TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Blog

  • Megan Kanka

    Megan Kanka

    Megan Kanka

    Megan’s Law mom ponders daughter’s legacy:

    Ten years ago today, Megan Kanka was killed. In case you don’t know who Megan was, she is the little girl who Megan’s Law was named for. She would be 17 if she were alive today. For any of us who lived in Jersey at the time of her death will never forget.

    Megan’s Law is the law that allows neighborhoods to be notified that there is a sex offender living there. Megan was killed by repeat child molester Jesse Timmendequas. The sad thing is that even though there is a national Megan’s Law that was signed into effect by President Clinton in 1996, it is not uniformly enforced from state to state.

    According to Megan’s mother, Maureen Kanka who runs the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation, sex offenders will check to see which states have the weaker laws. This law does need to be enforced uniformly from state to state to try to prevent this from happening again anywhere.

    What also kills me is that even though Jesse Timmendequas was sentenced to die, he’s still alive. For those of you who think that executing a piece of scum like Timmendequas is cruel and unusual, read what he did. I’ll put it behind a cut as it’s very disturbing….

    Timmendequas lured Megan into his house, across the street from hers, offering to show her a puppy. Megan soon found that there was no puppy. After raping her, he slammed her head onto a dresser, put a plastic bag over her head, and strangled her with a belt. Blood came out of her mouth before she died. He raped her post-mortem after putting her in his car after he drove off. He then stuck her body into a toy box and left it in a nearby county park. A day later, he had led police to the body in the park.

    (Source)

    It won’t bring Megan back. It’s not supposed to. It’s supposed to punish the guilty. A scumbag like Timmendequas showed no regard for Megan’s life. Why should we show regard for his? At least Timmendequas had the luxury of a trial. Megan didn’t. Execute him now.

  • Election Dysfunction

    Election Dysfunction

    Is it just me? I just can’t seem to get excited about this election. I really would like President Bush to get re-elected, but if Kerry wins…”meh”. It will just be like the Clinton years, a president who is ineffectual at best. 2000 was very different for me.

    I kid about Kerry being the anti-Christ, but in 2000 I really believed that about the Gore/Lieberman ticket. While people are bitching now about how the FCC is clamping down on the first amendment because you can’t talk about anal sex on the radio, Gore and Lieberman would not have stopped there.

    Gore had his roots in censorship, going back to his wife’s failed project of the ’80s, Tipper Gore’s PMRC. Lieberman, on the other hand, had his roots in something more recent. He belonged to a similar group called the Parents Television Council. Their mission was trying to tell you what should and should not be on TV.

    Gore in his speech at the DNC In 2000 even echoes these sentiments when he told Hollywood that they need to change their ways when it came to sex and violence. Where was the talk of trampling free speech then? Oh, that’s right. When liberals talk of censorship, it’s ok because it’s for the greater good. With Republicans, it’s all about restricting your rights.

    Now, looking back, who would you have rather had in the White House during 9/11? I think if Al Gore was president at that time, it would have been like the president character that Jack Nicholson played in “Mars Attacks”. Gore would just keep trying to negotiate with the terrorists while they keep up attack after attack until it’s too late.

    Anyway, there are no real hot button issues for me in this election. I happen to agree with more of President Bush’s stances than I do with John Kerry’s. Whoever wins though, my life will go on the same as it always does. No better and no worse.

  • 7/25/04: From The Mail Sack

    7/25/04: From The Mail Sack

    Only one piece of hate mail this week. I must be slipping. Be forewarned, there is some rough language ahead…

    From: toby

    Location: a land far far away(thank fuckin god

    eric and dylan wer victims too. im not in anyway defending what they did because I BELIEVE it was wrong, at the same time i can relate to it all. you cant honestly tell me you dont regret not killing your classmates. so all you fucks badmouthing them remember RESPECT THE DEAD!! ALL OF THE DEAD!!!! that includes those who may not be as worthy of our sympathy. so wake up and smeel your governments cum around your mouth, and wipe it of bitch coz you are all low and just as worthless as you believe eric and dylan.ignor the BULLSHIT propaganda you see on the tv and hear on the radio if you in the states you in a land of lies and hypocrisy if you believe what they tell you then you are not worth the ground you walk on. SEE YOU IN HELL. toby

    As usual, the lack of intelligence of these mutants astonishes me. What I need to do is put some kind of like FAQ that says that Harris and Klebold were not victims and that I have yet to see any proof of them being harassed.

    I mean if they were harassed by a particular group of people or an individual, don’t you think we would have heard of them by now. Don’t you think people would be blaming them for causing them to snap? Don’t you think people would be like, “You’re the reason they killed 13 people.”?

    Instead, the mutants blame it on the ever-vague “jocks” label. I can honestly tell you that I don’t regret not killing my classmates because it was almost 20 years ago, and I’ve moved on. I got out of that state while many of them are still living in the same place they were in high school. And for someone who says that America is so bad and supposedly speaks the queen’s English, your vocabulary just proves how ignorant and misguided you are.

  • Columbine Lawsuit Appeal

    Columbine Lawsuit Appeal

    Appeal of Columbine settlement rejected:

    Seems like we have some news tonight after all. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Michael and Vonda Shoels, parents of Isaiah Shoels who was killed at Columbine, cannot back out of a settlement with the parents of our favorite rotting in hell killer scumbags Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

    The Shoelses say that the family accepted the settlement because of a mistake made at their lawyer’s office. Which may be entirely true.

    However, what gets me is that between the 13 families and others, the settlement is only $1.6 million. I know you could never put a price on losing a family member, but $1.6M between dozens of people seems like an insult to me.

    Another term of the settlement was that the families would drop lawsuits against the Harrises and Klebolds for letting their mutant offspring stockpile weapons. It sounds like the families may not have been well represented. And speaking of shady lawyering check out this quote from the Klebolds’ lawyer…

    “We hope this means the end of Columbine lawsuits and that the healing in the community continues,” said Frank Patterson, attorney for the Klebolds.

    Translation: Please stop suing my clients because if they don’t have any money I don’t get paid. Spare me. As we’ve all heard, the Klebolds don’t think they did anything wrong and offer no apologies. They don’t want the community to heal. They just want the community off their backs because they feel like they’ve done nothing wrong. I guess you can see where their kid got his fucked up priorities.

  • Clinton to speak for Columbine

    Clinton to speak for Columbine

    Clinton to Speak to Columbine Families:

    As much as I gave the guy grief while he was in office for being an ineffectual president, I have to admire him for doing this. He is waiving his normal $100,000 speaking fee in order to speak at a fund-raiser for the Columbine Memorial. Hopefully, this will finally help get it built.

  • Office Politics

    Office Politics

    On Friday, we had politics in the office again, this time from the other side of the spectrum. One of the staff was going around asking for signatures on a letter she was sending to John Edwards asking him to support the proposed marriage amendment. Obviously, she doesn’t realize how the Democratic Party works these days. Just because Edwards is from the south doesn’t mean that he shares the opinions of its less tolerant citizens. He’s not going to rock the party boat, even if he believes in gay marriage or not.

    Anyway, what galls me is that this person is so arrogant that she thinks everybody has the same opinion as her and if they don’t, they should. Luckily, when she came to my desk, my phone started to ring. She also happened to go around the office on a day when no supervisors were here. We also have gay employees here. I wonder if she asked them. Somehow, I seriously doubt it.

    Personally, I oppose the marriage amendment. Let them marry. Who are they hurting? Hell, let them have families for all I care. I’d rather see a child get adopted by a gay couple than end up in some doctor’s dumpster.

    The point is. I don’t do politics at work. People are very passionate about their politics. I need to come in every day and work with these people. When you start discussing politics at work, no matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, you’re going to make enemies. Having enemies at work will affect your performance. So don’t be an assclown. Leave your politics at home. Some of us are here to work.

  • Big Brother Joe is watching you

    Big Brother Joe is watching you

    My bone of contention today is from my favorite Senator from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman. He has co-authored a bill with a $90 Million price tag that will try to figure out whether kids’ favorite TV shows, movies, and video games are actually bad for their health.

    There’s a good use of taxpayer money, huh? Even Lieberman’s own censorship squad, the Parents Television Council, say this is a bad idea. How about this Joe? Why not do a study on why people stopped parenting their kids. Joe even admits as much…

    Lieberman says parents need to play a more active role in what their kids are watching.

    “You can’t put it all off on the entertainment industry,” he said.

    Then what is the point of this bill? If it’s so obvious, then why do you need $90 Million? Lieberman has very pro-censorship leanings. I feel like this is his way of trying to disguise a “well-meaning” program that’s actually an Orwellian dream for him.

  • 80 Years

    80 Years

    Man Who Planned ‘Columbine’ Type Attack Gets 80 Years:

    For once, California does something right. After sentencing a man who planned a 2001 attack on his community college to seven years in prison, he was re-sentenced today after appeals to 80 years in prison. This is what you get for being a mutant…

    Farris said police searching DeGuzman’s home found massive amounts of writings and a 19-minute audiotape detailing his plot to kill as many people as possible at the college in emulation of his heroes, Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

    Apparently, he was another coward, just like his “heroes”.

    This is actually the first time I’ve heard of this, but I found this article with some interesting quotes.

    They found DeGuzman’s bed room stacked from top to bottom with sophisticated handmade bombs, some of which were booby-trapped with detonators that would go off if someone handled them, Miceli said.

    Police also found a map of De Anza College, marked with locations where bombs would be placed, and a tape recording that investigators believe DeGuzman made Monday outlining his plot, Miceli said.

    DeGuzman’s voice is heard on the tape apologizing to the press, his family and friends for what he was about to do, Miceli said.

    Miceli said DeGuzman had specific targets in mind, but he declined to elaborate on the intended victims. And although there was no suicide note, detectives said they believed DeGuzman had planned to die during the bloody attack.

    Investigators seized two rifles, a sawed-off rifle and a sawed-off shotgun from the house.

    Again, this was while he was living at his parents’ house. Granted, he was 19 at the time of his arrest, but once again, if the parents just did some checking their son may not be spending the rest of his life in jail. Whatever happened to “you live under my roof, you live under my rules”? Makes you wonder what the parents were busy doing.

    Ultimately, though, it is Al DeGuzman’s responsibility. Unlike his “heroes”, he didn’t escape justice and now has the next 80 years to think about it. Too harsh of a sentence, you say? I say it’s perfect. Let it be a warning to all other would-be Harris and Klebolds out there. This is what you really have to look forward to.

  • 6/13/04: From The Mail Sack

    6/13/04: From The Mail Sack

    Has it been that long since I last did the mail sack? Well, I’ve got plenty to make up for it.

    From my entry on the Columbine Death Photos…

    Eric and Dylan were two people, the same as everyone else. Yes, there is school violence everywhere, but they had the balls to take the next step and make people pay for the pain and torture that was caused. I know that I did not know either of them personally, but I believe I know how they felt. Every day there is someone being broken down by people who show no shame in hurting others. I have a feeling that some day those kids are going to get revenge. That’s just how life is. What comes around, goes around. You hurt, and get hurt. Get over it. Anyone who doesn’t see that is just fucking dense. Thank you and have a nice day. Please respond, I’d love to read what you have to say!

    Comment by Sammi — Wednesday Jun 2, 2004 @ 8:53 am

    Here was my response…

    Ok, you asked for it. It doesn’t take balls to shoot and kill 13 unarmed people. The whole theory about them being harassed by jocks has not been proven. Tell me their names if they were harassed by jocks. You can’t because it didn’t happen. Harris was a psychopath, pure and simple. High school is a blip of your entire existence. Being harassed is no reason to shoot anyone. A lot of us including me were harassed in school, but we didn’t shoot anyone. You need serious help.

    Comment by Trench — Wednesday Jun 2, 2004 @ 9:04 am

    What gets me is that this came from a public school district in Maryland. I e-mailed them to let them know what one of their students was up to. I wonder if they did anything about it.

    Then there’s this one from my entry about another would-be shooter being sentenced. The comment came from the same Maryland school district…

    I think that people like this kik ass… espicially Eric Harris!!!! Hes my hero. if there is one person in the world that i could meet if i had the opportunity, he would be it. i just wish i had the chance to or at least went to school with him at that time. u know its pretty sad when your hero, the one person u would look up to is dead! well i guess im done for now but this Matthew guy doesnt seem to bad either

    Comment by Jerika — Thursday Jun 3, 2004 @ 12:26 pm

    No, what’s really sad “Jerika”…if that’s your real name, then I feel sorry for you…is that your “hero” is a psychopathic coward who killed 13 unarmed, random people. I seriously hope your school comes down on you like a ton of bricks. It seems to be the thing to do lately. Spellcheck wouldn’t kill you, either.

    And, surprise surprise, one from my entry on the Eric Harris Journal…

    Those two people you are calling ’scum bags’ were actually part of the human race. What they did may have been wrong but everyone does wrong and it was wrong that people bullied Eric and Dylan…KLEBOLD spell it right. The parents were not to blame for what happened…it was the boys choice and they were old enough to make the decission themselves. Most parents do not feel the need to search their childs room for guns and pipe bombs. Its not a crime that they gave trust to their son, (Eric) it’s just a crime that people like you don’t understand that they were hurt to. Not only by the death of their son, but for the damage that they caused to other families. The parents of Dylan and Eric cannot be blamed for this crime. No one knew what was going on other than them. warning signs are only obviouse once it has happened and that just happenes to be the case. I no how it feels to be bullied by people that think their so much greater than you. I also know how it feels to want to show them all the pain youve kept inside for so long. Reb and voDKa RIP

    Comment by Jema Vile — Wednesday Jun 9, 2004 @ 8:27 am

    Ok, pay attention, people. I’m going to go through this again. There is no proof they were bullied. Even if they were, it’s still no excuse. And while it may not be an “on the books” crime to keep better tabs on your kids, it’s a crime against responsibility that Eric Harris’ parents allowed an arsenal to be built under their roof undetected. Why should they have trusted him, as he gave them no reason to through past actions? While Harris and KLIEBOLD are ultimately responsible for their crime, their parents are responsible for not doing anything to stop it. Harris and Klebold are not the poster children for the victims of bullying. They are the poster children for cowardice and, yes, they are scumbags. I’m sorry if you’re being bullied, but if you want to show your tormentors something, show them that you’re better than them by doing better than them. Trust me when I say that living well is the best revenge. If you can’t handle that, then seek psychological help.

    “Jerika”…couldn’t your parents decide between either Jennifer or Erika, so they named you Jerika…strikes again. This time on my entry about the kids that were suspended for having photos of Harris and Klebold…

    What the fuck is wrong with having pictures of your heros…well i dunno if they were the heros of those girls but theyre mine. i have many pictures and journal entries saved on my school computer, thats where i am now by the way, and i havent heard anything about it yet when the admin can easily look up in my files. GOD! this just shows how pathetic our govt and school systems really are. they just need to chill the fuck out!!!

    Comment by Jerika — Thursday Jun 10, 2004 @ 9:16 am

    There’s nothing wrong with it unless your heroes are mass murderers. I guess I need to send another e-mail to your school system, considering you basically just confessed to your psychopathic crap. They don’t need to chill out, they need to put you in a room with padded walls.

  • Students suspended over Columbine killer photos

    Students suspended over Columbine killer photos

    Students Suspended Over Columbine Killers’ Photo:

    Three girls were suspended for the remainder of the school year for having pictures of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Also, in true mutant fashion…

    According to the investigation, the girls were questioned about the pictures and one of the girls reportedly told a school counselor that it would be “cool” to be involved in an incident like the Columbine High School massacre in which 13 people died and 21 other people were wounded.

    Glad to see the school is actually doing something to control the mutant population. And do I really need to say it? You know, the whole parents thing and what are they doing to discourage this kind of behavior. Listen, you little mutants, you probably fucked not only your education but probably the rest of your lives just for your hero-worship of two cowardly killers. How “cool” is it now? Now go make my fries.