Friday, February 13, 2009

Why Not Jail Daniel Smith In America?

The vengeful and bloodthirsty in the mainly leftist lynch mob that wants to treat Daniel Smith like an effigy of Uncle Sam won't like my suggestion. But I think it would be in the Philippines' enlightened self-interest to allow Daniel Smith to serve out his sentence in the United States (assuming his appeals fail at the Court of Appeals and the SCoRP, which could be years from now).  That delay becomes a perpetual golden opportunity for the CPP NPA NDF and its allies to assail whatever relationship the RP and the US happen to have.  Groups like Gabriela have already been using "Nicole" as a Battering Ram against the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Balikatan anti-terrorism and anti-insurgency exercises.

But I think it is impossible to guarantee the safety and security of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith in a jail like Bilibid Prison in Muntinglupa.  My proof of this is the further assertion that we cannot guarantee the safety and security of even Filipino citizens in Bilibid Prison, much less a hated icon of Yanqui Imperialism and US Aggression.  In Nicole, we are asked to see the whole Filipino nation being gang-raped by Uncle Sam, at least by certain pundits like Rina Jimenez David and the Gabriela Gang.

If and when he is put there by the Lynch Mob, and if and when he is gang-raped himself and we find our proud country and its infamous jail system all over the CNN-CBS-NBC evening news or even BBC specials, then will we rue having insisted on punishing him here.

There are a number of excellent American jail facilities that would render Justice unto Daniel Smith more reliably and be less vexing to us in the long run.

Let's make a gesture of trust and friendship towards our ally and the new Obama administration, by sending Daniel Smith to the maximum security prison in Illinois. 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen to that, Dean! There's a reason why the same "leftist lynch mob" riot over Guantanamo Bay; American prisons work. It's also unfortunate that the same Gabriela movement would trust the same over-capacity prisons that are forced to release gang rapists back into the streets, only to commit the same crimes Gabriela nutcases (though nobly) fight to end.

Lots of similarities, not enough sanity to understand the situation.

Glad to have found your blog. Consider me a new dedicated reader.

manuelbuencamino said...

I don't know Dean. It's not politics that places smith in danger if he's jailed in the philippines, it's his good looks. But What american jail can guarantee its prisoners safety from rape? Your fair haired boy may prefer a Philippine jail to american jails because a cute boy like him will survive a Filipino dick up his ass a lot better than the ones he's likely to come in contact with in american prisons.

Anonymous said...

On the risk of being "crowned the princess" in jails I tend to agree with MB that there is no guarantee he will not be in the same predicament in the US jails. On the other and what is so shocking to the American public is the inhumane conditions in the Philippine jail especially when there is no telling that Smith was indeed convicted and found guilty beyond reasonable doubt. We all know that our justice system is so flawed and there are inconsistencies that were not addressed by the courts but not being privy to the specifics of the case maybe there were evidences such as the same tearing they found on the terrorist which seems to be absent.

Deany Bocobo said...

MB,
Of course you are right about American jails. However, there is one thing an American jail for Daniel Smith would guarantee: it would save us all from a greater embarrassment without allowing him to evade Justice or punishment.

We are only inflicting on ourselves a satisfaction that will later turn cold and be detestable even to us.

Anonymous said...

There is still doubt as to DS's guilt. Saan ka ba nangaling e talga namang cock teaser si Nicole, tulad ni Gabriela & Co.

And the timing of this issue; Baka naman pakulo ni Gloria iyan? Siyempre, ma-inivolve si Barack diyan. At sino naman ang magiging bida kundi yung unano sa may pasig.

Kawawa si DS. Babae nga naman...

tito

Deany Bocobo said...

tito,
I've said during the raging debates over this issue that it requires a unanimous decision of RTC+CA+SCoRP to convict him with finality. It boggles the mind why this appeals process cannot be completed in a timely fashion. During the appeal, not only the case itself, but the conduct of the investigation, prosecution and trail will be reviewed. He could be exonerated EVEN if he had actually raped Nicole, if the process was not fair or up to legal standards.

Unknown said...

Jail in the US would be easier for all concerned in the long run... but he should be sharing a cell with the lame-brained idiot of an officer who let him and the others out for a night on the town. Given that anyone with 6 functioning synapses knows that there are a lot of people just itching to make an issue over anything, and given what happens when you mix alcohol and testosterone, it would have been a lot better for everyone concerned if they'd been in the barracks, on a ship, or otherwise under control - and that should have been abundantly clear to whoever was in charge.

A little common sense would be the best protection against this sort of thing.

Deany Bocobo said...

Agreed, Steven. Both the US and RP armed forces have some mighty serious business they've got to get to and this sort of thing is a major stumbling block to that. It would help things a great deal if more were known about what steps the US Military has taken to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure there are training videos and PPt presentations and briefings about the incident before a ship pulls in or a unit goes ashore. International incidents are not taken lightly. It often results in 'restricted' liberty, buddy system, beefed up shore patrols, 'off limits' establishments and curfew. Or no leave or liberty at all. You just have to wait until the mission is over in your camp or ship. Or you go straight to an airport and go to Thailand or Hawaii or Guam. On Smith's case, I agree about jail time in the states or a brig in an AFP camp if an agreement can be reached and agreeable to the SC.

Unknown said...

"No leave or liberty" would be safest, or at least a curfew and a no-alcohol policy.

Imposing that now is a bit late, though... the hazards implicit in allowing sailors/soldiers/marines to roam around unsupervised and unrestricted were fairly obvious before the incident, and sensible precautions would have prevented it.

Anonymous said...

Too late because the U.S. has nothing to offer to us now, given the severe economic crisis. Even its own military operations are heavily dependent on foreign loans which are now drying up.