Friday, March 25, 2011

Priorities in Crime Coverage

This Oklahoma City news source reported “Incestuous Couple Wants Custody of Their Kids”

That, of course, is an important subject around here, so I was interested.

Then I read the first line of the story.

A DNA test proves a brother and sister accused in a kidnapping, rape and murder case are the parents of two children.

Why does the headline focus on their sex lives? They are accused of kidnapping, rape, and murder. Aren’t those things more serious than adults having sex with each other? It’s almost as if consensual sex is considered more serious than murder.

If they aren’t found guilty of the serious crimes, they should be allowed to raise their daughters.

Here’s a headline that as least has priorities: “Siblings Accused of Murder, Kidnapping Have Children Together”

Of course, I don’t think it is relevant to the murder case coverage that they have children together. That is, perhaps, and unfortunate attempt to paint consanguineous sex in the same light as such horrible things as kidnapping, rape, and murder.

There is a bizarre twist involving a brother and sister who were arrested last year in connection to a murder and kidnapping.

It’s not bizarre. People used to write like that about two men having sex or raising children, and interracial couples, too.

During a court hearing Wednesday, it was revealed that Glendon Gouker fathered two children with his half-sister, Michele.

You mean, kind of like Abraham and Sarah in the Bible?

Last September, Glendon Gouker was arrested in the murder of Ethan Walton.

Walton's body was found inside a 55-gallon barrel.

Prosecutors say Gouker killed Walton and then raped his girlfriend.

Walton and his girlfriend should be the focus of the coverage. They are crime victims, regardless of who did it.

Along with the charges related to the murder and kidnapping, Michele and Glendon Gouker are accused of exposing the two children to methamphetamine.

So let’s see… accused of doping up their kids, accused of kidnapping, rape, and murder, but let’s focus on the consensual sex!

Their attorneys say if Michele and Glendon are exonerated they should regain some parental rights.

"I believe that the children, up until now, have been residing with both of these people. They have both been vital parts of these children's' lives and I believe they will be able to be fit parents in the future, " Pam Stephens said, Glendon Gouker's attorney.

That’s the way the system is supposed to work. Unless the parents are proven unfit, they get to keep raising their own kids.

We contacted the District Attorney's office to find out if Michele and Glendon Gouker would face charges of incest.

The D.A. says he has yet to make a decision.

Why? If they are guilty of the murder, it’s silly to charge them with incest. But why prosecute people for consensual sex at all?

8 comments:

  1. i am eathen waltons uncle if they would give the sob to me i would save the state money and be rid of him fast

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    1. I can only imagine. Fortunately, I haven't had anyone in my family murdered. You have my sympathies.

      Delete
  2. If incest were to be legalized and normalized, it could lead to generations of incest, which will lead to severe birth deformities and mental retardation. This is why incest is taboo all over the world in all different cultures, and why it is illegal.

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    1. So you think there are a lot of people who are just itching to make babies with their close relatives, but don't because it is illegal?

      Good news... Consanguinamory is legal in some places and there isn't a problem as a result.

      Please see this: http://marriage-equality.blogspot.com/2011/06/consanguinamory-and-reproduction.html

      Delete
    2. Stop. You’re disgusting. Stop trying to justify the fact that you either have sex with your sister or you want to. Incestual sex is disgusting whether it’s cobsenting adults or not and leads to deformities for a reason because it’s unnatural. And using the Bible to justify anything is asinine. In fact the fact it’s the Bible gives credence to how barbaric and horrible it is such as stonings, slavery, pedophilia, and all the other horrible stuff in the Bible. At no point did the article focus on the incest only and you twisting it that way to defend incest says a lot about you. You kept saying so this and this fact but their focused on the consensual incest! How dare they! But wait how did you even know about that and that that are so much worse than incest? Because the article focused on it by mentioning it just like it did the incest? In fact the incest seemed to be the last focus AFTER murder, rape, kidnapping, and assaults. But just because those other things happened doesn’t mean you ignore the incest or pretend like it’s ok. You’re sick and disgusting. You need to work yourself out man. Please get therapy. Don’t creep on your sister too.

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    3. Thank you, Unknown. It's terrible arguments like yours that will be why bigotry will fail and full marriage equality for all will happen.

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  3. If you are using the Bible to justify incest then please read Leviticus 20:17 that says it is wicked to do so.

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    Replies
    1. We'll be sure to keep that in mind if we ever find ourselves in 3,000 years in the past in the ancient theocracy of Israel. We'll be sure not to eat lobster or wear mixed fabrics, too.

      Delete

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