Judge upholds death sentence in van Dam killing

CNN ^ | 1/1/03 | CNN

[ChemistCat]

What is the point of sentencing someone to death if they never get around to executing???? Justice is NOT being served. I don't think Westerfield's sentence is going to be an effective deterrant. This man-demon is using up our children's oxygen, and it's time that was stopped!!!!!

Do an Ebay search on the word "Japanese" and add either "video" or "DVD," and you'll quickly uncover kiddy-porn being sold that claims not to be kiddy-porn, but you can look at the auctions and see no other purpose but to arouse pedophiliac appetites. (There isn't a single educational video about Japan or its language, by the way!) I'm sure there's more of that on there that can be found with other search terms. Westerfield will never walk free again, but there are ten thousand apprentices studying up to do what he did, and the hooks are out there, even on well-regulated Ebay, to get them started. (I did write to Ebay yesterday about these auctions. I apologize if my letter has already prompted the removal of the offending auctions and my point here is undermined, but I only apologize to FReepers, not to the venders and would-be buyers of that obscene material.)

We all know that if someone is looking at "fifteen year old" Japanese "schoolgirls" in those kinds of videos, they aren't studying choreography. They're whetting an appetite for sex with children whose sexual organs may not be sufficiently developed for consensual, pleasurable sex--they are, in short, growing criminal desires to cause physical and mental damage to children for their own pleasure. So what if it's actually legal to sell this stuff? Intelligent people can see what's going on.

Why have we given our streets to the criminals? Why are we afraid to let our kids play outside, and why do we cower in our homes at night? Why is it dangerous for a woman to be in a parking lot alone? How have security cameras increased our security? Not at all.

I hate to say this as I know it is going to cause some upset, but the real reason we live in a state of seige is that most of our men are afraid to be men and to protect our families; our government even takes the right to use lethal force away from mothers who need to protect their kids. (What is more natural than being prepared to defend one's offspring?! Or the offspring of others in your society? From something that is so obviously a threat?)

Too much of that role has been delegated to government, which is obviously incapable of doing the job. You know a bunch of armed fathers from that neighborhood could take care of Westerfield at no further expense to taxpayers.

Why have we let our government take that right away from fathers and mothers? If I had a neighbor whom I knew was looking at kiddy porn, I wouldn't want him watched. I'd want him dead. This panther parent just isn't prepared to take a chance with the most precious thing in the world.

(The liberal cry "it's for the children" sure seems to be absent when criminals are involved. I think "it's for the poor misunderstood noncomformist" always trumps "it's for the children.")

Maybe your state doesn't have a sex offender registry online. Mine does, and it's improved substantially since the last time I checked it. It finally posts some photographs, though not many, and addresses and descriptions. It's shocking how many people have raped children within the last three years and are OUT FREE! Registered, but free! I have four in my immediate area, and those are just the ones they know about.

[concerned about politics]

She said she layed awake in bed all last night. I wonder where she found the guy laying next to her this time.
This whole think s sickening. A little girl is dead, we have a pedophile killer who may be saved by Califorinia PC, and the swinging parents have become "the victims."
Only in PC America.

[Freedom2specul8]

Where did you get your information? She was drunk and flirting with strangers in the bar..but it was never proved or admitted to that they ever brought strangers home. They said they had 2 extra-marital one night consensual affairs with long time friends. (the open marriage kind) We have heard that statement a lot, but it was never proven or admitted to.BTW, I'm NOT saying that it is okay to have any kind of extra marital affair..

[ChemistCat]

I'm sorry for the length, but this is something that really affects me. A baby girl was raped and murdered near where I lived when we were stationed in Germany, and my firstborn was the same age she was. Elora McKemy's death changed my point of view in many ways. These demons are taking out too much of our future.

[concerned about politics]

Do an Ebay search on the word "Japanese" and add either "video" or "DVD," and you'll quickly uncover kiddy-porn being sold that claims not to be kiddy-porn,

O'Rielly , on his show last night, was talking about how the ACLU is defending NAMBLA. They have instructions on their site how to molest a young boy, and how to defend yourself if you're caught.The ACLU refers to this as "freedom of expression."

[ChemistCat]

Ebay's policy basically says that if it's not nudity it's not pornography. I disagree. A very pornographic image can contain only full-dressed people. I'm sure that a video intended to be sexually stimulating can be made with fully dressed subjects, too. "We know it when we see it," even if the ACLU can argue otherwise.

[Amore]

"Don't see a backlog like that in Florida . . . .!"

I wish you were right, but you're unfortunately quite wrong about Florida. Executions are basically at a snail's pace. Not like California, but I know for instance of one murderer, Tommy Zeigler, still sitting on Florida's death row and his 4 murders were committed in the 70's. And he's not unique.

Thank God that Jeb has appointed two conservatives to the Florida Supreme Court! Add Charlie Wells, and all we need is one more justice to have a conservative 4-3 majority.

[Johnny Gage]

I'm reposting my comments from the other thread here too, to add more "things to ponder"

My comments stem from the article posted in the other thread, article info is in "italics"

What troubles me is some of the statements made by his "friends"

John Neal
Despite the enormous amount of physical evidence, despite the holes in Westerfield's alibi, despite the documented falsehoods in the stories he told to police and despite the collection of child porn, Neal said he's inclined to believe his former brother-in-law.

Dave Laspisa
As for Laspisa, who has been outspoken in his support of Westerfield, he allows himself to say this much: "I do believe the real story has not been told."

Carmen Genovese
Two days before Christmas, Genovese visited Westerfield in jail and they spoke for more than an hour, during which Genovese peppered his friend with question after question about the evidence.

They support him and deny his involvement, despite the overwhelming evidence.
I wonder what these folks have to hide?
Were they involved with DW and child porn?
Were they're involved with the crime in any way?
Do they know something the Police don't?

Just some things to think about.

[Amore]

"barring a dramatic turnaround, this sentence is meaningless"

True, but I'm hopeful that this case and its massive publicity will at least turn things around somewhat. Undoubtedly not as much as it should, but I bet that at least Danielle's death will make some difference.

Also, California has had in the works even prior to her death some efforts to fix the assinine Calif. death penalty process.

[ChemistCat]

As for Laspisa, who has been outspoken in his support of Westerfield, he allows himself to say this much: "I do believe the real story has not been told." The time to have told it was during the trial. They had their chance.

[cyncooper]

This woman spent her time in bars bringing home complete strangers for group sex.

Not true.

Can we finally leave the smearing the parents aside and discuss the murderer of Danielle?

[ChemistCat]

Some people would rather blame the parents than the bad guy. If anybody thinks that this event didn't change the Van Damm's casual attitudes towards life, they haven't seen what having a child murdered does to a family. Everything is changed.

Their child wasn't murdered by anyone the parents brought into their home.

[merry10]

Thank you Kim4VRTWC!

[Libertina]

Thanks for the reply Dimensio. It makes sense...and not. :)

[TheBattman]

600 in line? What's the hold up? Oh yeah--- a state filled to overflowing with liberals tend to be slow to progress.

Sounds like California needs to take some lessons from Texas and Arkansas - Yeah, maybe they have a backlog, but nowhere near as long as California's.....

Anyone here have more data on California's death penalty and when the last execution was?

[Psalm 73]

"...you're unfortunately quite wrong about Florida. Executions are basically at a snail's pace."

Thanks, I guess I'm living in the past, I left Florida 22 years ago - it was a different place.
I probably should have said Alabama, where I know (at least up to a couple of years' ago) they have a sensible execution record.

[Freedom2specul8]

You're welcome..

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

The ACLU upholds the rights of some individuals and groups in this society while squashing the rights of the rest of us. It is extremely troubling that increasingly, rights of the weirdest fringes, eg, pornographers and child molestors, outweigh those of us who wish to live untainted by the the garbage they are so freely allowed to spew from every orifice of the media.

[ppaul]

The residents of California ought to be outraged by this. And until they are the system won't change.

It's too late for outrage.
They've allowed their state to be taken over and run by a bunch of psychopathic perverts - and now even when decent people get out and vote, nothing changes because the perverts outnumber them. The entire California state bureaucracy is staffed with perverts. Even if a decent person happens to get elected by chance, the bureaucracy remains the enclave of deviants, and it continues to get worse.

[Doc Savage]

Of course you are condoning the "swinging" and extra-marital affairs of the Demon and Busty Brenda. You do it everytime you attempt to obfuscate and deny that their lifestyle may have played a role in the death of her daughter.

You are so haughty Kimchee! "Of course I'm NOT condoning..."

Nice try. By the way, cat-got-your-tongue on the Peterson case or can't you bring yourself to ever criticize a husband's behaviour?