. Revisit bullet #1.
  • 2010-11 State Department of Education report shows that 73 percent of traditional public schools in Georgia met AYP targets while only 70 percent of charter schools met those same targets. I thought Charter schools performed better? Isn’t that what this is about? Better schools?
  • I’m not one to propose more spending, but if you’re claiming students need more money, maybe you should take a look at the overall spending on education for Georgia and how it’s being distributed. Food for thought.
  • ALEC. I would encourage you to take a look at this analysis by PoliticalVine of funding, nationwide rankings and the role that ALEC plays in education around the nation. Do we really want an organization the size of ALEC intervening in our educational system and crafting our policies? I don’t.
  • Revisit the Fulton Science Academy Charter issue that caused a plethora of destruction for students, teachers and taxpayers. And what about where some charter school funding comes from? That mixes with your tax dollars. State charters are almost always managed by out of state for-profit corporations with no accountability.
  • Choice is not the issue. Parents may already choose public, private or homeschooling choices. They may choose which school district by living there, may enroll in any school within the local school system or any school in another school system, if there is room available. Another charter school or two will not significantly increase choice options.

I’m not sure anything could measure up to the ridiculousness of the TSPLOST, however, the government overstep with this comes close. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and find a different solution for the public education crisis. You can read more about Voting NO at VoteSmartGeorgia.

————————-

ToriPundit’s Opinion

I struggled with the charter school amendment, truly I did. Having no children and never having the extreme responsibility of putting a child through school laid heavy on my heart. I had to do a LOT of research. Also, I know so many well-informed voters (whom I respect greatly) that each have very strong opinions about the amendment, both in the affirmative and the negative. I did a little social media experiment on my Twitter and Facebook to get some of my lingering questions answered. I took the arguments I was worried about and posted them, asking supporters to defend them and nay-sayers to reinforce them. I weighed everyone’s arguments and played devil’s advocate until I felt like I had a very good understanding of what is at stake with this amendment.

  • Competition, Competition, Competition. School boards, teacher unions, and local elected officials are reinforcing the status quo. Is the status quo in public education good enough? I say no. Georgia is the “black sheep” of the states in education. Let these schools have an easier route to incite competition. In doing so, you make every school better. Competition is one of the biggest feather’s in a conservative’s cap. Let’s bring that principle to the public schools system.
  • Choice: Let me make this clear… PARENT’S DESERVE A CHOICE. Refer back to bullet point one – do you want them making choices for your kids, or do you want to make the choice? Who ultimately knows what is best for his or her own child? (Hint: it begins with “p” and ends with “arents”). Yes, parent’s already have a choice of where to send their child to school, but when a school board shuts down a charter request, that choice becomes much more limited. Allow the choice. Vote for freedom.
  • It creates more government… but not really. Many (conservative) folks who oppose the amendment do so because they felt a change to Georgia’s constitution was creating more government. I was one of these people, too. That was my final reservation. While the state can now overrule the local school board, it is because of the PARENTS. The state can now intercede, but it is when the parents ASK for the help…. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!! Individual liberty > local control. The state doesn’t want control’ the state wants parents to have control and is helping them get it.
  • Show me the money. This amendment is not a declaration of support or non-support for charter schools. Charter schools are here. At least, some are. Many, especially in rural south Georgia, are blocked from creation by local boards. Should the parents (the people whose children have to go through these schools) want a competitive alternative to the status quo public schools in place, this amendment allows the state to provide that funding

I will close with this little tidbit of wisdom from my old-man crush, Neal Boortz: “If you want Georgia schools to continue to suck, vote no.”

___________________________
The most important thing is to VOTE. I encourage you to take these facts, from both sides, and do a little of your own research to make the best decision. Which is, of course, voting NO.

2012
11/05
CATEGORY
Education
State
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Gold Dome Power Players vs. Local Bloggers

Back in May, I published a post detailing John Albers’ redistricting shenanigans in regards to Brandon Beach and the primary race in Senate District 21. I expressed my support for Brandon Beach in the district based on my personal interactions with him and his plans for Fulton and Cherokee counties. Apparently, this is like armed robbery of a preschool because within hours of my posting, “insiders” were calling people in my circle asking who I was and why I would do such a thing. I’m talking staffers at the Dome, attorneys and other consultants. My personal policy is support the person I think is best for this office. This is not always the incumbent. You would have thought I was the only person on earth to ever go against an incumbent. Imagine Senator Rogers’ surprise when there were a few others who weren’t on his side. Unfortunately, I succumbed to political pressure and took the blog down. This is also against my policy and what this blog stands for and for that, I apologize.

Now, there are a few things to understand. It’s been two years since I worked on the Albers Senate campaign and I sealed the bad memories solely on the fact that I have had no issue succeeding since I left Mr. Albers and figured he would self-destruct on his own. Even though I did not sign a confidentiality agreement, I originally planned to just “let it go”. And since I worked on his campaign, I know some of the mischief he encountered in a last-ditch effort to win his campaign- this is all besides the point but tuck it away for conclusion-drawing later. But since then, John Albers has made numerous attempts to discredit my reputation and defame my character. (You can read why Mr. Albers doesn’t care for me here, here, here, here, here or here.) I also spent a legislative session at the Capitol this Spring where Mr. Albers consistently and maliciously spent numerous hours bad mouthing me to aides, other Senators and staffers and accusing me of stalking him to any one that I networked with. Yes, you read the correctly: stalking. What Mr. Albers didn’t know was that I have plenty of friends down at the Gold Dome who cued me into what he was doing. At first, I was upset, as any young girl trying to start her career would be. How could an old man use his political power to try to sway others’ opinions of me? I also heard other initiatives that Mr. Albers took in an effort to get me to stop blogging, but none of them worked. I know he doesn’t do this with the AJC or the former Beacon Newspaper. Did he just think he could behave like this because I’m young? After some thought, it hit me: John Albers is scared of me and by doing this, he was attempting to disgrace me by making me look untrustworthy and misguided. As I realized what was happening and I heard some of the reactions, I realized that I had more fans at the Capitol than Mr. Albers and I was just a little ‘ol intern. I couldn’t help but giggle when someone said “Get real! You certainly have better taste than that!”. After a few months, however, this warranted action and Mr Albers received a certified letter explaining what slander is (in case he didn’t know) and demanding that he stop, with threat of a lawsuit.
I have not been a saint when it comes to blogging about Albers, it’s true. But because I helped get him elected, I feel obligated to hold him accountable for his decisions at the Dome, not to mention, I grew up in the district and many of my friends and family reside there. After the first blog I posted, John called me and asked me to take it down. I would not, simply because nothing I stated was untrue. I have always stuck to the issues and legislation when it comes to my assertions about ‘ol Johnny (except when I said I thought he was going to shoot someone out of a cannon) and I have encouraged him to correct me when I am wrong. So far, I have not misstated the facts and he has not attempted to correct me. He has resorted to childish measures and his actions are simply unacceptable. Shame on you, Senator. The people of District 56 and the citizens of Georgia deserve better than someone who will resort to slander and throwing their weight around when challenged by a youthful blogger who is simply demanding responsible government and adequate representation.

“Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press but the sealing up of a nation’s heart, the excision of its memory.”

2012
08/06
CATEGORY
Local
State
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3 comments

Confusing Justice with Closure

I read a follow up article this morning about Artiston Waiters, the 19-year old who was shot and killed by a policeman after an altercation back in December. Just yesterday, a grand jury decided not to indict the Union City police officer because, according to reports, Mr. Waiters was attempting to take the gun of Office Lewis and altercation ensued. Mr. Waiters was shot and killed in the scuffle. The WSBtv article said the deceased’s mother ‘is heartbroken over the decision’ stating “Freda Waiters is devastated. It is hard to describe the pain that she is in at this point”.

I found this to be a particularly interesting statement because I wonder what Mrs. Waiters cause was driven by: Justice or Closure?

Our justice system is a tricky one. But it is just that: a system that seeks justice. It is not a system that was created to provide emotional comfort. That comes from God and your family. It is not a system created to invoke retaliation.  That kind of judgement comes, again, from God. The justice systems seeks to hold criminals accountable for breaking the law.

In the case of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman experienced a prosecution and conviction by the media and by minority activist groups. Whether George Zimmerman is guilty or not is now irrelevant because he has already been tried in an emotionally chaotic public court. Surfacing evidence matters to few because the liberal left has already established an opinion. Martin family members and supporters have pushed for public crucifixion and take minimal account of any other circumstances because their son is dead. But that’s just it: He isn’t coming back.

In the case of Artison Waiters, we may never know the full extent of the story because witnesses were lacking. But the officer held an impeccable record with the police department and had outstanding marks from all of his superiors. Should we trust his story based on the oath he took or should we be skeptical? The decision has been made by the grand jury and again, Mr. Waiters isn’t coming back.

Both these cases have a strong resemblance to the Casey Anthony trial. Many of us, in our hearts, felt she was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A jury did not and they used the Constitutional procedures pre-set to evaluate the case. And Andrea Sneiderman, the woman having an affair with the man who killed her husband. What about her? All of these cases have one thing in common: they stir up emotion. But being angry doesn’t bring them back. Being angry won’t get you a conviction. And being angry won’t make you feel better. As frustrating as it is, the system has loopholes but we mustn’t convict people publicly by media harassment when the correct forum for that is a court room. Remember the Centennial Olympic ‘Bomber’, Richard Jewell? A man wrongly accused suffered greatly for months because the media annihilated him before facts came to light.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have a justice system that prosecutes and I’m certainly not saying we should be more lenient on seeking justice for those who become the voiceless victim. I am, however, saying that it is important to stay focused. There is no room for emotion in a court room. Cases should be tried based on facts and evidence, not on maintaining a memory of a loved one or attempting to fill a void of a loss. Far too often we see convictions overturned after years and years of wasted time and tax dollars because of emotionally-fueled investigations, emotionally-fueled indictments and emotionally-fueled trials.

2012
05/31
CATEGORY
State
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