Jaycee Lee Dugard Outrage
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The Last Straw
Yesterday was the last straw. I had not heard of the Jaycee Lee Dugard story until the morning, however it is being reported this little girl, kidnapped at 11 years old, after 18 years of captivity has been found alive at 29 still with her captor. I had to wait another day just to write this because the blood shooting out of my eyes was getting all over the keyboard.
I cannot imagine the horror and heartache this girl and her family must have endured. But I’m telling you, and not to belittle the devastation of their lives, it is only one tenth of my outrage. Anger pushed even further at the report of the Contra Costa Sheriff's Department having contact with the abductor, Phillip Garrido, at his home and location of Jaycee’s false imprisonment in 2006. This sheriff’s department responded to a 911 complaint from a neighbor that Garrido “was psychotic, that there were people living in tents in his backyard and that children could be heard there.”
Contra Costa County Sheriff, Warren E. Rupf apologized for “organizational failure” since the responding deputy was not informed during the response contact that Garrido was a convicted sex offender. Hell the deputy didn’t even go in the backyard, the source of the neighbors compliant.
Too Many
This story forces me to remember Jessica Lunsford, 9-year-old Citrus County Florida girl abducted from her home, assaulted and murdered. Her body was found days later, but the morning she went missing, during the search, Citrus County law enforcement officers were at the home of her killer, John Couey. It was revealed later this little girl was tied up in a closet while the cops were there and did not perform a search in the home of a known sexual predator. Had this home been searched Jessica in all likelihood would have been found and still be alive.
These stories and pathetically, in our society, entirely too many others have driven me into some drastic thinking. This has to stop. If you have read some of my hubs you may know I am not a huge supporter of giving government any more power than it requires to do the job, but folks in this case the job isn’t getting done.
The Jessica Lunsford act, passed in many states and being pushed very hard in others, does not go far enough. The act provides “among the key provisions of the law are a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and lifetime electronic monitoring, of adults convicted of lewd or lascivious acts against a victim less than 12 years old. In Florida, sexual battery or rape of a child less than twelve years old is punishable only by life imprisonment with no chance of parole.” (from Wikipedia)
Deterrents
Firstly this one needs to get simple. Crimes of this nature, (kidnapping, abduction, rape, murder ect) against children should be a federal offense. The penalty should be death; period. As Ron White has said about the Texas execution laws, his “state is putting in an express lane.” No 20 year long waits on death row, no unlimited appeals, one trial, one speedy appeal and then off to lightning road. With the forensic and evidence gathering techniques of today this should be pretty straightforward. And if this is not a good enough deterrent, someone that commits this type of heinous act against the fabric of society does not deserve the privilege to be a part of it. The only acceptable exception to the penalty should be for disputed child custody.
Also sexual predator and offender registration requirements need be tightened and strictly enforced. There are way too many of these offenders in society “missing”. Once a child is reported missing, during the search, these animals should not have the right of protection from search and seizure. Jessica Lunsford was not found and saved because Couey’s sister refused a law enforcement “request” to search the home in which he was registered and resided, the reason they were there. Yes I know this seems harsh to the 18-year-old boy labeled as an offender because of his 16-year-old girlfriend, and I agree. One, I think this type of prosecution is stupid, two if the States must prosecute, those convicted should be in a different category than those stated above.
Finding our Kids
Finally the Amber Alert system needs to be drastically revamped. Pictures and descriptions of a reportedly missing child and suspect (if known) should, within minutes of a report, be on the screen of every TV, computer, cell phone, Blackberry, GPS device within a 100 mile radius of an abduction. And don’ try to tell me its too expensive or it would take to much effort to collect all that data. Bull Crap. The data and communication systems are already in place and in use. How many of your receive advertisements from your service provider? Same system. Get it Done.
Children taken from their families, in our society, in this nation, is simply unacceptable.
UPDATE
Since Initially writing this hub Two More little girls have been taken, Somer Thompson, a 7 year old, second grader from Orange Park, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville, was taken while on her way home from school Monday, Oct 19,2009. A body found the following Wednesday in a South Georgia landfill was identified as Somer.
The same week another little girl, Elizabeth Olten, 9 years old disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house October 21, 2009 she was found murderer on October 23, 2009. This is an absolute outrage! In this country, to not protect our children is unthinkable and unconscionable.
If you agree with my approach towards stopping the most egregious and heinous crimes in our society put pressure on your legislators to act.
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Comments
I share your outrage and have also been outraged for quite a while now. However, my outrage isn't focused on the law enforcement agencies; even though in this particular case it is well deserved. My outrage is focused towards the courts and the thousands of liberal judges who inhabit the system. These animals should not be allowed to live amongst us. But the continued appointment of judges like Sonia Sotomayor further exacerbates the problem but, what do you expect from the most liberal president this country was ever duped into electing!
Your comment is very well absorbed and I wholeheartedly agree. By harshening sentencing guidelines we can eliminate both evils. These animals shouldn’t be in prisons they should be in highly marked graves extolling their execution. That’s a deterrent.
Only by amending the punishments as they now are can these liberal courts, judges and activists be marginalized and the guilty be eliminated.
I would like to see more of these sexual predators put to death too. And they shouldn't get the easy way out with that lethal injection. They don't deserve the same death as a beloved pet gets when they are "put to sleep." They need to bring back the electric chair.
I say Castration,a sound night long beat down, then the electric chair is more like it for such monsters!
Yes! I too am heartsick for this young woman and her children. I need 5 minutes alone with this man your honor, that is all I ask! I totally agree on the revamping of amber alerts and harsher penalties.
Good article, I say castration with a very very very blunt razor. He does not even deserve the light of day let alone a sharp object!
Man, thanks for writing this! Had it not been for my post, I don't think I would have found this. I gotta calm down...
Thanks for communicating this to us. It is good for us to try and do something to prevent this from happening again.
Let's face it. Police and policing are inept when it comes to ex-convicts. They're all afraid of what ex-convicts will do to the police and those who do the policing. Ex-convicts have more rights that law-abiding people. If they want to, ex-convicts can bring this country down to a lawless society because the law protects them from being killed by police.
Not so sure if I buy this one, but the opinion has an amount of validity if applied as a portion of the argument to strengthen sentencing guidelines as I suggest. A portion of the problem in John’s issue would be solved since there would be no ex-convict child attackers. They’ll be entombed.
Well spoken.... society has an obligation to protect children.
I say, while waiting for their appeals, these criminals should be placed in the general prison population - see if they survive.
What makes me so damned mad is that this little family was 'housed' in their backyard in Antioch, Ca., a typically suburban neighborhood. Neighbors noticed, 3 years ago the cops came. WTF?
Now the news is calling this worm a genius.
GET ME OUT OF HERE!!
Well said!
I think you are all absolutely right just hearing stories like this makes one burst out in tears of anger, these monsters should NOT be put to death..... they shold be tortured for the rest of their pathetic lives so they can get a glimpse of the emotional and physical abuse they caused these poor victims!!!
SEX OFFENDERS SHOULD BE CASTRATED OR PUT 2 DEATH/NO 2ND CHANCES!!!!!!!!! HOWEVER, SINCE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKS 2 PROTECT THESE MONSTERS, NOT US NOR OUR CHILDREN, THEN SEX OFFENDERS VEHICLES, HOUSING, & ANY OTHER STORAGE, ETC should ALWAYS be SEARCHED FIRST & FOREMOST!!!!!!!!
I was very sadden and outraged as well by this story. I feel so bad for that girl because she is probably going to need have to seek professional help because of everything she went through. It's so sad when a child is taken. Every person who is a parent's worse nightmare right there.
Thank you for posting this .. Real people have got to stand up and force the system to protect our children !
I agree, Her life was taken from her, and she can never get it back. That man and his wife should get the death seat. Because in my thinking - He took her life. And why cant the system protect our kids? I pray she will somehow be happy again...................
You have no Idea how closely we think. You and I and the rest of normal, responsible, conservative society appear to be the only ones capable of seeing this through. But only if we shout loud enough and long enough can we make it happen.
I can't see any form of legislative deterrent stopping these kinds of people.
We will always have monsters among us. We can't help that. What we can change, however, is the allowances of law enforcement to search and seize ANYONE and ANYPLACE. If they are wrong, they are wrong. So, an innocent civilian has been inconvenience. And....no...we can't sue them for it! Big Deal. That may be 'the price we have to pay' for freedom and it is well worth it. If you have nothing to hide, you would not worry about this. I am so tired of people doing illegal things and then calling the 'rights card'. This has got to change!!!
Cindy,
Two more little girls are missing, Somer Thompson a 7 year old, second grader from Orange Park, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville, was taken while on her way home from school Monday (Oct 19,2009). A body found Wednesday in a South Georgia landfill was tentatively identified as Somer.
Another little girl, Elizabeth Olten, 9 years old disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house Last Night (October 21, 2009) the search for her is continuing.
This has now gone beyond absolute outrage! In this country to not protect our children is unthinkable and unconscionable. This has to be stopped and while I am reluctant to go to the full surrender of liberties and the measures as you describe, which I fear would lead to further Governmental abuses. The tactics I described in my article for convicted sexual deviants should be immediately endorsed.
Reading this hub I am like you outraged and angry and often the punishment just doesn't seem to fit the crime. When you think that in at least two of these cases the police were at the homes of these people while the child was also there it beggars belief.
Watching shows like CSI where a bead of sweat or an eyelash leads to the down fall of the perpetrator gives us an unrealistic idea of modern policing the truth is that many of the killers and kidnappers are found out by accident not by superior detective work.
Like Nicomp says I can't see any punishment or legislative deterrent stopping these kinds of people, they are not wired up right. I do agree with you that the search procedures should be more rigorously carried out.
In the case of Jaycee I think that the police were negligent and much more than an apology is needed from those concerned with this case.
Unfortunately, in a society where incarceration is generally the highest penalty for these types of violations it's hard to see the corner turning.
Perversions are easily hidden, but it astounds me that something of this degree was so well done.
I suppose this is why knowing neighbors well and happily tends to detract from this sort of indecent morally abhorrent crimes.
Readytoescape,
I agree with you.My heart is broken. I can't
imagine how these families go on from these events. We have
to do something.
Me Phoenix,
Sadly as of this morning the second of two little girls taken this week (Oct 24th)was found. Two beautiful little girls murdered in one week, two families destroyed. You are right, we have to do something and the time is now.
Write your Federal and State Legislators and demand that they close all the loops holes and strengthen the laws for sentencing and law enforcement powers. I am sickened by all this.
Help promote this link so thousands of us can scream at the top of our voices.
I agree with your outrage about our children. When i think about what all the youths must go through the fear and pain they must feel upon abduction my heart just tightens. My only thing is if we do have alerts whenever a child is abducted i am sad to say that because of the way this world is now there might not be any other programs showing as the rate and frequency of abduction is seeming to be severly rapid. And also i saw a story where an 18 year old had sex with, wed, and had a child with a 16 year old and had to register as a pedifile. Could you imagine what that would mean for him and his daughter and wife who grew up without a father? I think law enforcement needs to step it up and really be clear about there laws. The only problem that remains is that sick person who has no soul and is constantly slipping through the cracks what can we do about them?
i am sorry also i watched the show at midnight once and it was on TLCit was relly interesting i am happy you lived :):):):):):)
If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to search a house he should not have to have permission from the owner or whoever is in the house. Waiting for a warrant can take too long and end in deadly consequences. The law has gone to far and is now protecting the guilty more than the innocent. Where is the rationale in this?
Kebennett,
Probable Cause is just the point; in both the cases above, the legal threshold to allow law enforcement to engage in a Probable Cause search was not breached. I propose that during the search for a missing child Search & Seizure protections are suspended for registered offenders, giving law enforcement the power to search without warrant since Probable Cause is pre-established by being on such a list.
A List I might add which will grow shorter if we have the courage to apply the death penalty as described and outlined above.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Being a mother, I became so paranoid about my kids hearing these stories, I couldn't even turn my back when we were outside and imagine even inside the comfort of one's home! unimaginable but true.My only concern is for the parents to really be vigilant when it comes to our kids, never let them walk alone literally,while its been said that these killers /sex maniacs doesn't feel remorse about they do and the law seems to show leniency, we as citizen and parents are the only hope for them not to strike any child I believe thats the only thing possible as of now.
Well written hub and I could not agree more!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment
breakfastpop says:
3 months ago
I couldn't agree more. Poor law enforcement, lack of common sense and an stupid unwillingness on the part of society to realize that a sex offender, is a sex offender for life. They need to be removed from society forever.