LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Who will protect our children?

By Bonnie F. Bates

As I was getting my oil changed, I picked up a part of the Odessa American.

I have always enjoyed reading the newspaper and thought this would be an enjoyable way to spend a few minutes.

But, what I read sickened me. On Page 7-A under the Ector County Felony Dispositions heading were four clips about indecency with a child, four! I thought that was quite a few and that really angered me. Then I read them. And my blood began to boil.

Not one offender was given jail time. The 44-year-old man was given five years probation. The 23-year-old was given five years probation. The 54-year-old man was given 10 years probation.

All three of the men pled guility! These cases where handled by Judges Trotter and Whalen.

So, what are Judges Trotter and Whalen waiting on before these men get jail time? Will these men stop exposing themselves/touching our children or grandchildren?? Will this probation period rehabilitate them? Or will these “men” just progress to more violent and maybe deadly crimes against our little ones? Why on earth would these “men” be allowed to return to our neighborhoods? Do these judges really think reporting once a month to someone in an office will change them?

Then even more appalling was the other side of the page. There were eight clips of drug charges.

All of them were under 1 gram of a controlled substance, except one and it was more than one gram but less than four. And guess what? Three of these offenders were sentenced to jail time, by the same judges!

I don’t like drugs or drug dealers either but where was the justice for the children of these sexual assaults? What does this say about their worth a as person? That they and the crimes against them don’t matter?? Not only do they feel violated, they now know these men are free to come after them again, or maybe just move on to new victims.

May God protect and heal these little ones.

And may God send Odessans replacements for Judges Trotter and Whalen!!!

Bonnie F. Bates

Odessa