Question:
No one's debating that all of us have done some wrong in our lives. However, this goes way beyond "doing wrong". As far as the man is concerned, he didn't drive 900 miles nonstop to try to abuct, etc, whatever she planned on doing. And since she has had all of that education and training, then she should know more than ever the difference of right and wrong. We all have urges to do things we know we shouldn't. But that doesn't mean we all just cut loose and do it and who cares about the consequences.


Answer:
Originally Posted by dukedogsmom
No one's debating that all of us have done some wrong in our lives. However, this goes way beyond "doing wrong". As far as the man is concerned, he didn't drive 900 miles nonstop to try to abuct, etc, whatever she planned on doing. And since she has had all of that education and training, then she should know more than ever the difference of right and wrong. We all have urges to do things we know we shouldn't. But that doesn't mean we all just cut loose and do it and who cares about the consequences.
Well perhaps we should be debating that. Because this woman has been made a spectacle of.....have you ????
And how does it go BEYOND doing wrong ??? For driving 900 miles to confront her lovers mistress ??? Wow...thats REALLY wrong. I bet that happens all the time in the USA, and you wouldn't even know the names of the people doing it..
And did she intend to abduct or kill or maim (because she had so called weapons on her person) ??? I think it's all circumstantial evidence. The media has got hold of this, and as usual have hyped it up to do TWO things.....to make themselves money/fill their pages up and to give Americans a scapegoat !!!!!
Nope...I don't think it's right what they did to her...in my eyes she has done very little wrong. They should leave her alone.
Wombat


Answer:
She was not made a spectacle of, she made a spectacle of herself. She violated the oath she took as an officer in the US military. She threw millions of dollars that NASA has spent to train her down the drain.
Sorry, ZERO sympathy.


Answer:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
She was not made a spectacle of, she made a spectacle of herself. She violated the oath she took as an officer in the US military. She threw millions of dollars that NASA has spent to train her down the drain.
Sorry, ZERO sympathy.
I am with you on this one. Sure I have made mistakes.... but I have never assaulted anyone.... I have never tried to kidnap anyone.... technically I have never done anything truly unlawful. Especially not to this magnitude. LOL except I stole a marker when I was a kid and I was SO scared of getting caught i NEVER did it again. If I had I would have had to pay the price for it... such as anyone should. What point is there in having laws if they don't want to enforce them because someone is a nice person or has done some good in their life. To me.... that does not excuse you from obeying the law. PERIOD.
She deserves to be punished for what she did..... I don't care about her social standing.... She obviously didn't care either or she wouldn't have done what she did.
I agree... she needs HELP.... and a lot of it. but she can get that help while institutionalized. she should not be allowed to roam free and prey on women who are fooling around with someone she thinks belongs to her. SORRY.... I have been cheated on before.... you know what I did. I MOVED ON.... I have even MET some of the women later in life that my SO cheated on me with. I'm not mad at them.... He is the one that hurt me.... not the girl. So I just left him and moved on with my life. What better revenge than to be living my life out to the fullest and let him see that he can't break me. SORRY There is no excuse for that.
If it were any "normal" person they would have to pay the price. it is NOT acceptable behaviour from anyone... especially from someone as "educated" and "smart" as herself.
Driving 900 miles non stop is NOT a lapse in judgement. perhaps driving down the block might be.... but when you have THAT many hours to think about what you are about to do.... that becomes premeditation. PERIOD


Answer:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
She was not made a spectacle of, she made a spectacle of herself. She violated the oath she took as an officer in the US military. She threw millions of dollars that NASA has spent to train her down the drain.
Sorry, ZERO sympathy.
Agree completely! *To whom much is given, much is required.* That applies to many things in life whether it be status, possessions, money, etc. She was in a different position than most of us, a very public position. Therefore her *sin,* when committed, was on public display. Her action was disgraceful and she and she alone is responsible. As far as the man's responsibility, he did nothing unlawful (except of course in the eyes of his wife ). Sorry, Wombat, usually I am completely in agreement with your take on things but not this time.


Answer:
The reason I feel so bad for this lady is because I feel she is ill. The look on her face and the things she did were so out of character. I believe she had a mental breakdown. Perhaps seeing three friends die in the Challenger explostion started the process. Too much sorrow, fear, grief, shock. Perhaps mental illness is just a disease that was growing in her body, schizophrenic perhaps. I don't think she would have done this if she was well. That is my point really. I feel she needs help mentally and yes she should be held accountable to the degree of sanity. Hopefully someday she will be able to work again at NASA and contribute with her keen intelligence. I just think her illness overtook her. People who are truly mentally ill, don't make rational decisions and what she did was not rational especially for one so intelligent. This was not just a love affair gone wrong, this is a woman who is mentally ill and lost touch with reality, it is sad all around. My knickers are now untwisted.


Answer:
She may have had a break down but I do not think she is mentally ill. Not in the terms of someone who geninuinely suffers from mental illness.
I myself suffer from clinical depression and OCD and there's nothing that "gets my Irish up" (a good day to use that expression perhaps! ) than when someone claims mental illness for an excuse for their actions when they probably don't actually have one.
Yes, some people DO have mental illnesses and can't help what they do. On an extreme example, that man in the news who recently raped and murdered that poor girl (in Florida I think) told the parole officers that he had a mental illness and if released, he would harm someone again. Having a mental illness doesn't excuse his actions completely however. Such is the case with Andrea Yates who drowned her children. She had horrible mental problems for years that her husband and religion compounded until she snapped. She is a woman who needs to be in a hospital, not a jail.
Other people claim to have a mental illness because if they are "crazy" they can avoid going to jail. To me, that demeans everyone who suffers from mental illness and enforces the stigma of having one so people who do need help won't get it because they are afraid of looking "crazy."
And even if she does have a mental illness (which I don't believe)I don't think it would be schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is rare diease and is horrible to those who suffer from it. If she was schizophrenic, while it's possible the signs wouldn't have emerged earlier, they most likely would have. There were no "voices" in her head telling her to do as she did in this case. She did it on her own, of her own free will.


Answer:
Sorry folks.....not agreeing here.
The punishment is way overboard to fit such a small deal crime.
Wom


Answer:
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
Sorry folks.....not agreeing here.
The punishment is way overboard to fit such a small deal crime.
Wom
Well than we will just have to agree to disagree


Answer:
Originally Posted by sparks19
Well than we will just have to agree to disagree
Exactly!!


Answer:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Battery, attempted kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and the other sundry charges against her would have landed one of us "regular people" in jail. No bail, have a nice weekend with your cellmate.
Sorry, she's an officer in the military, and as such should also have military charges against her in addition to the civilian charges. Celebrity status should never equal special treatment.
I just hope she gets the same jury (or whatever they call it in the military) as all those officers involved in Abu Gahraib....


Answer:
Originally Posted by critter crazy
Exactly!!
Although I don't see how this is just a small deal crime. BUT then again ... I am of the frame of mind that intention is enough proof for me. sorry but people don't just drive around 900 miles with potentially deadly weapons in their cars for fun and just HAPPEN to run into a person they have a grudge against and spray them in the face. That to me shows there was some sort of ill intent there. Luckily the other woman was able to flee.... I might be willing to concede that attempted murder might not fly (although they feel strongly enough to believe it will) but DEFINATELY attempted kidnapping at the least. There is no excuse for that kind of thing.... driving over 900 miles shows a frightening amount of commitment to what she wanted to do.
mentally ill or not... she has shown potential to be quite dangerous... and persistent. I feel bad for her husband and her children. Luckily she didn't turn her delusions on them.


Answer:
Oh piffle !!!! ""I am of the frame of mind that intention is enough proof for me. sorry but people don't just drive around 900 miles with potentially deadly weapons in their cars"".
Intention is proof ???? Since when ??? Mens rea has to be proven by a court of law, it cannot EVER be assumed. and as there was no use of those so called weapons, the court would find that very difficult indeed.
And potentially deadly weapons......oh come on.......I carry a tyre lever in my car, that's a potentially dangerous weapon.
Wombat


Answer:
Originally Posted by sparks19
Well than we will just have to agree to disagree
Well yes....I agree that you disagree...LOL
Wom


Answer:
Originally Posted by wombat2u2004
Oh piffle !!!! ""I am of the frame of mind that intention is enough proof for me. sorry but people don't just drive around 900 miles with potentially deadly weapons in their cars"".
Intention is proof ???? Since when ??? Mens rea has to be proven by a court of law, it cannot EVER be assumed. and as there was no use of those so called weapons, the court would find that very difficult indeed.
And potentially deadly weapons......oh come on.......I carry a tyre lever in my car, that's a potentially dangerous weapon.
Wombat
Actually she did use one weapon.
Also there were other things in the vehicle. Again all of those things coupled with PERSONAL emails between the girl she was going after and the guy she "didn't have a romantic relationship with" then later found emails from her saying she "loved him". So she not only hacked into their email... which is unlawful.... she assaulted the woman with pepper spray... which if I recall correctly is also illegal to possess (although I do not think it should be personally but should only be used in self defense.) She had many items that suggested kidnapping or worse. She followed this woman until she was alone at her vehicle... wore a disguise.... assaulted her.... luckily the woman was able to flee. There is nothing rational about that... nothing there that tells me her intentions were anything but irrational and potentially dangerous. No just having something in your vehicle may not be intention enough... but put those things together with all the other facts.... and you have a criminal... IMO.
So... no ... while just the mere possession is not enough to suggest foul intent.... those possessions put together with everything else she did.... is plenty for me to put her on trial.