The Wolves Amongst Us

Bad people doing bad things

I hope I never have to read about what a "tough life" Danny Abegg lived.

About how he’d made some "bad" decisions that led to his current circumstances.

About how he’s really a "good guy" going through some hard times.

Because, if I ever do, I won’t give a damn.

Danny Abegg, you see, is the individual who allegedly starved four-year-old Shayne Abegg. Not only was Shayne severely underweight when found, he also couldn’t hold himself upright, didn’t have enough body mass to retain heat, had infected sores on his body, and his bones could be seen through his skin.

Danny Abegg may, in fact, be a male of the species, but that’s only because his genetic makeup includes the "Y" chromosome. He’ll never be a man, though, because he doesn’t possesses the attributes required to claim that title. Most especially, he’s missing the "protects the innocent entrusted to his care" piece of the puzzle necessary to be called a man.

Jesus wept.

Starving a kid.

I really don’t have the words for this guy.

But he adds to an already uncomfortable feeling I have that the "wolves" amongst us seem to be getting both more numerous and much bolder.

"Evil thug pummels senior in Queens robbery" read a recent headline describing the mugging of a 101-year-old woman as she walked out of her New York City apartment.

"Couey held girl alive for three days" led into the story about how John Couey - a previously convicted sex offender - kidnapped, raped, and murdered 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Citrus County, Florida. Then, he buried her alive.

Locally, we had "Kitsap Navy base chief arrested in child-sex sting."

I could continue, but you get the drift.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some elderly tourists who’d encountered a group of muggers on a beach. In the course of that encounter, one of the seniors put one of the muggers down for all eternity.

In describing my reaction to that story, I wrote that I’d laughed out loud. I noted that the laugh was, basically, from the relief I felt at not having to read yet another story with a sorry ending for the innocent.

Still, a number of readers wrote to tell me that I was, at best, an uncaring fool.

Good people, I’d wager. Kind and thoughtful. The kind of people you’d want as friends or neighbors. And, in a world where the likes of those mentioned above weren’t as common as they are, I’d likely agree with them.

Unfortunately, in the world we do have, we all too often find ourselves wondering just what outrage will be sprung on us next.

Parents starving kids. Parents killing kids. Gangs everywhere. Criminals released due to "overcrowding." Sex offenders set free to, yet again, harm the innocent. Repeat felons going through the legal system like it was a revolving door.

Minor aside: My nephew’s wife was murdered more than three years ago. The alleged killer was captured several days later. He has yet to come to come to trial.

So here’s a bit of a confession.

More recently, I read a local story about a young man whose car had been set on fire by an alleged arsonist. Instead of taking the safer course of calling the police that most of us would have chosen, the young man chased and caught up with the alleged arsonist - who was reportedly trying to set another fire - and hit him with a baseball bat. He then held him until police arrived.

I smiled when I read that one because I’m simply tired of what we have to put up with these days.

I smiled because, whenever I hear about the goons getting their comeuppance at the hands of those they figured for sheep, it makes my day.

And as regards Danny Abegg: If, one morning, I were to read that he’d been handed a stiff (trust me, it won’t be stiff enough) sentence for starving Shayne Abegg, I’d smile and think "Good."

If I further read that, in addition to jail time, the judge also sentenced him to bread and water for several weeks to teach him what hunger felt like, that smile would very likely get a whole lot wider.

In fact, you’d be safe betting the ranch on it.

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