Crime Is Down? Is That Good News?

It is good news that the crime rate is down from 1973 and has been steadily falling for the last 20 years. But, there is no reason to open the champagne bottles yet! Criminologists want to celebrate this milestone as a victory and use the information to attack the government policy on the so called "tough-on-crime" agenda. In these 2010 crime stats is contained an alarming number, there were over 437,000 violent incidents reported and you can be assured that this figure would double if other violent crimes were reported. It has been determined that only one-third of crime is actually reported to police. Please do not suggest that we as a society have succeeded in conquering the crime rate and all is well.

I was very discouraged last year at a "Restorative Justice" Conference where a well known criminologist spoke about his answer to crime. He suggested if we adapted his model for crime prevention that we would all be singing around the camp fire, "Kumbaya." What was really revealed and delivered in his message was arrogance and accusotory political activism by the left wing of the political realm. He was blatantly rude and obnoxious towards our Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice. He was in fact a, "bully!" Too bad because a book he published has some valuable facts and recommendations, but he lost his creditability during his speech. Many clapped, I didn't!

I don't contend that locking up everyone is the answer, but please speak to the next victim of a violent crime and get their analysis. There is only one key answer to crime and it is not found in human wisdom. Read the book of Matthew in the Holy Bible and learn what Jesus has to say about Crime Prevention. Social science findings can be a valuable tool in our fight of crime, but the deep rooted problem lies in the human heart. Jesus is in the business of changing hearts.

Bodybuilding Champion Couple Killed Assistant

When Craig Titus and wife Kelly Ryan were identified as murder suspects by the Las Vegas Police Department on December 21st, 2005, a shock wave spread throughout the bodybuilding community. Titus and Ryan were the most famous bodybuilding and fitness couple and their success blinded them to reality. Their ingestion of enhancing and illegal drugs over many years altered their true self-identity. They absorbed their popular status and lived in a glaze of deception to the real world around them.

Craig invited another beautiful female bodybuilder to live with them named, Melissa James, who had fallen on some difficult times. It is believed that the two shared more than a home and drugs and were having an affair, with wife Kelly living in the same home. Melissa and Kelly became arch enemies and Craig in his hazed manipulated behavior was trapped in his own manufactured deceit.

The court heard how one night Melissa was beaten, drugged, stunned with a taser, injected with morphine and strangled before she was burned beyond recognition in the trunk of Ryan's Jaguar. Melissa's head was encased in duct tape with a death mask appearance, but it is unknown if she was still alive when the car was set on fire in the desert.

Kelly Ryan the repeat fitness champion was sentenced to 6 to 26 years and divorced Craig. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 21 to 51 years on May 30th, 2008 to avoid the death penalty.

With many other sports favorites and steroids users like Roger Clements, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, who are the true heroes for people to emulate, respect and aspire to excellence? Is society "phony" to celebrate stars that have cheated to gain their notoriety.

Who are your heroes? Two of mine are: Billy Graham and Pope John Paul

March 7th, 2010 - B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan says 51 year old Parker Matthias may not have intended to cause his mother's death when he doused her with gasoline and held a lighter close to her.

Did I read that right? Good grief! No wonder the public has lost faith in our courts with statements and findings of this ridiculous nature. What is he thinking about? What other conclusion could a "reasonable" person determine? The accused was just playing with fire for fun?

The accused then says, "I never thought a fire would start. The vapours must have caught, and my mother and her dog were almost instantly engulfed in flames." Do you think?

This case is so insulting to the general public and how the justice could entertain other assumptions shows how much the court can be disconnected from the reality and the citizens it should serve.

I sometimes worry about some of my own conclusions in my Crime Newsletter and Genesis Reports, (http://www.gerryleet.com/) I don't think I will worry anymore with these types of rulings and comments.

Human Deviance and Crime Connected to Evil?

After extensive research, study and introspection I have found that human deviance and criminal acts have the same origin. They are found in the human heart and we will never understand human behavior without recognizing that evil resides in each of us. Billy Graham once stated that we are all capable of committing terrible deeds.

Recently, a engineer with no previous criminal history dressed as Santa and shot and burned nine people in his extended family. He was going through a divorce but everyone indicated that they noted nothing unusual from him and he acted quite normal up to the time he savagely and murderously attacked other family and friends. This type of behavior is not unique, as we read almost everyday that someone has committed some type of grave social or violent act.

I recall Andy Rooney from CBS "60 Minutes" say, "if we want a better America, we need better Americans." The only way to obtain better people in this world is to recognize and accept that there is evil that preys on this world. I know in my own negative actions that perhaps I was not evil but my actions were a form of evil. I have discovered that my protection from the evil or bad that lives in me is by a daily relationship with the teachings of Jesus Christ and God's Holy Spirit. We may still fail at times but we will have a better chance of living a life free of bad choices and regrettable mistakes.

Life Is Not Fair But God Is?

I was under the teaching and understanding that a life of faith will protect us from the schemes of satan and the curse of the earth found in Genesis 3:17. However, most of us have suffered various things in life and I read in Revelation 22:3 that the curse will not be removed onto the New Jerusalem. That makes much more sense and helps me to understand life on earth in this physical flesh and the devils power and plan. It is a huge mystery and God does bless and protect us but there is a general curse on all of humankind and no one escapes that truth. Our only hope is found in Jesus Christ and that is also difficult but in the end, He conquers and overcomes the curse. What do you think?