Your Editor Says…
Larry Kaercher
Originally printed in Forest Park Review July 15, 1970, page 3
Sooner or later the general public must stop altering their ways of living to fit the criminal elements influence.
Many of us will not take our children to fine museums for fear of what might happen, nor will we take public transportation to go shopping downtown. We read much too much about vicious gangs running amuck. Rape, robbery assault and murder seem to await us at every corner. There are some who refuse to leave their homes at night certainly not on foot. Even in our town, Police calls for help have increased to a much greater percentage over the same period last year.
Today we are purchasing extra locks for our doors, the buying of watch dogs to protect your home is a big thing now, and policemen are serving extra duty at schools and stores. What we are doing I parallel to the little boy who would walk six blocks out of his way home from school to avoid the class bully. This is what is known as a “Preventative Measure”. The extra locks, buying a dog, and staying home.
What we need in this country today are not the “preventative measures” but swift and certain justice to the perpetrators of the law. We must nail up the legal loopholes they utilize to slide in and out of jail. It’s adamant that our local judicial procedures fill the time gap between arrests and convictions. We, the people are sick and tired of reading and hearing about crimes being committed by the alleged criminal that is “out on bail”.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back to the old days when the doors of your house were rarely locked, dogs were brought home only as pets for the children and a “Preventative Measure” was spoon full of castor oil at the beginning of spring!
