[Vision2020] mad as hell . . . .

[Saundra Lund]

Hi Ellen & Visionaires:

Ellen, I see from your subsequent post that you got the
facts-as-currently-reported straightened out.  To me, it seems like the more
we learn about Jason Hamilton, the more it seems there's plenty of reason to
be sad & mad as hell about this tragedy.  It is still very early in the
information process, but already many important questions have arisen.
While we may never know exactly what precipitated Hamilton's lethal
explosion Saturday night, there are still questions that *can* be answered
-- that *must* be answered.

How is it that a man with quite a history of violent behavior -- and a
history of irresponsible behavior with guns here -- was given a concealed
weapons permit?

Of course, I'm also flabbergasted that a man with such a violent history
towards women and animals -- classic red flags -- going back at least 15
years is able to get a federal permit to possess automatic weapons as has
been reported.  I'm less optimistic that we can fix that broken system, but
in a small community like this, I'm optimistic we can find the flaws that
allowed a dangerous Hamilton a concealed weapons permit.

How does a man with such an extensive violent history get unsupervised
probation here two different times for separate offenses (one using a gun &
the using violence against a woman)?  Clearly, Hamilton was a man who had
earned -- through his own actions -- much closer scrutiny that the courts
gave him.

Why wasn't Hamilton questioned about the September 2005 choking incident
until nearly two months after the crime?  It will be very difficult, it
seems to me, to convince other victims to speak up unless we address that
glaring lapse.

And, why was his 2/5/2005 attack on another woman not even filed until
almost a *year* later?  Had LCSO known about that violent attack on yet
another woman, one would hope there would have been a greater sense of
urgency to question Hamilton about the attempted strangulation.

For those who aren't already aware, Latah County has made quite a bit of
information about some of Jason Hamilton's encounters with local law
enforcement available via the County Web site:
http://www.latah.id.us/index.htm

Kudos to the district court clerk staff for being able to make the time
amidst their grief and being inundated by the press to get the stuff scanned
and up!

One final point I want to make:  Jason Hamilton alone is responsible for the
horror he visited upon our community.  From what I've read, I think the
issue is less one of mental illness than of having a dangerous sociopath in
our midst.  Regardless of the final analysis, if there are things that this
senseless tragedy has shown us we can do better, I hope we make learn the
lesson.



Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
- Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006 through life plus
70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****


-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Ellen Roskovich
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:16 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com; carolwstrobel at hotmail.com
Subject: [Vision2020] mad as hell . . . .

The horrible shock of what happened the other night hasn't had a chance to
wear off and now I find myself dealing with yet another emotion. . . I'm mad
as hell.
 
While awaiting trial on attempted murder, he was arrested for injury to
another woman?  And they still went ahead with a plea bargain on the first
charge and dropped the second? 
 
Why?  Shouldn't we all be asking, WHY?
 
Why was he allowed to plead guilty, under oath, in a court of law, to a
fairy tale that was fabricated for him by suits behind a desk?
 
He was a walking timebomb that was set loose on a community. . . and he went
off.
 
Ellen A. Roskovich 

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