Disrespecting Jessica

**Piggybank Cop** · 02-23-07, 09:41 AM

By Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com
Thursday, Feb 22, 2007

The national media won't tell you, but in Miami right now, a man named John Couey is on trial for brutally killing a 9-year-old girl named Jessica Lunsford. Couey, a convicted sex offender, kidnapped Jessica out of her modest Florida home, brought her to a trailer, sexually abused her, and then buried her alive. When authorities found her body, she was clutching a stuffed dolphin.

Because of that heinous act, the state of Florida passed "Jessica's Law," which mandates that a first-time conviction for felony sexual battery on a child will result in a 25 years-to-life prison sentence. No plea bargain, no parole, no nutty judge dispensing light punishment. You do it once—you're gone.

In the past three years, 41 out of 50 states have passed a version of Jessica's Law, but there is still powerful opposition to it. Many trial lawyers object because they want the ability to plea bargain. Some judges dissent because their egos are bruised. They are taken out of the equation after a child predator is convicted. And many in the left-wing media object to Jessica's Law on the grounds that it is cruel and unusual punishment; these people want rehabilitation for violent sexual offenders who brutalize children.

Let's deal with the rehab situation first. In our system of justice, the punishment must fit the crime. If you rape or sexually brutalize a child, that child will never fully recover. For the rest of that person's life, the crime will be played out in a variety of ways. Thus, the punishment must be the forfeiture of freedom for much of the abuser's life. That's punishment fitting the crime.

The defense lawyers simply should be ashamed. Crimes against children are the worst crimes. There's no way lawyers should be bartering the suffering of kids. Again, society has no obligation to rehab or to be lenient with sexual predators, especially when they brutalize children.

In the case of Jessica Lunsford, John Couey told police he did it. He wrote me a letter stating that he had help in brutalizing the child. Yet his three "roommates" were never charged by a cowardly district attorney named Brad King. And a judge threw out Couey's confession because of a Miranda violation.

I have no doubt the despicable Couey will be convicted in the Miami courtroom. But you won't hear much about it from the New York Times or the Washington Post or the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That's because these papers continue to look away from the horror of child sexual abuse. It doesn't fit into their "restorative justice" philosophy, where the criminal as well as the victim must be "healed."

Finally, cowardly politicians in states like Vermont, Massachusetts, and Colorado, among others, have succeeded in blocking Jessica's Law. In the Colorado legislature, all six Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee voted against allowing Jessica's Law to come to the floor for a full vote. The same six Democrats voted against forcing sexual offenders to register online so that people would know who is addressing them on the Internet. The names of the Democrats in Colorado who voted against protecting children are Terrance Carroll, Mike Cerbo, Andy Kerr, Rosemary Marshall, Claire Levy, and Morgan Carroll. These individuals are misguided and their actions will lead to more children being brutalized.

Americans of all political persuasions must rise up and demand that their representatives protect the children. No plea bargaining on this one. You vote against Jessica's Law, you're hurting the kids.

**lewisipso** · 02-23-07, 11:07 AM

Amen Brother!

**Rhino** · 02-24-07, 08:50 AM

Personally I'm against Jessica's Law. I think we should replace it with Rhino's Law:

Because 25-to-Life is too good for pieces of shit like John Couey. Better yet, I say we let Bubba rape him and then bury him alive.

**Trojan 42** · 02-24-07, 08:59 AM

Rhino gets my vote!

**Twan007** · 02-24-07, 09:02 AM

Rhino, I agree 100%

there's nothing that can be done that would ever make that child (who hopefully would see adulthood) be able to put that behind them

*edited because of my stupidity =/

**JLK** · 02-24-07, 03:31 PM

this individuals can not be rehabilited. pain and suffering are the just awards for these type individuals. i wonder if they are users/abusers of any illegal substance.

**Retmilleo909** · 02-24-07, 09:58 PM

Reserved for scum like John Couey, these methods.

**Just KC** · 02-24-07, 10:15 PM

O'Reilly was on Oprah the other day discussing this. They had a gentleman on that who, at age 13, was kidnapped and held hostage for 18 months. This happened in 1974, and he is still very much affected by what happened to him. They discussed the recent boys that were found together and why people have no right to ask "why didnt they try to get away". It was a pretty moving show and O'Reilly made a statement about how all fathers need to look their kids in the eye and let them know that THEY are their hero and no matter what, you fight and scream to get away, never give up, and that dad WILL find you. It was a good show.

Did you all see on news today about that 13yr old that escaped from his abductor? He was taken at school bus stop Friday morning, with a group of kids standing there. Guy just put gun in face and told him to get into truck. He was bound and taken to the woods. Left there for awhile and 13yr old boy wiggled free and walked to a nearby farm and called his mom. Just amazing...

**Willowdared** · 02-25-07, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by Just KC

O'Reilly was on Oprah the other day discussing this. They had a gentleman on that who, at age 13, was kidnapped and held hostage for 18 months. This happened in 1974, and he is still very much affected by what happened to him. They discussed the recent boys that were found together and why people have no right to ask "why didnt they try to get away". It was a pretty moving show and O'Reilly made a statement about how all fathers need to look their kids in the eye and let them know that THEY are their hero and no matter what, you fight and scream to get away, never give up, and that dad WILL find you. It was a good show.

Did you all see on news today about that 13yr old that escaped from his abductor? He was taken at school bus stop Friday morning, with a group of kids standing there. Guy just put gun in face and told him to get into truck. He was bound and taken to the woods. Left there for awhile and 13yr old boy wiggled free and walked to a nearby farm and called his mom. Just amazing...

I hate to sound cynical, but O'Reilly is trying to cover his ass, after suggesting that Shawn Hornbeck was happy with the set-up because he didn't have to go to school. He only changed his tune after he got reemed by his viewers for making those statements on his show.

**BEB** · 02-25-07, 04:24 AM

I'm sad to see this discussion being carried out through pundits.

Human debris? Yeah. What we do with such garbage isn't up to Bill O'Reilly or Oprah. Not until either runs for office, gets elected, introduces legislation, and then gets it passed.

You may like O`Reilly's solution in this case. I may too. That just makes him some guy we agree with - don't let some guy have power because he has a microphone.

**countybear** · 02-25-07, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by BugEyedBeast

I'm sad to see this discussion being carried out through pundits.

Human debris? Yeah. What we do with such garbage isn't up to Bill O'Reilly or Oprah. Not until either runs for office, gets elected, introduces legislation, and then gets it passed.

You may like O`Reilly's solution in this case. I may too. That just makes him some guy we agree with - don't let some guy have power because he has a microphone.

This is PROFOUND! Well said, BEB!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to BugEyedBeast again.