Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 19, 1993 TAG: 9302190391
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: G. WAYNE PIKE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DON'T JUST SEE GUNS
GOV. WILDER and others are busy trying to pass gun regulations that will solve our crime and social problems. I do not think the so-called experts are seeing the real problems, because they are just seeing guns.Last year, our state capital of Richmond had 120 murders. A large number will be unsolved. Last year in the United States, more than 300 teenagers killed their parents. Today, the fastest-rising murder rate is young people committing murder.
Our juvenile-justice system has failed to be a deterrent to preventing youth crimes. Many parents have failed in providing direction and discipline for their children.
In fact, for many years I have conducted interviews with hundreds of convicted criminals. Almost without exception, they tell the same story.
They had little supervision as a child or young adult. They were even defended by their parents when they had school or legal problems, and received no punishment. In the early years, courts did little or nothing to them; when they were detained, they played the system's game to gain quick release.
Research bears all this out. In the early 1950s, punishment for crimes in this country began to decline and at the same time, crimes began to rise. The trend has been almost constant since.
Today we see dangerous criminals released over and over again, for the simple reason that we have allowed ridiculous rules to be made that allow these people to be set free upon society.
Recently, we arrested a man for burglary. He was the same person who had been convicted of murder, two armed robberies, numerous burglaries and gun violations. He had spent only eight years in prison for the murder and robbery of a store owner.
Last year in Los Angeles, there were 2,400 bank robberies, most by career criminals. Los Angeles also boasts more than 100,000 gang members.
It is time we start to focus on new criminal-justice rules to keep career criminals in jail. Trying to eliminate guns will not work. Liquor was banned from 1920 to 1933, and that did not work. Illegal drugs are banned by law; drugs arrive in the United States by the tons.
Laws are, in theory, made to keep good people honest and to control criminals. Our system is not controlling criminals. Only 1 percent of those convicted serve any time at all. There is no truth in sentencing. We see or hear that a person is given 50 years; he will probably be out in less than five.
Do you want to do something about guns and crime? If so, ask our governor and lawmakers to:
1. Pass a law that says if you commit a crime with a gun, while possessing a gun, or break a present gun law, you will serve 10 years flat. No plea bargain, no reduced charges, no parole, no good time. Just 10 years to serve on top of any other crime involved.
2. Stop paroling dangerous and career criminals.
I can warn you now, mention these and you will see some fast shuffling and hear fast talk and excuses why they can't be done.
Let's focus on crime and criminals once and for all. There are plenty of workable laws on the books that control guns. Let's all work together now to control those who use them.
Note: While I was writing this, I was handed an NCIC bulletin, No. 062327, advising us to be on the lookout for an attempted murder suspect, identified in Jacksonville, Fla. In addition to the usual description (name of subject and type of vehicle), the bulletin said "Subject beat victim in the head repeatedly with hammer, tied her up and left her for dead. Suspect previously convicted for murder and armed robbery, released October 1992 from Florida State Prison."
This is one more example of what is happening to our society. Once again we made sure we released and protected the rights of the murderer, but who was there to protect this poor woman from being beaten in the head and robbed?
I am tired of some politicians and so-called lawmakers creating new victims. I hope you are too!
G. Wayne Pike is Wythe County sheriff.