Way too much happiness after last nights big game, so I thought we needed one of the "doom and gloom' subjects.
[url=http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=251553&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_cfl]http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=251553& ... dlines_cfl[/url]Too bad, was a decent ball player.
In the article, one reads the following:
"The 33-year-old former Nebraska running back has been jailed since August 2005, when he drove onto a field near Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and his car struck three boys, ages 14 and 15, and a 19-year-old man, who suffered cuts and bruises. The car narrowly missed three other people, prosecutor Todd Hicks said."
"In court, Phillips tearfully apologized to one of the victims. . . ''I'm sorry you have to come in here like this,'' Phillips said, adding that he ''wanted the chance to say I didn't mean to hurt people.''
Okay, Lawrence, you drove your car into three people, narrowly missing three others, and you "didn't mean to hurt people"??
Give me a break; you got what you richly deserve.
''I'm sorry that your leg is messed up,'' Phillips told Rodney Flores, after hearing the young man tell the court that he was unable to pursue his dream of playing high school sports as a result of being hit when he was 16.
Sentencing was delayed while Phillips tried to withdraw a 2000 guilty plea to hitting a woman he had been dating during a confrontation at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the prosecutor said.
Such a 1st class member of society who's obviously showing sincere remorse, he deserves a break for all his troubles. Im hoping they let him keep his belt and give him some extra sheets to help him be comfortable in his new home.
I guess I will never understand why so many pro athletes, who have worked so very hard to get where they are, end up throwing everything away with their off field antics. Guess it happens in all fields of life, just not in the public eye, but still don't understand it.
The Federal Prison System will soon have enough ex pros to field a pretty good "old timers league" with OJ as the commissioner.
All I can say is I'm glad OJ is going away for what looks like the rest of his life. 13 years too late but at least he got what was coming to him....
You always have to be wary of how much of the whole story an article like this tells, but the following quote stood out to me:
''I'm sorry that your leg is messed up..."
Not "I'm sorry for what I DID to you" or "I'm sorry that I MESSED UP your leg", but "''I'm sorry that your leg is messed up..."
His choice of words implies that he doesn't correlate his own actions with the harm that his actions have caused. He described the harm passively, as if it is a matter of circumstance; as if he had done everything in his power to prevent it.
It may seem pedantic to point out the distinction, but I think it probably is a true reflection of his attitude towards the whole thing: he doesn't want to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
Of course it's just one quote, with very little context. However, based on Phillips' long and notorious track record, I'm not very inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. As the article notes, he has been convicted in this case. I'm referring not to whether he committed the crime, but whether he accepts responsibility for it. His use of language in this instance implies that he does not, and that ultimately his regret is based on the negative external consequences he now faces, rather than genuine remorse. It's dismaying to feel the need to say that about someone, but the pattern of disregard for others shown by his actions over many years make it difficult to have any other opinion toward him.
It is not surprising that Lawrence Phillips doesn't correlate
his own actions with the harm that his actions caused, SB.
Truman Capote in researching his movie, "In Cold Blood'
interviewed many prisoners on death row and, invariably,
they blamed something or someone else, not themselves
for the murders that they were found guilty of committing.
I would say it is a defence mechanism that allows people
who have done shameful things to live with themselves.
Phillips has a history of severe anger-related issues.
There has been interesting and important medical research done, involving imaging of brain tissue type, structure and location.
It was found that there is often apparent organic difference in the brain between people who do not exhibit such destructive tendencies and behaviour and those who do. Specifically, a difference in quality (e.g., colouration) and quantity of the matter at the front of the brain.
If Phillips were to be examined, the same physical explanation for what makes him a dangerous, troubled individual may well apply.
'There but for the grace of God go I' * came to mind
when I read your information, Republican Mafia.
When I googled that sentence,
It was creepy to find out that it most likely comes from John Bradford
(1510(?)-1555), an English protestant martyr, who is quoted as saying
"But for the grace of God, there goes John Bradford."
whenever he saw criminals being led off to their execution.
that another person's misfortune is not (entirely) their fault.
If conditions had been a bit different,
it might have been you, and not them.
I think it is important to recognize that it is useful for us as a society to strive to understand what causes individuals to engage in destructive behaviour. It is equally important to recognize that striving to understand the causes of a type of behaviour does not mean that we condone that type of behaviour. Understanding the causes of such behaviour better equips us to prevent, discourage, or correct it.
I think the ticats.ca forums aren't exactly the appropriate place for a wide-ranging discussion of criminology in general, so I'll try to move on after this post. 
I'm not an expert, but I do encourage folks to take an interest in the subject and consider how the available information integrates with your own values, particularly when making important decisions, such as voting in a federal election...
I don't want to have a political discussion in this forum either, safetyblitz,
but for everyone's information I believe you are referring to
the Conservative Party's get tougher sentencing policy
on young people who fall outside the law with their behaviour.
when you speak about considering what our own values are
when we go out to vote in the upcoming federal election.
I am cool with that.
Also, one has to consider how their rest of their policies sit with you,
and perhaps compromise yourself if overall their policies are favourable.
Phillips was allegedly upset after losing a pickup football game to the youths and accused them of stealing some of his possessionsThis part blows my mind. They can't lock that jerk up long enough if you ask me. What kind of maniac drives their car into a bunch of kids because they beat him in a pick up game?? Society has way too many of these types. With his history and SEVEN counts of assault with a deadly weapon he should have gotten a lot longer than 10 years. In 10 years that kids leg is still going to be "messed up".