Rape?/Florence Animal Shelter

We’ve received several communications about the alleged rape that recently resulted in the arrest of a local attorney and our blog concerning the case. First, we’ve published statements from Mr. Underwood before and at times did not agree totally with his opinions on the matter. We’re sure we will do so in the future. Our publishing anyone’s statement on any issue does not constitute absolute agreement with it, but it’s our right to publish what we wish.

Do we agree with Billy Underwood’s take on the “rape” case? Yes, we do. As for those who have said it probably wasn’t rape but just a business transaction to pay a fee, there was no fee owned, at least to the attorney. He had been court appointed, and the court system would pay him. The female client, if convicted of the charges against her, would have then owed the court system and such fees would have become part of her restitution. So that would leave what? Spontaneous lust that sprang up between an attorney and his client in the middle of a work afternoon with others milling about just outside the door. No, that last scenario certainly didn’t happen outside a Viagra commercial.

While we do have sympathy for anyone falsely accused, our main problem with the situation is that it reflects badly on women who have legitimate complaints against men who have committed sexual abuse and rape for years and gotten away with it…even facing a jury and being found not guilty.

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It seems the state is about to get four new prisons…maybe. Perhaps we need Gov. Bentley in Lauderdale County to get things started with our new animal shelter. It’s looking like we’ll get the prisons first.

A friend once told us that the 1970s renovation of Wilson Park was at least partly simultaneous with the private construction of the Florence Clinic addition. The park renovations began first, then immediately across the street a drug store and Victorian home were demolished, a full basement dug, and finally a two-story office building constructed. At the end of the construction, the park renovations were still not completed.

We have to ask if anyone is holding the city’s feet to the fire over finding a location for the new shelter? During the last municipal elections, the possible construction of the Cloverdale Road Walmart was a hot topic; in 2016 it would appear the shelter may be a deciding factor on how some vote, particularly in District One.



Shoalanda

Rape: The Final Frontier

When we think of Safeplace, we think of abused wives. Still many of these wives and girlfriends have been brutally raped. Many will never tell their story, and many more will never live to tell their story.

That brings up a publishing conundrum. Some weeks ago, we offered a reader poll in which we asked if local arrests and accompanying photographs should be published. Out of approximately 200 who responded, 75% voted that such arrests should be published in some form. Currently both the ShoalsInsider and The Quad-Cities Daily post these local public records.

We've long held that crimes committed in the distant past should stay there. If there is one exception, it is crimes involving rape and child sexual molestation. These remain current news due to laws requiring the rapists/pedophiles to register with the state and additionally the fact that many experts say rapists can never truly be rehabilitated. Recently we've been sent a link to a blog concerning a brutal Colbert County rape that happened over 20 years ago. Is this something that we should add to the list of local blogs in our sidebar? We're going to offer a two-week poll and let our readers decide.

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We censor blog comments not only for language but for libelous statements. Recently a few have questioned if the latter is necessary. From Don Burleson Consulting:

Bloggers must also be aware of their responsibilities as hosts of discussions where comments are invited from readers.  Any defamatory comments made in other posts on the blogger's website may result in the blogger being held responsible for those comments and being sued for libel.  

Apparently, it makes no difference if you offer a disclaimer concerning comments of others, the blog publisher is still responsible for what commenters say. We prefer to err on the cautious side



Shoalanda