OUR TURN: SHOULD REPEAT CHILD SEX OFFENDERS FACE DEATH PENALTY?

DEATH PENALTY APPROPRIATE UNDER STRICT GUIDELINES
FROM: THE GREENVILLE (SC) NEWS [LINK]
PUBLISHED FRIDAY, March 31, 2006

There aren’t a lot of things I take seriously, but I can’t make light of this.

On the one hand, people will say that unspeakable torture faced by pedophiles among their fellow inmates is a fate worse than death. After all, daily assaults by the worst of South Carolina’s inmate population would make convicted molesters want to die. Even murderers see child molestation as that criminal line not to be crossed.

On the other hand, we have no qualms about putting murderers to death, and if you think about it, child molestation is similar to murder.

A child is precious and innocent – only beginning the process of forming what his or her adult life will bring. In an instant, a sexual predator with fantasies unfathomable by society’s majority can take away that innocence and effectively assassinate a childhood.

These perverted individuals kill a child’s trust in adults who are their supposed protectors and slay the ability for them to grow up and have healthy relationships. Pedophiles are emotional murderers.

I have no problems with adding repeat pedophilia to our list of capitol crimes but also understand that guidelines need to be strictly established to prevent the punishment’s use from becoming too broad.

In the end, I know that if someone took my son’s innocence, I would do all in my power to make sure that person paid for the crime, and I commend Attorney General McMaster and the state Senate for their commitment to our children’s protection.

Taft Matney, 33, lives in Greenville and is the president of a local public relations and governmental affairs firm. He can be reached by e-mail at taft@taftmatney.com or by phone at (864) 505-8866.

NEW FIRE STATION OPENS TO ADDRESS GARLINGTON ROAD CLOSING

BOILING SPRINGS FIRE DISTRICT ADDS FACILITY TO ELIMINATE SERVICE DISRUPTION

(March 16, 2006 / Greenville, SC) To prepare for Monday's Garlington Road closing at Rocky Creek Bridge, Boiling Springs Fire District officials dedicated a temporary station at a 10:00 a.m. news conference and ribbon cutting ceremony this morning.

The additional facility, to serve areas affected by the road closure that will last a forecasted eight to twelve months, is the result of more than a year of planning and discussions with the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Knowing that bridge repairs would temporarily sever a crucial infrastructure artery between Boiling Springs fire personnel and the residential and commercial interests they protect, Boiling Springs commissioners created a taskforce led by Chief Gerald Luker to address the issue and formulate a solution to a problem that would have increased emergency response times to nearly double-digit minutes.

That solution is the district’s Station 4 located at 1102 Garlington Road near the entrance of Hartness International.

“The area’s repairs will be welcome changes for our engineers and response personnel forced to maneuver equipment along that treacherous stretch of narrow road, substandard bridge, and dangerous curve,” said Boiling Springs’ new chairman Rick Williams of the road that has been the site of several fatal and near fatal accidents.

Chief Luker said that while the road with its 25 mile per hour speed limit must be redesigned and repaired, the district was not willing to sacrifice safety during the year-long construction process.

“Our current response time from our Pelham Road station and headquarters is currently two to three minutes. We were not about to let response times more than double and place people and property in harm’s way. Station 4 allows us to continue providing the county’s most highly rated fire protection,” Luker said.

Williams agreed. “Our personnel worked hard for several years to achieve the ISO Class 1 rating we maintain. We want everyone in the district to see that we remain committed to their safety and hope that this measure demonstrates a renewal of that commitment.”

High resolution still photos of the news conference and Mr. Williams’ remarks are available by request. Call Taft Matney at 864/505-8866.

About the Boiling Springs Fire District

Established in 1968 and located on Greenville County’s Eastside, the Boiling Springs Fire District covers 15 square miles and serves over 26,000 residents. Governed by five commissioners recommended by county council and appointed by the governor, the Boiling Springs Fire District is a special purpose district responsible for addressing specific concerns and local issues among commercial and residential interests through 40 paid personnel and 20 volunteers operating out of 4 fire stations. The district’s equipment battery includes 8 fire engines, 2 aerial ladder trucks, and a rescue vehicle. The Boiling Springs Fire District is South Carolina’s only ISO Class 1 fire department with a combination of paid and volunteer fire fighters.

To make inquiries regarding this release, please contact Taft Matney by phone (864/505-8866), by fax (864/297-3871), or by e-mail (taft@taftmatney.com).

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OUR TURN: SHOULD WE ALLOW WIRETAPPING WITHOUT COURT APPROVAL?

BUSH GOES TOO FAR IN SPYING ON AMERICANS
FROM: THE GREENVILLE (SC) NEWS [LINK]
PUBLISHED FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2006

I don't know why we're surprised this is happening. As far back as their 1981 position paper, policy experts Hall and Oates warned us, "Private Eyes. They're watching you. They see your every move."

What else needs to be said?

I supported President Bush and many initiatives even when they were unpopular, but I can't play ball on this one. The implications are too broad.

Wiretapping is no longer limited to monitoring Barney Fife's phone conversations when he asks Sarah the operator to connect him to Thelma Lou. Now we're constantly connected by cell phones, desktop computers, notebook computers, palmtop computers and messenger pigeons to convey information from point A to point B.

Thanks to technological advancements, we created a world that lets the government, pedophiles and Amway salesmen into our homes without so much as a peck on the cheek. I don't know about you, but I don't want the FBI logging on my computer and publicly exposing the Barry Manilow collection in my iTunes catalog.

We opened the door, and the NSA, RIAA and WWE all came strolling through. President Bush is wrong to abuse his ability to spy on American citizens within our country's borders, but we are equally at fault for not speaking up until now.

As Benjamin Franklin once told a group of shareholders at a Krispy Kreme convention, "Ich bin ein Berliner." Roughly translated, that means, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

Taft Matney, 33, lives in Greenville and is the president of a local public relations and governmental affairs firm. He can be reached by e-mail at taft@taftmatney.com or by phone at (864) 505-8866.