JUSTICE SYSTEM ASKEW?

I used to be amazed when I would read of the several gun-related
crimes, shootings and murders that occur in this city on a weekly
basis. But now I just turn the page. I am no longer repulsed by the
fact that one cannot even go into a drive-through business such as a
pharmacy without the risk of having a gun put to your head. I used to
laugh when the sheriff would round up senior citizens for playing
penny slots. I used to chuckle at the police for arresting the
business leaders and city developers who volunteered to work on
festivals celebrating the city. Several were arrested for serving
beer to underage undercover police informants. I shook my head when
many of these business people were put in jail overnight mixed with
the general prison population of gang members, drug addicts, robbers
and murderers. I no longer even give these events a second look.

Recently, there was a restaurant owner in Tampa who was prosecuted
for running down an armed robber. In that case the robber had an
extensive felony record but was on the street. In the case of the
armed robbery in the Walgreens drive-through, a suspect arrested was
already a convicted felon at the age of 20. Why was a felon in
possession of firearms, three of which are assault weapons, with 250
grams of cocaine, back on the street (at 28 grams to the ounce one
can see it's well over half a pound)?

The justice system (if you can call it that) seems to release violent
drug-using felons to the streets, and prosecutes taxpayers when they
fight back. There is something wrong here. We prosecute businesses
with penny slots, business leaders who volunteered to work for the
city, but we let gun-toting thugs out and about. I don't know of a
solution - does anybody?

Kevin Fitzgerald

Holmes Beach