When killers walk free...

    Thanksgiving weekend: Lakewood, Washington. Four officers were gunned down in a coffee shop for no other reason than they were law enforcement. All veterans of the force, all had families, and all had vowed to protect their community from the same type of person who took their lives that morning.The one man responsible for the killer being allowed to walk the streets in Washington has not taken any responsibility for his actions. That man is Mike Huckabee, former presidential candidate and senator of Arkansas. What I want to know is why this man is not being held accountable? His statement on his website stated that if Clemmons was found guilty that it "will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington state." Who is the one who commuted Maurice Clemmons' sentence all those years ago? While Clemmons should never have been allowed to post bail after his crimes in Washington, he would never have been able to commit those crimes if Mike Huckabee hadn't commuted a 108 year sentence. Instead, four officers are dead and a community lay paralyzed and terrified in the wake. Luckily he was found before he could cause further harm.. While I personally find it a shame that he was killed, and I will discuss those feelings in a later blog, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that this man was no longer a danger to the public. I can't say why these murders hit me so hard, these things happen every day. But the truth I suppose is that they all affect me. Two assassinations on law enforcement officers in less than a month seems unreal. Add this to all of the other homicides... I am so baffled. It pains me to know that such evil exists in the world. I do not understand how anyone could kill even a kitten, let alone a human being. What gets me worse is the flaws in our judicial system. Every day innocent people go to jail while bad people walk free, people like Maurice Clemmons. And when errors or made, those responsible are so quick to spread the blame to others. Huckabee makes the argument that Clemmons was only 16 and that there is no way that he could have known Clemmons would go on to murder. He also tried to make the argument that Clemmons never used a gun in any of his early offenses. All of these things are a lie. Clemmons was 17, not that it makes a huge difference, but the point is that how can someone commute a sentence without truly knowing about the convict he is setting free? Early crimes can also be indicators of future tenancies, these kids need guidance and rehabilitation. Not to be set free onto the streets in hopes they will utilize their second chance. It is also a fallacy to say that none of Maurice Clemmons' prior convictions involved firearms. The point is that he should have never been granted his freedom. Because of that an entire community, an entire state is grieving. The man responsible deflects saying that it is "disgusting" that people are criticizing him when they should be focusing on the families of the slain officers. The truth is that those of us speaking out against Huckabee are a voice for those families, expressing our sympathy and anger that their loved ones were taken from them in such a cold, calculated manner. I know that if I were in their situation I would want the person responsible to be held accountable. I pray for the families of those officers and the people who's lives they touched. I also pray for humanity... 

Introductions

I feel it is only proper to introduce myself. I've been meaning to start up a blog for some time now but time has been a scarce and precious commodity. I'm a college student at Oregon State University in my 5th year. However, Washington is my home state and where the majority of my family resides. I wont pretend to be anything or anyone I'm not. All I can ever be is me; no more, no less. I love life and the adventure it presents. I want to explore it in every facet possible. I would love to travel more, finish school, find true love, and all those other things we're supposed to do in life. My purpose for this blog is to have a place where I can pour out pure raw emotions, discuss issues I find important, and express myself. I want to document life the way I see it and maybe even impact the way others see it. I really can only describe myself as the "girl next door" type. I'm not a super model, I dont have a ton of money, I don't really have a specific category. I'm just me. I'm the jock, the nerd, the artist, the musician, the intellect, the dumb blonde at times(despite being brunette), the spontaneous one, the planner... I'm not too different from anyone else but just like everyone else I want to make my mark in life.

My only disclaimer is that I have no disclaimers. I tend to speak my mind and I acknowledge that not everyone is going to agree with things I might say. But I'm not here to make everyone happy, that is a simply unrealistic goal. I encourage comments on any and all of my posts with the only request being that if you chose to make an argument or statement that it be an educated one. I do my best to do the same. I crave knowledge, and I think it's important to know what is going on in the world around me. It is my steadfast belief that everyone is not entitled to their own opinion but their own educated opinion.

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt"
- Mark Twain

I am happy to answer questions and even better yet I am always willing and would LOVE to get suggestions on topics to write about :)