In reading the news this week I was struck by two seemingly unrelated stories. One, about a court settlement for a cat killed in Seattle, WA, and the other, a verdict in a DWI manslaughter case in San Antonio, TX.
A quick summary on the cat story:
In Seattle a dog kept escaping from it's yard. Eventually it broke into a neightbors yard and killed a cat. The woman sued and won $45,000.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050510/od_nm/cat_dc
In San Antonio, drunk driving is practically a sport. I've barely lived here 3 years, but I've lost track of how many people have been killed by drunks. I've also lost track of how many people have been killed by a (most likely drunk) hit-and-run driver, and then their family member ran to help them and was him/herself killed by a SECOND (most likely drunk) hit-and-run driver. Yes, you read that right. I hope you are appalled by the tragedy in that. Texans apparently aren't, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
One might think some Texas justice would be in order. Well, another thing that's getting hard to count is how many times juries find these killers guilty but give them no punishment, even if they are repear offenders. Since I have lived here it had happened at least 3 times, and twice the people killed were cops.
Well, it happened again. A man chose to drink, chose to get drunk, chose to drive even though he knew he could kill someone, basically chose to play russian-roulette with someone else's life, and he killed someone. A jury found him guilty, and gave him no fine and no time in jail. But this time a judge put his foot down and placed a value on human life...
$15,028.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibsys/20050510/lo_ksat/2710898
I have lived in several North East states, and I am appalled by what passes for normal in Texas. I have been grasping with what could possibly make an entire city or state or region have such little value and regard for human life, especially since most people here consider themselves pro-life. Is it that seeing so many people put to death by their state has made them not value life anymore? Is it just that people are raised differently in Texas? Are they just used to their being no justice in Texas, so another injustice is just another day? For the love of God, someone please explain this to me.