Two for one Convicts at Menards!

Convictions!

Two instances involving convictions in the news lately, one more lately than the other, the latter and later of which I'll write about second. Moreover, the second, later and latter isn't actually a conviction, but I needed a snappy title.

Dennis Rader is convicted of 10 murders and is given ten life sentences. Which means he'll be available for parole in 40 years, when he's 100 years old. The vibe I get from the coverage, other than news stations screaming "LOOK AT ME WE'VE GOT THIS GUY LOOK AT HIM" and the like is that people are going to try to forget about him as soon as possible. He confessed, there's little to no doubt of his guilt...pretty straightforward, really. His statement before sentencing gave me the impression of someone trying to hang on to the spotlight for as long as possible. Meh.

On a more troublesome note, Edgar Ray Killen, noted racist and murderer responsible for the deaths of three people in Mississippi in the 60's that had the radical idea of maybe treating people like people, is out on bail pending his appeal. Meaning my statement that he'll die in prison before completing his sentence is now probably wrong. He's 80, in ill health, and will probably die a free man. Which is ludicrous, particularly when he's still threatening the lives of his opponents (verbally).

Speaking of the conditions of the prison, Killen said:

• "They checked me through the line like a cattle auction," he said. "I'm very unhappy with the treatment I've received."
  
  Mr. Killen is recovering from a logging accident in March and required an oxygen tank at his trial.
  
  Mr. Killen said he had to bribe a convict to obtain a pillow.
  
  "I can barely sleep," he said. "I still don't understand how I could lie in severe pain for 24 hours and no one even brings me an aspirin. I'm not a drug addict."

...making Killen the first 80 year old racist who's evaded paying for his crimes for 40 years who is also a giant freaking infant. "I still don't understand how I could lie in severe pain for 24 hours and no one even brings me an aspirin"? Are you serious? I think it might have something to do with the whole "organizing the taking of three innocent lives" thing you did a while back. You know. Those kids that have been dead for 40 years. You don't have enough pillows? Poor you. James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner no longer exist.

Disclaimer: Before I get notes otherwise (provided I get comments on this blog ever again), I'm well aware that he didn't actually kill them per se, in that he wasn't the one to pull the trigger, but rather planned the murder and arranged for the disposal of the bodies, which is why he was convicted of manslaughter as opposed to murder. Regardless, he's a terrorist and killer and deserves to be imprisoned.

Um. Wow. That post was rather serious.

Meh.