About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Miscarriage of Justice?

I read in the paper this morning about a young man who was arrested and convicted of aggravated child molestation. He was 17 and the girl was 15 - it was consensual oral sex. Genarlow Wilson was a good student and an athlete in high school and at a New Year's Eve party in 2003, the two teens got carried away. Now this young man has to serve 10 years in prison and another year on probation plus he has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Read more about it here and here.

On the opposite page, everyone is up in arms about Paris Hilton having to serve more time than others who have been convicted of the same crime that she committed. She received how many days in prison for driving without a license that had been revoked because she had been driving drunk? She could have KILLED innocent people! This photo shows Paris brazenly driving again without a license after having been convicted of drunk driving.

Now I ask you, "Which is the crime here?" Granted, I wouldn't be pleased to find out my young teens were involved in sexual acts at a wild party. But was anyone harmed? I believe it is a travesty of justice that this young man has been convicted of a "crime." Apparently, no one seems able to reverse the sentence because of some antiquated law in the state where he lived. And poor little Paris will get out in a few days after she could have murdered someone.

11 comments:

Jo said...

Leslie, I saw this case on Good Morning America. The difference is obvious. One is a young black male, the other is an over-privileged young white rich woman. The young man probably has far more going for him than Miss Celebutante in terms of intelligence and potential, but the opportunity for him to contribute to society has now been taken away from him, which she can continue to grab all the goodies. This injustice has been going on since time immemorial.

jmb said...

Well the sad part too is that if Paris Hilton had killed someone she would still be out on the streets with lawyers up the wazoo, finally getting her off from serving any time.

Leslie: said...

Well, I didn't want to say it before someone else, but I did wonder about the race and wealth issue. And, jmb, you're probably right that she'd be out with lawyers up the wazzo.

Smalltown RN said...

It is a travesty of justice....come on...I mean really...kids of that age are having sex all the time....it's part of most sitcoms and daytime dramas on TV..I am perplexed as to why this man's life has now been ruined....laws can be changed....he needs to find someone with influence and that has the gumption to do the right thing and change the law and set him free.....

Oh by the way...thnak you for your kind words....my run was good and profitable....

TomCat said...

Frankly, I think that he would be walking the streets today had the so-called victim in this case been a black girl. However, prosecutors base their political careers on convictions, so they try to hold onto them, guilt, innocense, right or wrong be damned. RN, no less then Jimmy Carter has come out in support of Wilson's release.

Leslie: said...

Let's hope Carter can do something about this travesty! Even the judge who tried to change things was blocked.

Donnetta said...

I agree with everybody. This case is crazy. And that young man has lost so much.

Yes, Paris could have killed someone. And she still may. She's young. And not maturing anytime soon.

Donnetta

Anonymous said...

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't there laws in the deep South of the U.S.A., that oral or anal sex is punishable with a lengthly prison term between consenting, married adults in their own bedrooms? And if this is true, who might the authority be that is burdened to make sure that such perversion will not happen?

Janice Thomson said...

Good points Leslie which I think Josie has explained adequately along with others. One can only wonder who comes up with these ridiculous laws and then again who enforces them just as ridiculously.

Marie said...

that's the irony of the law! i can only sulk in frustration! i wish our legislators can do a better job next time they make some laws.

heiresschild said...

i couldn't have said it any better than josie.