Hi Christine, and Happy New Year!
I'm off call, having worked all Christmas week and the weekend, but my wife, also an MD (radiologist), is on call for the New Year's weekend, so I'm cooking and grocery shopping today. Sneaking in a little computer time while she's out! Just had a nice interchange on the SI Grammar and spelling thread, which might also interest you:
Subject 18306
RE: The Reginald Denny thing, I had mixed emotions about his seeming forgiveness of the truly despicable acts of his attackers, as seen on videotape. It's hard to know how one would act after surviving such a near death experience, and considering the inhumanly brutal trauma inflicted on his helpless body, it is indeed miraculous that he survived. The assailant's triumphant leap and shout of joy as his concrete block hit the unconscious man's head is an image I will never forget. I assume that Mr. Denny was probably so grateful to be alive that his joy spilled over onto his assailants. A cynic would say that his obvious brain injury had something to do with it. I'm sure he knew nothing about what was happening to him at the time. Neither of these reasons is any excuse why justice should not have been done under the law, which it was not.
With regard to the forfeiture situation, your question
"Are you saying that it is not returned if the person if found to be innocent?"
carries the false premise that there is a trial to prove the owner of the forfeited property innocent or guilty. Actually, the law enforcement agency determines guilt "of the property" by its having been used in a crime and confiscates it. There is no trial. As I understand it, the owner of the property has no recourse. My previous examples tell it all. The WSJ article had some numbers and showed that these laws are a boon for the agencies and fatten their coffers considerably, like a hick town speed trap. Many of the owners of the confiscated property are doubtless guilty scum, but that is beside the point.
I don't mean to sound like the ACLU here, because I agree with you that many criminals literally get away with murder on technicalities. A relatively new cynic in my twilight years, I am just starting to see
the corruption which pervades our governmental systems, and I'm a bit angry about it. Sorry, but we are supposed to talk about our feelings here, aren't we?
Health care essay cometh!
Best regards,
Jack |
