Wednesday, June 24, 2015

"KEEP YOUR CAR DOORS LOCKED!" repeats (me!) ~writeousmom

I asked my daughter.. I'm like, -haven't I told you this too many times already..  ?   and she said no.. So:

here we go again. Very important! Follow along.

what I'm about to address is the ongoing controversy over whether how a female dresses and behaves factors in if she becomes a rape victim.

K.

now.. let me start by repeating that there is NO circumstance whatsoever; NONE.. zero anything that justifies or excuses rape. It is one of humanities most hideous crimes and it should be treated accordingly by our laws.

now... that said..  and hopefully understood.. pay close attention to the following.  It is a true story that took place in my life, in my early 20's and in which I learned a valuable lesson I will never forget and am compelled to pass on.   The short version:

A thief broke into my car and was caught in the act.

the policeman asked me whether my car was locked or not.

I told him I didnt remember whether I locked it or not.

he gestured me to the side of the room where he could whisper

He said, "if the car was locked, this is a felony. If the car was unlocked.. just a misdemeanor."

and then he gestured me back to the room where we were prior and posed the question again..

"So..  was your car locked? Or unlocked when the thief broke in..?"

***

my initial reaction to all of this was.. WTF!  no one should be allowed to steal things from your car even if you left the windows down and car doors wide open!  stealing is stealing! 

and quite frankly I still think that way.. I think if you steal from a car the penalty should be the same whether the car was locked, or unlocked. stealing is stealing.

but that IS NOT how our laws work.  The ways our laws are currently written.. if you steal a stereo, or laptop, or whatever, from an unlocked car.. the penalty is less than if you steal it from a car that was locked; and had to be broken into...

I will not admit how long I spent in contemplation over this knowledge once I learned it..

but I will tell you, that where I landed is that..  the ways the laws are written..  WE ARE EXPECTED to take some PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for protecting ourselves and our property.

what the law says is..  'Don't make it easy..'

so, 

when I say,  "KEEP YOUR CAR DOORS LOCKED"

-you know what I mean..   -write.

In Jesus Name,  amen.

1 Comments:

At 9:29 AM, Blogger SHE said...

..and so, let's say you are a homeowner, leaving on vacation..

do you not lock every window and door, and make sure someone picks up your mail and newspapers?

or do you leave the windows and doors wide open? let the newspapers stack up so it is obvious no one is home..

either way.. no one has the write to steal from your home.. true.

but.. when the police come..

"I don't understand officer.. I mean the windows were open.. the door unlocked.. yes, there were three newspapers in the driveway..

but how did this happen? I don't understand?"


so, where I land, is that we need to acknowledge the risk..

and we need to take some measures to protect ourselves..

In Jesus Name, -amen.

 

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