The events of the past few weeks have really left me shaking my head. While I still was able to enjoy the Winter Olympics, the political overtones and the disgrace of the Russian figure skater who was allowed to compete, despite testing positive for a banned substance a couple of months earlier, definitely put a damper on the festivities for me — even though it didn’t keep me from watching many hours of the Beijing Games.
But, speaking of Russia, the situation in the Ukraine is just horrifying and definitely has me fearful for the world my young grandchildren will inherit. As of the date of this editorial, the undeclared war in Ukraine appeared to not be going as planned for Russia and its President Vladimir Putin and, while it’s impressive how well the Ukrainians have done at defending their homeland and their young democracy, Putin’s obvious instability has made the threat of what might still be to come in eastern Europe even scarier.
I don’t know how the war for Ukraine will turn out — it might even be over, I suppose, before this issue reaches your mailbox — but seeing how the world has supported the Ukrainians willing to fight for their freedom reminded me again how lucky we are to live in what is still the greatest democracy in the world, despite our own issues here at home.
I pray for a reasonable resolution for the people of Ukraine and for all of us, but I am more fearful than I ever have been for the safety of this world.
Meanwhile, In Dade City
Speaking of shaking my head, I honestly can’t believe that 79-year-old Curtis Reeves was acquitted of all charges after shooting and killing 43-year-old Chad Oulson eight years ago in what was then known as the Grove 16 movie theater in Wesley Chapel.
I couldn’t understand how the trial didn’t come to pass for eight long years. I thought our criminal justice system was supposed to guarantee the “right to a speedy trial,” but Reeves’ defense team basically engineered the delays — all with their client on house arrest, instead of being held in a jail cell as he waited — apparently to great effect.
I have many problems with Reeves’ acquittal, especially through the eyes of a father. I can only imagine my son Jake texting with my grandson’s babysitter during the previews of a movie and being told to turn off his mobile phone by a gruff elderly man and, if he didn’t do so right away, having the man return from a trip to the theater manager’s office to engage my son again. I don’t think Jake would throw the man’s popcorn at him, but I could see him getting angry enough to at least get in the man’s face (he is his father’s son, after all). What I can’t imagine is him being shot and killed because some guy in a movie theater didn’t like the way he was being spoken to or treated.
And please, don’t get me started about whether or not Oulson threw his cell phone at Reeves. Not one witness corroborated that testimony, nor was there any video evidence of it, and honestly, who throws their $1,000 phone at anyone for any reason? Reeves clearly made up an excuse to shoot Oulson, and then gave his “I’m an old man who feared for his life” excuse that somehow played on the minds and feelings of the six jurors enough for them to acquit him of all charges — but after only 3-1/2 hours of deliberations?
I don’t believe for a second that Reeves — the former Tampa Police Captain who surely faced significantly worse situations without shooting those who were mean to him — feared at all for his life. He didn’t like being told to get out of a younger man’s face and clearly shot him without due provocation.
In my opinion, Reeves should be spending the rest of his life in prison for destroying a young family, but now, my fear is that others will be emboldened enough by this sham of a jury decision to take the same action — and also get away with it.
Score one for the bad guys.
But, Speaking Of Good Guys…
Speaking of fathers, I was moved to tears by the news that Christoph “Chris” Trina (photo), age 58, passed away after a heart attack and multiple strokes while on vacation with his family in Wisconsin. I reconnected with Chris as I became acquainted with his daughter Danielle Henry, the owner of The Bean Bar Co. in Tampa Palms, who has since become an advertiser of ours.
What I didn’t remember, without Chris reminding me, was that he also had advertised with us about 20 years ago, when he co-owned KMD Modeling in Tampa Palms. He always said such nice things about me and the Neighborhood News and I know that Danielle and her brother Kyle and their entire family are still suffering the after-effects of this sudden — and devastating loss.
“He raised us as a single dad for 12 years and he literally didn’t put up with any nonsense,” Danielle says. “We’re successful at a young age because he knows he didn’t let us do any less than our best.”
Chris was a passionate sports coach and cheerleader for his family and was loved by many — a wonderful man taken too soon.
R.I.P., Bubba.
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