There are two strict regulations that exist in the judicial system to protect the innocent. First, people are innocent until proven guilty. Second, prosecutors are not allowed to withhold evidence that would acquit the accused.
Unfortunately, the former seems to not apply to the public opinion. When a person is charged with a crime, people sit on their couches and blindly agree. The public perceives the evidence present to be enough to convict.
Such injustices have been amplified by the conclusion of the Duke lacrosse team rape controversy. With two students dismissed from the school pending a verdict, and with one graduate struggling to find a job, society passed a guilty verdict before it was legally determined.
Don't judge the book by its cover. By watching Court TV or CNN, a person cannot possibly gain the knowledge to accurately make a verdict. Unless they are in the courtroom, people can't fully understand the circumstances.
Why then do institutions punish people for crimes of which they have not been convicted?
If you were charged with a crime, would UB leave you to a similar fate as these young men? And would the community of Amherst treat you with the same disdain as the community of Durham, NC did the Duke lacrosse team?
Just think, if the DNA evidence had not been withheld by a politically driven district attorney, all this could have been avoided. If the DA had abided by the strict bar code, the situation would have been relieved months ago. And the lives of three young men would not be in shambles.
How long is too long?
"Effective immediately, active Army units now in the Central Command area of responsibility and those headed there will deploy for not more than 15 months," said Robert Gates, the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Squabbling aside, there is a majority opinion that supports our boys abroad. So when Gates announced that their tours of duty would be extended, there was a rightful tumult from both sides of the aisle.
Nobody wants our troops to be in danger for longer than they have to, and the troops don't want to be in danger either. Regrettably, the soldiers have no choice but to stay.
Longer periods of time in such a horrid environment will certainly have long term psychological effects. Being subjected to such violence on a daily basis may well lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, among other ailments.
The letdown for the troops must be immense. These are people with families at home, and goals to achieve outside of their patriotic duty; some are students who will now have to further postpone their educations. Undoubtedly, they were looking forward to coming home, and then they were told they had to stay.
And it could happen again. The extension of tours from 12 to 15 months suggests that the armed forces may be spread too thin. If enlistment doesn't increase with the relatively recent "Army Strong" ad campaign, tours will continue to be extended for future generations.
Whether or not the wars are righteous and valid is not the issue at hand. Instead, the federal government should take better care of the soldiers being deprived of their families, goals, and homes for three extra months.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
