[Vision2020] WTF?

[Garrett Clevenger]

Wayne writes:

"What this decision says is that in slightly modified form the unwritten law (It's OK to kill your spouse's lover) is in full operation in Latah County."

It was not a spouse's lover who was killed in this case.  It wasn't even the lover's spouse who was killed.

The guy killed found out his friend of many years had sex with someone Tyler was not in a committed relationship with at the time.  It was not Tyler's spouse.  

Tyler and the woman have a kid together, and had an off and on again relationship, but they were not a couple.  Tyler had chosen to not be with the woman, leaving child care mostly to her, over a several year period.  Obviously he would be jealous of the affair, but he overreacted and set up the circustance under which he was gunned down.  

He was not an innocent victim who happened to be in the line of fire of a deranged lunatic.

Strangely, Tyler aparently had a dream before he was killed that James killed him.  Obviously there was animosity between these to old friends.

Tyler went to James' house to confront him, leaving the impression he expected to die.  He threatened James's family.  He had attacked James in the past.

The drama Tyler instilled played out.  It seems fate worked in a mysterious way.


Don writes:
"Apparently though, 5-15yrs. somehow translates to 5mo. Great message for the next generation of lawmakers and the rational/logical thinking young adults running around screwing eachother."


It seems to me that it would send the message that risky behaviour can lead to death.  That threatening another person, even a old friend, can lead to tragic consequences.  I suppose one could infer that if you are that old friend who feels threatened then you can kill the threatener and get off.  Perhaps it's just an extension of self-defense.

I doubt this case is a blip in what's out there corrupting our kids, in any case.

The saddest thing for me is that Tyler's daughter will never know her father, but one day she'll deserve to know what happened to her dad.  What's that going to do to her?

The criminal justice system is underfunded and over stretched.  There are only so many prison beds.  I can understand why those intimate with the system are looking for ways to keep people out.  They found someone in this case.  Perhaps they would think differently if they had unlimited resources.


g writes:

"Clearly cold blooded killer, asshole, and once and future menace to society would be a much more accurate description."


I doubt what James did was out of cold-bloodedness.  Describing him as being cruel in his actions disregards the circumstances around what happened, and waters down true cold-blooded behavior.

Lots of people are assholes.  Maybe James is, too.

Future menace to society?  If that's g's prophesy, one might also say that throwing James in prison would make him crueler and more of a potential menace, while ripping apart another family.  Why should two kids be out a dad?

Who's to say that James didn't save an innocent life by killing someone wigged out?  Who's to say Tyler wouldn't have killed someone driving in his deranged state, or hurt someone else in frustration?  Worse things have happened in Moscow.

I didn't know Tyler well.  I can't say what he was thinking.  I'm shocked by all this.  It is hard to believe that someone I almost married became the center of all this.

I've thought about how if I ended up marrying her, Tyler would still be alive.

But I can't change the past, predict what might have happened, or tell you how someone will turn out in the future.  If someone has that crystal ball, please show me sometime.  

I feel pretty detached from all this as I was far removed from the circumstances, but I have a vested interest in getting my perspective out there, for what it's worth.

Thanks.

Garrett Clevenger
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