Dog, the Bounty Hunter
Okay, so now is my turn to jump on the soapbox about something that I find to be just plain WRONG.
Dog, the bounty hunting star of his reality tv show, is getting a raw deal from our own government, not to mention Mexico. In case you haven't heard the scoop on what's going on, let me fill ya in. About three years ago Duane 'Dog' Chapman, along with his grown son, Leland, and brother, Tim (also bounty hunters), tracked one of America's Most Wanted down in Mexico and took him into custody. This criminal was Andrew Lester, heir to the Max Factor fortune and convicted American serial rapist of many, many women; I believe he was convicted on over 80 counts of rape.
So what's the deal then? Dog should be a national hero, right? Well, he and his posse were arrested by Mexican officials in Mexico while Luster was still in their custody because bounty hunting is illegal there. So they got out on bond and came home while Luster was sent directly to jail in the good ole USA, where he will hopefully stay and rot out the rest of his worthless life. Dog and crew never went back below the border (Who the hell can blame them. We're talking about Mexican Prison here!! Hello!)
Fast forward three years to the middle of September 2006. These three American heros, keeping our country safe by operating a family bounty hunting/bond business from Hawaii, were roused out of bed by having guns pointed at them as they were handcuffed in front of their family......by AMERICAN OFFICIALS. Yes folks, it looks like our very own government could so very easily step in and dismiss any possiblity of extradition; the government should be greatful to these men for doing something they could NOT do, which was bring the sick perverted Luster back to jail to serve his sentence.
I can't recall how long Dog, Leland, and Tim Chapman were in our American penal system before getting released - with ankle monitors shackled to their legs - but in this blogger's opinion, even one minute was far too long. They have to stand trial to see if they are going to be sold down the river to Mexico, where they could face between six months and four years in those ungodly concentration camps they call prison. Some way for good ole Uncle Sam to treat these heros, huh?!
So what does that have to do with me and why am I telling everyone in cyberland about it? Because it is just wrong. Because I'm very proud of the country in which I live, but I'm very ashamed of the workings of our government. Because I tell my kids that when you feel strongly about something, you should do something about it. I'm only one small little mad redhead, but if nothing else, I can voice my opinion of the situation. The last time I checked the bill of rights, free speech was still legal here. . . but I ask you, how long can we count on that or anything else when our government has become so corrupt as to sell out one of its very own heros?
posted by Tina in Wonderland @ 5:16 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Hi Tina!
Just wanted to let you know that Kimberly over at Woven 'n Spun is doing up a prize a month for the mitten KAL. She is making scissor fob's (I'm sure she can send you a pic of what it looks like), and I have just done a draw for the first one. You are the winner! Congrats! You'll have to contact her with your address so she can get it sent out to you.
Dear Tina,
I have just read your comment on Duane Chapman and while I do agree that he and his family are serving their country with the job they do and should be commended for it, and while I agree that this could have been handled more diplomatically by the American Authorities, you are basically advocating that it is ok to be in another country and disregard the laws there.
Considering the business the Chapman's are in, i.e. catching lawbreakers, the fact that they now have to answer for breaking it in another country is only just.
If someone broke the law in the United States, however well intentioned the reason for it, and then left the country, would you then be happy if they were not apprehended in their own country so that charges could be dealt with?
The only way countries and people can live peacefully together is if we do allow the justice systems to work, however flawed and inefficient we sometimes deem them to be.
Sorry, I do understand your point of view, but I doubt you would want the shoe to be on the other foot.
Even though we have vastly differing opions on this issue, I do thank you for posting; that is what freedom of speech is all about.
The Mexican government gladly handed Luster over to American authorities, which was great on their part. My stance on this does remain the same, though I would say that it is unfortunate that Dog and company didn't research the laws across the border. They took the chance to catch the 'bad guy', one that was on the America's Most Wanted list, and ran with it, and I don't blame them.
This was a very minor misdemeanor in Mexico. Had Dog killed, raped, or robbed someone in that or any other country, then I would say he should be held accountable for that. That is not the case here, where he took a serial rapist - one who had already been sentenced to serve time in the US, no question of Luster's guilt about it - off the street where cannot maim, torture, rape, or hurt anyone else.
I don't believe in blindly following anything just because it is tagged as a law( Look at past American laws that took all the Cherokee land away from the rightful owners EVEN after they won their case in the supreme court, or the one where men used to be able to beat their wife or kids as long as his chosen instrument was thinner than his thumb. Yep, I would have ignored those laws, too.) This is more a problem with red tape the Mexican government is trying to use to prove some sort of point. Dog and his posse are heros and did the right thing in my book. HE did the job that should have been taken care of by our government agents and Dog Chapman should not be hung on the cross to suffer for it.
Duane, Leland and Tim Chapman should not be extradited to Mexico for the act of taking a serial rapist off of their streets, who never should have been there to begin with.
The real criminal subject in this case, pervert rapist and necrophiliac Andrew Luster, is currently serving a 124 year sentence for his atrocities. Thanks to the Chapman’s, he is where he can never drug and rape another innocent victim. A post arrest search of his Mexico hotel room found a video camera, rape kit and quantities of GHB.
Maybe he just went to Mexico to work on his tan?
Now, for those who like to harp about Dog breaking "Mexican laws" (which, considering it's the most corrupt place on earth, is really hilarious!) Dog was in constant communication with US and Mexican authorites, and even had a paid Mexican cop with him when he nabbed Luster. But the cop booked it as soon as the tacos hit the fan. How typical!
Mexico won’t extradite rapists, drug lords and cop killers to the US, so I don’t see why they deserve special treatment for a petty misdemeanor such as “Deprivation of Liberty.”
If Mexico wishes to have their tourist trade boycotted by going after American heroes, that’s fine for them then. But America has always stood for truth and justice, and must continue to do so. Abandoning these men to be extradited to what is surely their untimely, horrific deaths in a foreign prison is not in the interests of either of those things, neither is violating their constitutional rights!
If this is permitted to happen, ANY of us could be next!
FREE THE DOG!!
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