Interesting…

A headline on KOMO News reads Prolific burglar nabs 10 years in prison: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Prolific-burglar-nabs-10-years-in-prison-167390475.html.

Here’s the article:

SEATTLE — A man responsible for a string of burglaries across North Seattle and a robber in the University District was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday.

Maxfield Dare, 18, had pleaded guilty to several charges, including burglary, car theft, assault, and selling stolen property.

“Punishment or rehabilitation have no meaning for him,” victim Richard Fuhr said in court. “Nothing. It’s way too late for that.”

Dare burglarized homes late at night while residents were sleeping and would steal cash, electronics, ATM and credit cards, and sometimes victim’s cars.

The standard sentencing range was 5-7 years, but prosecutors asked for an exceptional sentence of 11 years.  Dare had also amassed 15 convictions as a juvenile offender.

Okay, let’s note some key points here. Dare is 18. Note that he is referred to as an adult, not a victim of his past, not a scared little boy who draws pictures in his prison cell. Prosecutors asked for an exceptional sentence. He has a history of criminal offenses as both a juvenile and an adult. One of his victims pointed out that he could be set in his ways and hardened enough that his character won’t change.

Where’s the fan club? How about the teens and twenty-somethings pointing out how cool his name is given his crime spree (Max Dare)? Where is the outcry over his dysfunctional family, upbringing, or conditions that might have contributed to his delinquency? How about the throngs of people crying out how he “never really hurt someone” and the assumption that he’s young enough to be rehabilitated in prison?

Clearly this guy hasn’t garnered the same fan base as Colton Harris Moore, whose case is curiously similar. Evidently his PR team, if any, isn’t as successful. So far I haven’t heard of misguided young girls wanting to bear his children, movie moguls wanting to cash in on his story, or widespread outrage over an exceptional sentence of 10 years. Where are the t-shirts? The total disregard for the victims he terrorized? The admiration for any alleged genius for getting away with the antisocial behavior so long?

I remember someone saying that if Harris Moore had committed his crime spree closer to Seattle, it wouldn’t have been tolerated nearly as much. This is because some people don’t understand what it means to be a crime victim or have any meaningful empathy for crime victims until they become one or it hits close to home. When it’s not in your backyard, it’s easy to lionize it, glamorize it, and not realize the true cost to your fellow human beings.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if some sarcastic person started making t-shirts or began drumming up funding for a film in response to viewpoints like mine. The Puget Sound Anarchists are already lamenting the loss of Dare’s “income” on their site. But I would challenge anyone to explain– logically, not by calling me a hater because you disagree, swearing, or emotionally freaking out– how Colton Harris Moore is any less dangerous or deserving of a long sentence than this guy.

Given his fire starting, gun shooting, laser pointing, propane tank explosion attempting, plane thieving ways, I’d argue that he’s even more of a hazard than Maxfield Dare. Even if you don’t see it that way and will say this isn’t apples to apples, there is no rational reason to let either criminal remain in mainstream society given their patterns of behavior.

That’s not hate. That’s truth. And the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did an excellent job in temporarily removing this threat from the streets.

*************************************************************************************

Justice is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together.  -Daniel Webster

*************************************************************************************

©2012 H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninja.wordpress.com.