Barb, I totally get where you're coming from, but this:

What I want most for my kids is for them to be kids and be kept safe from this sort of thing and frankly, I'm a little ashamed of myself that I... not so much let that slip, because as I already said, if anyone ever laid a finger on Abby or Nate, for that matter in such a matter, I'd probably kill, but that I let the victim's adult wishes supercede the child who was violated and all the children that can be protected in the future.

...for me? That gets to the heart of the matter. If, God forbid, something were to happen to one of your kids -- you (or they) wouldn't get the say on the punishment due the perpetrator. We don't let survivors and their families take the child rapists up into the hills, kill them, and bury their bones. The flip side of that sane system is not forgetting about imposing a legal sentence, even after the survivors and their families have had too much. We ask common, objective people to decide cases, because it's all too subjective for those who are involved.

The rule of law is important, maybe especially when it is difficult to uphold. There's a place for mercy, but not to the exclusion of justice.

Him staying away seemed to say that he felt he did nothing wrong and was being unfairly punished. Being brought in smells of a witchunt.

It says to me that he didn't want to go to jail. Even guilty people don't want to go to jail.

And he's being brought in because he finally entered a country that would extradite him and did so publicly enough that California sent over the paperwork in time. This isn't a witch hunt, its a matter of waiting until he slipped up.

I feel horribly for his victim having to continue to deal with the publicity of this. He, apparently, has felt just fine with letting her do so for three decades. Only one of us has the ability to change this fact for her.

stooooooooooopid insomnia fairy.

So, is everyone over there going, "WTF is wrong with Americans?"

I mean, more than usual?

Little bit.

We have a 'We love the NHS' campaign going on at the moment. It's the first time I've *ever* seen people stop complaining about our National Health Service and start being supportive of it. America - inspirational.

And then there were 220 posts and I skipped.

Gave up on trying to sleep and have gotten in an hours worth of work so far. Oh joy.

Up early to call in sick. I think the fact that I had a coughing fit and lost my voice by the end of a 30 second voice mail message should convince my boss I'm not just trying to extend my holiday. Back to bed now.

If, God forbid, something were to happen to one of your kids -- you (or they) wouldn't get the say on the punishment due the perpetrator.

I know, Cindy, and you're right and the justice system is the way it is for a reason, even if a large part of me personally feels that the victim should get a larger say in a matter that concerns her. I feel as if the justice system failed her back then, because of the way it's set up, and now it feels like too little, too late, at least for her, but that in the end, it serves the greater good. Or should, in theory.

What it boils down to is I just wish the SOB had served his time back in the day.

In a separate post, Yay, CJ!

And ugh, Sue, hope you feel better.

Nightmare Before Christmas Cake: Yours for Only $8,000 – Geeky Cake of the Week

Sue, I hope you feel better soon.

I would very much like a sick day. I think I need one to just sleep in and spend a day at home alone.

I had weird dreams again last night. The setting, the "subway", which in my dream was not a enclosed subway car, but much more like an open roller coaster thing, and the tunnel was unlit and had a dirt floor. you were on the same level as the tracks and if you missed the "train" you were left in the pitch black. I never did determine how people got down or exited these "stations". In my dream, I was down in there for a mayorial candidate speaking tour. I think I have election burn-out.