Give the Devil His Due

A story we never dreamed we have to report, certainly not so soon: Late last week Toby Donovan was re-arrested for violating the explicit no contact order that was one of the main provisions of his parole. Only he will be surprised when the judge throws the book at him. Cascade may have accustomed him to indulgence. Dubuque County Prosecuting Chris Corken told Critical Eye Monday afternoon that she will be filing two additional charges lodged that morning.

The U.S. Army blew its chance to give the devil due and make a major statement on sexual crimes rampant within its ranks. It could have thrown the book at General Jeffrey Sinclair by prosecuting him. Instead, he was allowed plead to lesser charges and receive a reduction in rank. Arguably, pedophilia is a different class of crime owing to the vulnerability of its victim, but sexual coercion of women is rampant in the military. No mystery why either. The command structure keeps subordinates vulnerable, perhaps not as children, but the men in control like it that way. Which is why I could never figure out why women wanted in the military so badly because the danger—the power structure—is obviously diabolical.

An even mildly critical eye should have seen all this coming. Shame on. . .