Tax Dollars at Work

Column for week of May 11, 2015

     The headline was an eye catcher -- "Ohio killer caught
after more than 50 years on the run."  Just seeing the headline
will likely make some people feel safer.  What is more
dangerous and threatening than a killer on the loose?

     Headlines are written to attract attention to the articles,
not to accurately describe them.  This headline was up to its
job.  On the other hand, the article was worth reading.  The
real message of the story wasn't that anyone was safer because
a killer had been removed from circulation.

     The killer was convicted of manslaughter for running
into and killing a pedestrian in 1957.  His sentence was one to
20 years in prison.  This sentence was suspended by the judge
who placed the killer on probation.  Apparently even then the
judge didn't believe the defendant was public enemy number
one.

     The defendant was eventually sent to prison for
violating probation by getting a drivers license.  "Man
apprehended for getting a drivers license 56 years ago" might
not be an exciting headline.  It would be far more accurate
though.  The man escaped from a prison camp in 1959.

     The killer was caught once before in West Virginia in
1975.  The governor of West Virginia refused to grant
extradition to Ohio.  After that the man was released and
moved on.  Apparently he still hadn't been promoted to public
enemy number one.

     Even based on what we have seen so far, Why was
Ohio spending time and tax dollars to find this man who was
now almost 80 years old?  Ohio must be a really safe place if
it faces no greater threats to public safety.

     Law enforcement and imprisonment should be about
making the world a safer place, not about some detective
scoring a headline grabbing catch.  How much better off is
anyone in Ohio for having the privilege of paying to catch and
imprison this 79 years old convicted of manslaughter?  Of
course, the Ohio taxpayers might get a break.  Perhaps the
governor of Florida will follow the example set by the
governor of West Virginia and refuse to grant extradition.

     This is a reoccurring story.  Individuals who have
escaped the grip of government get caught after decades of
living a clean life.  What are the benefits of spending a small
fortune to then send them to prison?

     Such imprisonments are merely blind allegiance to
arbitrary rules.  Anytime people blindly enforce rules without
any understanding of, or regard for, the purpose of the rule,
foolishness happens.  Such foolishness is merely an example of
zero tolerance run amok.

     Rules serve one legitimate purpose.  That is to be
guides to harmonious, peaceful living.  Any rule enforced
without regard for its purpose is a trap waiting to spring on
someone.  Rules that become ends in themselves are disasters
waiting to happen.

     Bureaucrats usually lose sight of the purpose for the
rules.  Even if they recognize the purpose of the rule, they are
commonly discouraged from considering the purpose when
enforcing the rule.  This is one of the big reasons why
government is so ham handed and counter productive.

     There is an interesting sidelight to the story of the day. 
The killer was convicted for being a bad and dangerous driver. 
For years after that the man worked as a truck driver.  During
this time apparently he never did anything worthy of legal
attention.

     Perhaps some still believe the man has not been
adequately punished for getting a drivers license in the 1950s. 
Might having to live on the run for 56 years be almost enough
punishment?

     These "justice delayed" stories sometimes end with a
different twist.  I recently read of a man who turned himself in
after years on the run.  It wasn't a matter of conscience of
tiring of life on the run.  It was his way of seeking medical
treatment he couldn't afford.

aldmccallum@gmail.com
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Copyright 2015
Albert D. McCallum