From the fires of Hell….
Everyone has seen or heard about the devastating fires that raged through Tennessee…..even those idiots that thought it was some sort of “Muslim” terrorist attack……but sad (for them) it appears that the fires were started by a couple of teenagers….and their fate does not appear to be bright…..
Everything, including murder charges that could bring a sentence of life in prison, is “on the table” for two teenagers accused of starting a devastating wildfire in Tennessee, prosecutors warn. The pair, whose names and ages have not been publicly released, were charged with aggravated arson earlier this month and are in juvenile detention. Authorities say a firestorm that began with a blaze the teens allegedly started in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 23 ended up killing 14 people, injuring another 175, destroying more than 2,000 homes and other structures, and scorching around 20,000 acres of the park. It’s not clear whether prosecutors plan to try the teens as adults.
CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos says the teens could be tried for first-degree murder even if they weren’t planning to kill anybody, because Tennessee law allows the charges “killing of another committed in the perpetration of or attempt to perpetrate” offenses including arson. Sources tell the Knoxville News Sentinel that the boys are 17 and 15 years old, making it possible that both could be tried as adults. The sources say the boys were tossing lit matches onto the ground around the Chimney Tops Trail, and they were tracked down with the help of a photo another hiker took of the boys walking away from the trail with smoke in the background.
It will be interesting to see just how sympathetic a jury will be…that is if they do not plead out (which I look for to happen)…..
If I were a lawyer, based on the scant evidence to date, I’d say these boys have been framed. Why? Who knows, but I’d be doing some serious investigating. If someone was “on the scene” and close enough to take pictures of the two boys leaving with “smoke in the background” seems to me the logical thing to do would have been to yell, “Hey assholes, what are you doing?” Then run over there and stomp out the fire. If too late for that, having a phone presumably, call the authorities immediately (there are emergency warnings and phone numbers everywhere as a rule, certainly are around here) so was an emergency call logged in from the picture taker? I smell more than smoke in this story. Since I first heard of the two boys being arrested for the fire outbreak I’ve had this voice in the back of my head saying, “Frame! Frame!” Question to ask is, who stands to gain big time from this event? That’s the only question in a predatory capitalistic system. Even if the boys “confessed” we know what the police are capable of doing when motivated. This needs serious digging into.
Sha”Tara makes a good argument, and, in today’s world, a justifiable one… In truth, this incident, and the ensuing hullabaloo, demonstrate how deeply embedded is stupidity in our culture. The original act, if true, is a clear example of boys raised to BE stupid, followed by the witnesses, who stupidly watched them & did nothing but take a fucking picture (probably to protect their OWN asses…), with full blown outrage from a media enclave that LOVES to cover disasters (so emotive; good for ratings….), and a criminal justice system designed to protect the rich and powerful… all without a single rational act among them…
It’s a stupid crime, and a stupid culture that makes such a fuss over what didn’t have to happen at all… If the boys had been taught honor, or, how to reason, the fire would never have been started….
gigoid, the dubious
“Finally” – a human point of view. I agree.
A “human” point of view: I agree. Honor, now there’s a politically incorrect word in today’s society.
Hmph. Well, fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke. Honor owes no apology to anyone….
*smile* You’re a cynical girl, aren’t you? S’okay, your outrage does you honor….
gigoid, the dubious
Who, me, cynical? How could I be with a life-long working motto: “Expect the worst, you’ll never be disappointed.” Sadly, I’ve seldom been disappointed.