---- —
Does a Leopard really change his spots? We ask this in connection with a front page story in Friday’s Herald concerning the release of a convicted murderer from prison.
Shawn Jarrett, 49, was released from prison after 30 years behind bars for strangling his neighbor. Jarrett admitted he did not know why he killed 64-year-old Mary Sposito in her Farrell home.
But in announcing Jarrett’s release, Mercer County District Attorney Robert Kochems took the opportunity to remind all of us that “extremely dangerous people” walk the streets.
Actually, we are reminded of that all too often. The slaying of 20 children and 6 adults at a Connecticut elementary school drove that home pretty well.
Yes, dangerous people walk the streets locally as well. And part of the problem is the justice system which allows it.
Jarrett was only a teenager when he committed the senseless murder. But is there any indication that he really has been rehabilitated and no longer a threat to society?
Kochems seems not to think so. But when criminals serve out their sentences, they are freed. And there are a lot of others who have been released from prison who will someday be headed back to jail. It’s the nature of the beast, so to speak.
The record of rehabilitating criminals is not a good one. Just as the record of rehabilitating drug addicts is a huge failure. Still, as a society we must try.
Violence has become more prevalent in Mercer County in recent years. Just this past week we saw a headline story on the killing of a French Creek Township man, David Dignall, who was shot and his body burned. What precipitated that still remains a mystery.
Family and friends are still saddened by the senseless shooting death of well-liked Farrell businessman Bill Basilone, who was assassinated in a brutal manner outside his popular restaurant last year. The suspects in that case are still awaiting trial, but how long will they get in prison if they are convicted? And what happens if they ever return to the streets?
One of the major concerns involves the drug trade that has moved into the Shenango Valley, especially the Detroit connection. Far too many people are carrying guns and at times have they shown their willingness to use them. Especially on each other. But of course, even when large crowds witness violence, nobody saw what happened. Until that culture changes, things won’t improve.
In informing the public to be aware of dangerous people, Kochems made the following recommendations:
ä Lock doors and windows.
ä Don’t admit strangers to your home or give rides to strangers.
ä Report any suspicious activity to police.
We echo the sentiments expressed by the district attorney. And we express hope that everyone has a happy, healthy and most of all — safe — New Year in 2013.
Opinion
Local news, recent and past, conveys somber message
- Opinion
-
-
Knees shaking, I almost never left the parking lot
Throughout the country, many students will be completing internships this summer in their chosen fields of study.
-
Pondering 2 important things: voting and ‘mums’
HERE ARE some thoughts from a guy who wonders how many people will take advantage of their privilege to vote on Tuesday.
-
While cuts are rampant, education system suffers
As concerns rise across the nation for the many sub-par high school graduates we are producing, we continue to see federal and state funding cut for education.
-
Killer robot report plants seed of our eventual doom
It’s not every day, or ever, that killer robots make international news. One reason is that, as far as we can tell, they don’t exist. Yet.
-
Early-morning fishing trips were a hook for life
Columnists are a different breed of cat. One never knows when the Muse will move them to write about the darndest and at times oddest of things. That happens to me frequently, when out of the blue, a seed is planted in the creative part of my brain and develops into a personal piece of writing. It's like a thunderbolt from nowhere.
Seinfeld-like moments. -
Marks grocery a pioneer for ethnic specialty shops
On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, I strolled through the Strip District, of course. In addition to giving a regular donation at the Rivers Casino, walking the strip is one of my favorite Pittsburgh pastimes.
-
City becoming large maze of traffic signals
One thing the city of Hermitage doesn’t need is another traffic light. But this week, that’s what Hermitage commissioners agreed to install on Route 18 at LindenPointe.
-
It’s tough when people kill only for sake of killing
The United States of America is truly the land of opportunity. Immigrants came here and founded this country and built it into the great land it is today.
-
'Gunsmoke' revisited: Festus, Chester, Dillon
CALL IT SOME BAD luck, but on the nicest two days of the spring last Monday and Tuesday, I was at home nursing a head and chest cold that had been keeping my sleep to an hour or two a night. It seems as though four out of five people one knows have had this viral illness this year, and from talking to many of them, quick cures are out of the question.
-
OUR VIEW: ‘Distracted’ rep missed a chance to advance policy
We don't often dip our editorial oars into the factually challenged cesspool of the blogosphere, but a couple of recent online posts caught our attention because they concerned Mercer County Congressman Mike Kelly.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
