05-30-2003, 01:42 PM
Hi,
Mr. Lucas had been convicted on a domestic violence charge the year before, and a court had entered a protective order for Ms. Lucas's safety.
It is not clear to me if the protective order was at the request of Ms. Lucas or if the court acted on its own authority. In either case, "the Licking County Municipal Court, in Newark, Ohio, ruled that the protective order had been violated â by Betty Lucas." is a valid and true statement from the facts given. If the protective order had not been requested by Ms. Lucas, then there would be some small justification since the court would be interfering in the freedom of these two people.
However, I do not know if a protective order can be entered without the request of the person being protected. So, I would suspect that the order had been requested by Ms. Lucas. In which case, I have to agree with both the decision and the relative severity of the punishment. The police, the court system, the social workers can *help* in a situation like this, but they cannot do it for us. The ultimate responsibility for a first line of defense is ourselves.
Yes, spousal abuse is a severe problem. However, it is usually a problem *shared* between the two people except in extreme cases where the abused is being physically held captive (in which case I believe that an additional crime, or more, is being committed). If the person being abused does nothing to avoid the abuser, indeed actively seeks the company of the abuser, there is nothing that can be done to prevent the abuse, just to punish it. Being granted a protective order is not a license for foolish behavior, is not an abrogation of personal responsibilities. Indeed, it *increases* those responsibilities, since, having asked society to aid with a problem, in honesty and fairness one should do whatever one can to make society's burden as light as possible.
Of course, "They started drinking" strongly influenced my attitude. I'm sure that they were serving cocktails at their child's birthday party. Right. When in the company of a violent person who has attacked you in the past, is most intelligent thing to do to share some booze with him? IMHO, they should add a year in jail for stupidity. Unfortunately, they still haven't made that a crime.
"God helps those who help themselves". Why should society do more?
--Pete
Mr. Lucas had been convicted on a domestic violence charge the year before, and a court had entered a protective order for Ms. Lucas's safety.
It is not clear to me if the protective order was at the request of Ms. Lucas or if the court acted on its own authority. In either case, "the Licking County Municipal Court, in Newark, Ohio, ruled that the protective order had been violated â by Betty Lucas." is a valid and true statement from the facts given. If the protective order had not been requested by Ms. Lucas, then there would be some small justification since the court would be interfering in the freedom of these two people.
However, I do not know if a protective order can be entered without the request of the person being protected. So, I would suspect that the order had been requested by Ms. Lucas. In which case, I have to agree with both the decision and the relative severity of the punishment. The police, the court system, the social workers can *help* in a situation like this, but they cannot do it for us. The ultimate responsibility for a first line of defense is ourselves.
Yes, spousal abuse is a severe problem. However, it is usually a problem *shared* between the two people except in extreme cases where the abused is being physically held captive (in which case I believe that an additional crime, or more, is being committed). If the person being abused does nothing to avoid the abuser, indeed actively seeks the company of the abuser, there is nothing that can be done to prevent the abuse, just to punish it. Being granted a protective order is not a license for foolish behavior, is not an abrogation of personal responsibilities. Indeed, it *increases* those responsibilities, since, having asked society to aid with a problem, in honesty and fairness one should do whatever one can to make society's burden as light as possible.
Of course, "They started drinking" strongly influenced my attitude. I'm sure that they were serving cocktails at their child's birthday party. Right. When in the company of a violent person who has attacked you in the past, is most intelligent thing to do to share some booze with him? IMHO, they should add a year in jail for stupidity. Unfortunately, they still haven't made that a crime.
"God helps those who help themselves". Why should society do more?
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?