Swift Justice is Needed

I remember stories of the wild west in the nineteenth century, when the code of the west lived in the hearts of many.   Justice was quick.  Killers were hung after declared guilty during a trial.  If the killing had been witnessed by credible citizens, the execution was quick. 

Remember McVeigh?  His trial was quick and his execution quickly followed.  The lawyers did not milk the case for years and years while the murderer was coddled with psychiatrists and consultants and the lawyers ran up the bills.  Hell, these days a mass murderer is good for lawyer income for decades.

Look at Loughner, the mass murderer and maimer.  This guy is obviously guilty of the crimes.  There is no question that he did it.  He cannot be rehabilitated and released.  He does not deserve to live.  Why must the taxpayers pay for plane trips, psychiatrists, tests, lawyers and all the expensive trappings that will never change the fact that Loughner is a criminal?  Our society does not have money to waste on this kind of expensive exploitation of a tragedy. 

Now this latest creep in Colorado who ambushes innocent people is being set up for years and years of lawyers, tests, psychiatrists and all the tax money he can possibly spend defending himself against the indefensible.  People saw him do the killings.  I don't care if some expensive psychiatrist intones that this killer is insane.  Killers like this need swift justice.  The lawyers and all those who make their livings in the court system should not be allowed to exploit these tragedies for personal gain. 

Whatever happened to common sense?  The delay of justice dishonors the families of the victims and the victims themselves.   These killers should have a speedy trial and swift justice meted out.  If an appeal is made, then it will be done quickly and if denied, justice will prevail quickly.  The massive slowness and complexity of these trial 'preparations' and the lengthy appeal process actually encourages crime, in that justice will not be swift. 

As long as murderers get away with it by cruising through the system paying lawyers with tax money, the murders will continue.  If potential murderers knew a convicted murderer was rapidly executed, possibly that would be a deterrent.  I think going to prison is worth it to these killers.  Let's give them a surprise.   

Fast and Furious

Fast and Furious Update: 

This is a short history of events leading up to President Obama citing Executive Privilege over data acquisition requests by Rep. Darrel Issa (R-California), chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. 

House Speaker John Boehner asked, "So what is the Obama administration hiding in Fast and Furious?" (Washington Times, June 22,2012)  Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  He wants to know how Fast and Furious operated and the identities of those responsible.

The House Oversight Committee asked for documentation on these and other issues:

·         A letter containing false information concerning Fast and Furious was released to Congress under the aegis of the Attorney General's office.  This letter dated Feb. 4, 2011 was addressed to Sen. Chuck Grassley.  It was signed by Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich.  Later Attorney General Eric Holder defended Mr. Weich by saying he had received false information about the gunrunning program, and then retracted the Feb. letter in Dec. 2012.  Mr. Weich resigned in mid June, 2012.  In March 2012, Mr. Weich disregarded a supoena from the Committee for further information on Fast and Furious.

·         Whistleblower persecution within the ATF concerning Fast and Furious is ongoing.  I heard one of those whistleblowers speak at a rally in Oro Valley.  Public safety was the main concern of the whistleblower I heard.  I know the Fast and Furious debacle endangered the lives of all law enforcement in the southwestern states.  One border Sheriff said he was never informed of the program.  We need to know the chain of command that led to a repeat of the previous ATF  gunrunning.  The Committee wants these documents.

·         If wiretaps were used during Fast and Furious, the Committee wants information concerning what senior official reviewed the program and who issued the wiretap order.

The Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. Issa, voted to cite Attorney General Holder for Contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the information needed by the Committee to obtain actual oversight of the entire Fast and Furious program.  A full vote of the house is expected the week of June 27, 2012.

President Obama's press secretary dismissed the importance of Fast and Furious, calling the information requests a political stunt.  President Obama asserted Executive Privilege in order to prevent delivery of the relevant documents, which action is protecting somebody within the Justice Department from scrutiny by the House Oversight Committee.

Attorney General Eric Holder has now been voted in Contempt of Congress for his refusal to deliver the requested data, including the chain of command leading up the Fast and Furious tragedy.  I thank Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa for their continued interest in this program that allowed the Feds to set up an illegal operation in Arizona without the knowledge of local law enforcement. 

Eclipse of Sun 2012 Tucson