Petting Files in Modern America

 

William Bonney never conducted a mass shooting in any school in New Mexico. However, he did take credit for one sheriff, two deputies, and countless others in the Lincoln County war. He also played croquet at the local church and was widely known as a real good dancer. Oh, sorry. Bonney’s stage name was Billy the Kid. 

 

During the gunfight at the Ok Corral, no civilians were shot. As a point of interest, when feverishly charged by a hung over and disgruntled Ike Clanton, throwing open his coat and exclaiming, “I am not armed!” Wyatt Earp slapped him, and told him to “Get out of the way!”

 

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, of Alamo fame, was an amateur botanist who invented Adam’s Chewing Gum. 

 

And last, but not least, my ancestor, Porter Rockwell made a little girl laugh at the construction site of the Temple in Salt Lake City by riding round and round the foundation in a state of undress, firing two pistols in the air. I’ve been told that he was riding a unicycle, but I’ve not been able to confirm that. However, I’m sure that Uncle Porter was filled with the spirit at the time and was capable of riding just about anything he wanted except the girl!

 

So, what’s the current fascination with abusing little kids? Even the Comanches would just kidnap them and raise them up to hunt buffalo. 

 

The deaths of Abby and Libby in Delphi, Indiana demonstrates just how far we have strayed from the bounds of common decency. Out of respect for the little ladies I will not attempt to recount their last hour. I’ll only say that God sees all and He is just. 

 

One must ask, have we always been this depraved, or is this a result of overcrowding. Has the abundance of life made it cheaper by reason of quantity? But the spilling over of violence to children IS a recent phenomenon. Of course, children have been abused in times past, but never with the assortment of method seen today. 

 

We now seen this spilling over to child-on-child crime or child on adult, which at times is a little payback and at others a lot of anger and the belief that it’s just like in whatever video game is in vogue at the time. Some people blame this on the pandemic but in reality, it’s been a long time coming. The seeds were sown long ago and the weeds finally took root. 

 

Perhaps we are seeing the full version of adults with no conscience or fear of consequences. The death penalty is no deterrent. It just takes too long. And it’s not used enough. If you’re going to kill people just kill them! Don’t wait until they’re eighty and are pushed to the gurney in a wheelchair where the executioner can’t find their veins. And go back to proven methods of execution. Hanging, electric chair, gas chamber or firing squad. Far quicker than what Abby and Libby had to endure. And really, far less traumatic. 

 

Everyone should get a fair trial, but once it’s confirmed the green mile should be walked, and soon. While the crime is fresh in the memory of those left behind. Don’t let the family of the perpetrator into the room to wail and call on the Lord. He knows who’s on the slab. Let only the family of the victim there. So they can enjoy the show and then turn the body over for scientific research. And when it’s of no more use to anyone, burn it and throw the ashes in the wind. God’s been waiting for them. 

 

Or admit that capital sentences are a failure. In that case give life. And that means LIFE. Hopefully a long life, filled with regret, fear, and misery. A life with no visits. A life that will drag on until the last thing they see is a prison infirmary as the nurses wait to mark the time of death, and medical research comes for the body. 

 

And on the home front. Bring daddies home again. Let God enroll in school. Reinforce discipline once more. Give the children back to the parents and make family first. An aunt or uncle should have more power than a schoolteacher, and there is no appeal once mommy or daddy lays down the law! 

 

My words are hard, but my heart is soft. My tears flow for Abby and Libby, not who killed them. I’m a product of Texas in 1880. I don’t need psychology. I don’t want to know about a monster’s terrible childhood. I had one too. So did every kid in my neighborhood. We had no mass killings. No disrespect for law enforcement and fear of the football coach whenever someone needed a paddling. And crazy crime was only seen on the news and always happened somewhere else. And we grew old and died. And the world went crazy. Well . . . hell ain’t half full. See you there.