Another One Bites The Dust ... (Or Nature takes Its Course)
By Tim Rollins (08/25/03)
"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." - (Matthew 18:6 - King James Version)
When I attended college my first year and change, I was at Utah State University in Logan. A number of my friends were at Brigham Young University in Provo 125 miles away, and the hot song at the time was Queen's hit "Another One Bites The Dust." At BYU, the song celebrated another person getting married and became associated with many a wedding - so much so, that the song was #1 at BYU for get this … two years.
Fast forward to the present in another application of those words, and in what can only be considered a delight to many tired of sex scandals in the Catholic Church in America, the news broke Saturday that ex-priest John Geoghan, 68 (right), bit the dust when he was strangled to death at the state prison in Shirley, Massachusetts. To say I was disappointed or that I even mourn the loss of this man from Planet Earth would be a lie, and a big one at that. The fact of the matter is I'm thrilled that Massachusetts taxpayers will no longer be feeding and clothing this scum for the remainder of his sentence and that he will not have the chance to one day walk out of prison. It doesn't matter how old he would have been; the fact is he was a chicken hawk - he molested young boys, and if the useless and gutless former Archbishop of Boston Bernard Cardinal Law actively sought his defrocking and removal from the ministry, then this guy had to be seriously screwed up!
The extra upside of all this is that the man accused and expected to be charged with this action - notice I did not call this a crime as I view it as a public service more than anything else, is none other than Joseph L. Druce, 37, a fellow inmate who had been incarcerated there since 1989 at age 23, when he had been sentenced there for life following convictions for murder, armed robbery and other counts - not to mention extracurricular activities he pulled off in 2001 with white powder and claiming it was contaminated with anthrax. Druce and Geoghan in the same prison - a match made in hell. Clearly these two were meant to cross one another's paths, even if only for a moment.
Accused of destroying the childhood of more than 130 people, Geoghan was an animal of the lowest order - lower than the bottom of the ocean, for he was a pedophile, and that is the lowest animal of all. Though in protective custody for his own safety, he was occasionally in contact with other inmates and that allowed for a stage to be set up for nature to take its course.
Do not get me wrong; I am not one ordinarily who advocates vigilantism. However, when it comes to pedophilia, it is my firm and unequivocal belief that such is an incurable disease and that one so afflicted must be put down in the same manner as a rabid dog. Pedophiles must be killed by legal means, i.e., execution as stipulated in judicial court orders with expedited appeals processes available so as not to cause undue anguish upon victims and/or their families. Such anguish would violate the 'cruel and unusual punishment provisions of the Eighth Amendment that I believe applies to not only suspects but to victims as well, defense lawyer assertions notwithstanding.
Have any of you ever had to deal with a victim of sexual abuse? Have any of you seen the shattered look of devastation on their faces? Ever watch how they are unable to form meaningful or lasting relationships with quality people who truly have their best interests at heart? For some - in fact, most of them, the scars last a lifetime, and it is for this reason that these molesters and destroyers must be hunted down and obliterated from off the face of the earth at all costs. They must be found and brought to trial in open court, identified unless the victim was a family member, convicted and upon completion through a court of capital appeals promptly executed in a manner as provided by law.
Maybe then these animals will see we're serious about protecting out children and that we'll do whatever it takes in a manner that the law allows for to ensure their safety. As stated in this column five years ago and worth stating again, "Our children are our future. We owe it to protect those who can least protect themselves."
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