It’s hard to find the right words to express my feelings. Yet let me try to organise my thoughts.
First it was disbelief. Headline of the article must be wrong. Nothing makes sense. Maybe it’s a parody? Quick check robs me of this hope.
Next thought is confusion. Two years in juvenile facilities. Maybe circumstances are very unusual. Maybe he went out, met a girl in a bar / party and didn’t realise that she is underage? After all, there are known cases of that sort. Take a breath and read the story….. nope. Girl is 10. No confusion. No excuses. Just shock.
Look at his criminal record. Assualt with deadly weapons, sexual assault, robbery, drug possession and more, including another sexual assault.
It seems like story gets worse. So authorities knew him and didn’t do much to stop him. Was it a lack of trying? Was there a formality? If so, how many times it happen?
Maybe it’s the way we have stories presented to us by media. Journalism is non existent. According to news outlets, they don’t have time. Personally I doubt it, because it’s easier and cheaper to do quick click bait without investigation or reflection, pick whatever event suitable for the current political agenda and just put it out. Even BBC releases twits with grammatical mistakes. Plus notice how another article is already whitewashing the facts. Enough to worship the idol of political correctness. It’s already a story about a “woman”, whereas it’s a grown-up man pretending to be a woman for a hot minute (after arrest).
Our new political correctness identifies masculinity as toxic. Typical. What started as a fantastic move towards equality of rights between men and women, brings us to the point of identity politics. Another idol.
Yet all of the above still revealed no answer. It’s still a disbelief. Even with all of the excuses, how can a 26 year old person of any sex get sentenced to juvenile prison? And the answer is too confronting.
Los Angeles county district attorney George Gascon refused to prosecute Tubbs as an adult. Who is this district attorney? Where is his common sense? Juvenile facilities for 26 years old? Under any circumstances, how can he refuse? Why? Would you like to know? He wants to go to politics and buying votes. And if so, where are the judges to condemn his decision?
This is the answer. Politics and votes. At the end of the day, it’s clear that justice wasn’t served. Tubbs is not a law-abiding citizen and probably not mentally stable, yet our so called justice system failed him too. And please don’t make it as an excuse for all the crimes committed. It’s just a painful reality.
There is nothing good in this story. Is it possible that we hit the rock bottom and the only way is up? This madness needs to stop. We can’t rely on the system to serve justice. So it’s up to us to confront it. It’s easy to start – don’t be silent. As Ze’ev Jabotinsky famously characterised silence as despicable. Therefore the first step is to ensure that the story is known.
What to do next? My practical step is to write a few letters and be careful with my vote. Above all, be vigilant not to serve idols.
What’s your resolution?
Moments of Clarity 