| Editorial Dec. 29 Editorial Jan. 3, 1999 Update from the Washoe County Sheriff Jan. 6, 1999 |
Horse
Review Editorial "It
Ain't Necessarily So"
The saga of the killing of thirty-four horses in Reno is still being lived out. There are three suspected "bad guys" in custody but, being the American way and all, don’t uncoil that rope until the gavel falls. It distresses me to see speculation, assumption, and misinformation circulated as the one thing that they are not…fact. As expressed by the song in Porgy and Bess , "It ain’t necessarily so." When a tragedy occurs that reaches out to threaten our personal feeling of safety, whether it is a case of abduction or murder, everyone sleeps better when it is announced by authorities, "We have someone in custody." The question that should concern the public is, "Is it the right someone?" In the case of the thirty-four horses, that remains to be seen. It would be easy to believe that the "bad guys" are guilty and that the crime of slaughter of thirty-four horses has been solved. Our comfortable ducks would be sitting in a row and we could go on about our business. Sometimes, no matter how badly we want something to be true, it just is not. As difficult as it is to wait patiently, that is what we must do. We must wait to hear the testimonies of the accused and evaluate the evidence for ourselves. It would be a bit of fantasy to believe that justice will be served even if there is a mountain of evidence that serves as proof. Yet, we must also recognize that sometimes people "get off" on technicalities. Sometimes plea bargaining appears to water down my vision of justice. That has never seemed fair either. It reminds me of the bumper sticker I put on my van when I went through my divorce, "My attorney can beat your attorney." Sometimes, regardless of fair, regardless of guilt or innocence, legal technicalities and manipulation are exactly what it boils down to. Right now only the three men charged with the killings of the thirty-four estray horses know whether they did or did not commit the crime. It is that simple. If they did, they are guilty. If they did not, they are innocent but will be scarred for life. If they are innocent and did not commit this crime, someone else is still at large and needs to be found. If they are guilty they deserve the maximum legal sentence. From my personal viewpoint, based on my love for horses, they have also earned "extra credit" and merit additional penalties. You will not see that happen as the purpose of our judicial system is to keep proceedings and penalties within the letter of the law. Regardless of the outcome, tie your ropes back on your saddles. Lynching is a thing of
Nevada’s past along with thirty-four of it’s estray horses. |