One Sided Conversation

By Linda Nidiffer

All writers in Op Ed are here to inform and acknowledge issues of importance to our communities, however these writings represent the views and opinions of the authors and not necessarily of The Advertiser.

Have you spoken with your mother recently? I am sure many of you spoke to your moms at Thanksgiving and maybe some of you are lucky enough to speak to them every day on the phone.  I haven’t spoken to my mom in nearly 40 years. Doesn’t that sound harsh?  She died nearly 40 years ago of cancer so talking to her in a meaningful way is pretty hard to do, but oddly enough she still speaks to me from time to time.

This past week she has been pretty active in my head and I can clearly hear her saying, “Right is right. Wrong is wrong and two wrongs don’t make a right!”  That was a Jeanette mantra. I guess she was stirred up about the Rittenhouse and Arbery trials and the Waukesha carnage.  

Maybe mom got to sit in on both trials and listen to the facts of both cases. I didn’t; did you?  We must depend on the people who were charged with the responsibility of listening and actually attending (not just showing up but paying attention) to the factual presentation of both sides of the case to render a judgement.  This rendering a judgement of one’s peers is a basic concept of our republic.  If they think they got a raw deal, they can appeal.  Rittenhouse acted in self-defense that is what the jury decided. I respect that jury’s decision.  The three men who killed Ahmaud decided he didn’t belong in that neighborhood and they killed him. (First wrong) The first prosecutor decided not to file charges against those innocent white boys. (Second wrong) Well, guess what? That prosecutor is now facing a few charges of his own and a “special” prosecutor brought that trial home.  Mom always said two wrongs don’t make a right.  Those three men should learn about racism up close and personal in prison for the rest of their lives.  Does Georgia electrocute or lethally inject prisoners?  There is a time and a place for everything. 

For our consideration we have a bonus round of jurisprudence: the carnage of Waukesha,Wisconsin. What are the rights and wrongs of this unholy mess?  I don’t see very many rights happening driving a speeding vehicle in a zigzag pattern through a holiday parade.  He came up behind them and the parade participants never saw him coming. He drove through that parade for maximum damage. (The first wrong move) He tried to hide from the police (the second wrong move) two wrongs don’t make a right. He was out on a very low bail after having run over his ex. (another first wrong move by the judicial system.)  He was fleeing a warrant for his arrest in Nevada for domestic battery. Why, Why,

Was he not extradited back to Nevada in the first place? Send him to either state that has the most draconian laws in the land.Personally, I am not feeling the love towards this guy, but then again I don’t know the facts of the case.  However, if I were queen for the day, he would not be polluting our air for much longer.  Right is right and wrong is wrong; skin color has nothing to do with evil.