Letters to the Editor: Sunday, July 10, 2011
No deal for child’s killer
To the editor,
After reading today’s (July 7, 2011) article on Page A3 regarding a plea bargain possibly being reached in the case of James David Campbell for the torture and murder of 3-year-old Beautiful Skyla Villanueva, I was completely incensed! Why should he be allowed to have the option of parole and why would the Hillsdale County Prosecutor even consider it? What parole did Beautiful Skyla Villanueva receive from him and his torture?
This wasn’t a one-time abuse situation, which is intolerable in itself, but, to quote the article, “an ongoing pattern of physical abuse to the child, including a number of bite marks from Campbell,” which led to her death.
When are we as a society going to worry more about the victim than we do about the one who is accused of the crime? Who stood up for this innocent child when her life was being threatened? No one, not even her own mother!
It’s time that we, as parents and grandparents, stand up for all these children who are being abused and murdered and demand that the abusers and killers pay for what they did for the rest of their lives. Not necessarily by being executed but by serving the rest of their lives in jail without any chance of parole or chance to get out and do it to another innocent child.
Beautiful had no second chance. Why should her killer?
Cheryl Proctor
Clayton
Police response was poor
To the editor,
On June 30th, my son and his friends had just parked their bikes in front of our garage and went into the garage. When they came out a couple of minutes later someone was riding away on my son’s bike. The thief took off down Vine Street heading toward Riverside Park.
Luckily, an Adrian police car was driving by. My son stopped the officer and told him. The thief was only about half a block away. Instead of going after the thief, the officer told my son that he had to pull over and take down some information. My friend Nancy asked the officer why he wasn’t going after the thief. He replied, “Do you have a problem with me or do you want a problem with me?” He then complained that there were only two officers patrolling the city of Adrian. My son asked him if he wanted the bike that the thief left and his reply was, “What am I suppose to do with it!” Nice attitude.
I have raised my sons to trust police officers and that they were the good guys. I was extremely disappointed in the office’s response. I could understand if he was in pursuit or heading to an accident but he was not. I can feel for him as far as cutbacks in the police force, but there are cutbacks everywhere. We just have to step up and work a little harder.
The officer had the chance to be the good guy. Had he tried to go after the thief he would have made a great impression on the kids. The impression my son got was that he did not matter and that it was his fault that there was only two officers on patrol.
I know that stolen bikes are not top priority, but when the thief is still in sight?
My son had spent his summer on this bike. This is the second bike that has been stolen from him in the last six weeks. My son is just crushed that it happened again. The first one was bad enough but to have two bikes stolen in one summer is just too much.
I guess I am just frustrated that there are some people in this town that feel they have the right to trespass on to someone else’s property and take something that does not belong to them.
Dawn Rowton
Adrian
Fire the new governor
To the editor,
The 9.12 people, the Tea Party folks, those who support Gov. Snyder’s policies are a confused bunch. The game plan handed down to them is just strings of disjointed ideas with a hidden agenda. What they consider patriotic effort is anti-American to the core.
Anyone who actually believes cuts at the bottom can cure problems created at the top is out of touch with reality. About 70 percent of our economy is driven by consumption, and as middle class spending declines all that will trickle down will be misery. The layers of job creation whoopla are meaningless propaganda intent on confusion.
While a record 45 million people in the U.S. are dependent on food stamps, the average CEO today pulls down $9 million a year. Corporate profits hit record levels in the fourth quarter last year yet few jobs were created. The right will sit on that capital as the national economy spirals into the 2012 elections. Why would anyone in their right mind support cuts to the needy for relief of the greedy?
It is consistently reported that new hire auto workers are paid half the compensation of employees from just several years ago. That’s not true. When you factor in the loss of pension, no 30 and out, reduced vacation, and reduced health care which the employee has to pay into, current workers actually earn one-third of their predecessors’ pay. Bill Ford and FoMoCo CEO Alan Mulally took home a combined $58.4 million in 2010. Apparently lowering the price of a new car is not an option but offshoring jobs is. Not only will new auto workers struggle to buy a house, they’ll struggle to buy the autos being manufactured.
If Gov. Snyder would have revealed his intent to tax pensions before he got elected, undoubtedly he’d still be an uncommon nerd. Mr. Snyder is the gateway to poverty here in Michigan and he’s not confused. As the stock market soars Gov. Snyder cut unemployment by six weeks because he knows at best he is a one-term governor. He’ll do as much damage as quickly as possible to the remnants of organized labor, and everyone else is collateral damage.
Many folks drained their reserves to ride out the great recession of ’08, and the impending economic downturn is going to be brutal. It’s time to re-evaluate. I’ve signed the Fire Rick Snyder petition and urge everyone to do so.
Mark Farris
Monroe