When I was a child one thing that you did not want to do was cross paths onto the wrong side of the understood rules set down by my father. If you did, there would be no second chance and the conviction would not be before a jury of my peers. The best I could do was to hope for a quick execution. Often the smell of my mothers freshly made oatmeal cookies were too tempting to resist the challenge or the thrill just to see if I could cross the line to the wrong side of that law.
In the last 24 hours it seems that some of our government officials have lost their minds! The resent outbreak of Georgia government employees stealing, a home invasion and then the molesting of a child makes you wonder what moral standard some subscribe to. I can not for the life of me understand why those who are well paid, vacation time, great benefits that are second to none and retirement options would step outside of the law and violate the very ones they have sworn to protect. (Really when it comes down to it, I have not heard of one death of a government official working themselves to death.)
It is not just on one branch of our government. In Forsyth County, an officer charged with financial identity fraud. Jackson County, a firefighter charged with home invasion. Sworn to protect and defend in Newnan, a police officer charged with child molestation. Maybe that officer had not listened well when another official, Dr. Austin, was sentenced for commiting a crime, drug abuse. Each of these individuals should have the book thrown at them with maximum penalties. On top of that for the officer that violated the child, it should be life without parole. Because before he received his badge, he would have had to take the "Oath of Honor". That oath follows;
On my honor,
I will never betray my badge,
my integrity, my character,
or the public trust.
I will always have
the courage to hold myself
and others accountable for our actions.
I will always uphold the constitution
my community and the agency I serve.
Maybe if they are given severe penalties and pay restitution for the offence, then they could be used as a training example to those that would follow in their steps. But for those who were the victims of these crimes, the trust that once was given freely, will never be the same.
