Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Berkeley over the weekend experienced a tragic murder of a 67 year old chemical engineer by a 23 year old youth. Twenty-three year old Daniel DeWitt, apparently mentally unstable and not on antipsychotic medication, was in the front yard of Peter Cukor's home when he and his wife came home last Saturday. Cukor asked DeWitt to leave, went inside and called the police, then went across the street to a fire station to seek help. When Cukor returned, DeWitt beat and killed him with a potted plant.
I happen to live nearby, but don't know the victim or the suspect. But beyond the tragedy of the death, I cannot help but think that the murder is unfortunately the result of the left-wing that runs riot here in the Bay Area. First, police did not respond to the first phone call because their resources were devoted to handling an Occupy Oakland protest that attempted to take over — of all things — International House, a Berkeley campus building that houses foreign students and visitors. Deb Saunders at the SF Chronicle has blogged that the more that Occupy Oakland and similar movements consume the limited policing budgets of cities hit by recession, the less resources are available to fight crime (Oakland, a medium sized city, had 103 murders last year, but has had to spend $3 million a year on the occupy protests). This terrible murder focuses the mind on the trade-off between protecting the community from crime and coddling anarchist protesters (as the mayor of Oakland has been) in a way that abstract figures do not.
Second, the fact that DeWitt was on the street to begin with might be the result of the de-institutionalization agenda favored by the Left. In hindsight, it seems clear that DeWitt should never have been on the streets, especially since he was refusing to take his medication. DeWitt's mother blamed "the system" for not providing enough mental health resources for her son, who apparently was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Some argue that Republicans — particularly President Reagan — cut funding for these institutions. But no matter what resources are available, because of "progressive" court challenges, it is extremely difficult to keep someone in a mental institution against their will, with the result that more unfortunates like DeWitt are released from hospitals and potentially dangerous to innocents around them.
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Jun '10
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Albert Arthur
That's unfair to the family. We don't know to what extent they were involved. There probably was help available, the family probably got the help for him, and he probably walked away from the help.
You make a good point. I apologize; I was not clear enough. I know nothing about what steps the family took in this case. My real point is that the first line of defense is the family, and they should be the first to seek help. You are absolutely correct that, particularly given the state of the law, their efforts can be fruitless--there is only so much they can do.
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Among the things you "absolutely need" are the company of Mssrs. Smith & Wesson, in my humble opinion.
Jun '10
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Dave Carter
Among the things you "absolutely need"are the company of Mssrs. Smith & Wesson, in my humble opinion. · 31 minutes ago
I'll never own a Fiat, but I like the company of my little Italian friend "Beretta 9 mm".
May '10
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
They've joined forces with the prisoners' rights folks. Their latest action was to demand the end to 3-strikes, mandatory sentencing, and solitary confinement.
May '10
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Dave Carter
Among the things you "absolutely need"are the company of Mssrs. Smith & Wesson, in my humble opinion. · 4 hours ago
In Berkeley, I'm aware of only Sean Penn hanging with that crowd.
Dec '10
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
tabula rasa
Dave Carter
Among the things you "absolutely need"are the company of Mssrs. Smith & Wesson, in my humble opinion. · 31 minutes ago
I'll never own a Fiat, but I like the company of my little Italian friend "Beretta 9 mm". · 4 hours ago
You and James Bond (his was a .25).
Jan '11
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Ooops. I’m sorry. I meant no offense.
I did not intend to suggest that Mr. Yoo’s writing was redundant or inconsistent. I thought I had some brilliant insight on self censorship and forbidden words. My haste to try and put my thought into words failed.
Yeah...ok.: "...a 23 year oldyouth."
[Rude comment redacted. Please view the Code of Conduct here.] · 13 hours ago
Edited 9 hours ago
Once again, I'm wacked on the knuckles for my COC violations, sorry. It seems I can not successfully behave as if in a room full of nice people I do not know. This is the only place I post; lucky Ricochet. I like the idea of behaving as if we’re strangers, yet I often become too familiar because I think I know the other members and they know me. I hope the editorially staff needed to monitor my clumsy writing does not add too much overhead to the Ricochet bottom line.
Sep '11
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
Perhaps Prof. Yoo can verify, but I'm guessing that Mr. Cukor, even if he were so inclined, could not legally have any sort of firearm in his home to protect himself from this "youth." Additionally, keeping company with Messrs S&W or Walther or Beretta is also probably illegal in the unnamed liberal city of etoiledunord.
May '11
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
I'm guessing they didn't mean a firearm.
Feb '12
Re: Berkeley's Lethal Liberalism
This has obvious implications for gun control laws. Or perhaps for potted plant laws.
Come to think of it, I suppose if the engineer had shot the maniac in self defense, the prosecutor would have said deadly force was unnecessary because the maniac carried no weapons except a pot.