Letters: Life without parole is just in Wadsworth case; Trump's dishonorable behavior
Law on juvenile offenders gets it wrong
I wish to elaborate on the Aug. 9 article "A chance at redemption?" It is about Senate Bill 256, a new law that makes my Aunt Margaret Douglas' killer Gavon Ramsay eligible for parole, and I am quoted in the article.
In 2018, 17-year-old Ramsay broke into my 98-year-old aunt’s Wadsworth home and strangled her. He then disrobed her and took pictures and videos of sexual acts.
After considering the evidence, and taking into account the mitigating factors of youth, Judge Joyce Kimbler sentenced Ramsay to life without parole. Then Ohio lawmakers passed SB 256, which retroactively bans life without parole for juvenile murderers, without knowing any facts about Ramsay or his crimes. Contrary to what is stated in the article, this law does not align Ohio law with the current Supreme Court ruling, which allows discretionary juvenile life without parole.
SB 256 supporters claim juvenile offenders deserve a break because juveniles are generally impulsive, susceptible to peer pressure, immature and reckless. Some juvenile criminals don’t fit this stereotype. Ramsay’s crimes were not impulsive, but carefully planned. He planned and committed the crimes alone. His acts were not immature, but sophisticated and carried out with precision. SB 256 puts sadistic, calculating criminals like Ramsay in the same box as youths that truly were impacted by their age during crimes.
Just as mandatory harsh sentences result in some punishments not fitting the crime, mandatory lenient sentences also create situations where the punishment is not appropriate for the malice of the crimes. Judges need to be able to take the specifics of the criminal and crimes into account in order to appropriately sentence. SB 256 does not allow for that.
Patricia Sacco, Canton
Dishonorable behavior should be punished
My late father-in-law served this country with great honor in the most sensitive capacities, had the highest of security clearances, and went to his grave having never uttered one word about the substance of his work to his family or anyone else not authorized to hear it.
Had he been caught with just one piece of classified paper on his premises after he retired, he would have been retroactively stripped of rank, dishonorably discharged and had his pension terminated.
The top secret papers found in former President Trump’s private storage have no value to average citizens. They would only have value to the enemies of our nation; to those who would injure and destroy significant parts of it, along with tens of millions of Americans.
If it is true that Trump had boxes of information with classified nuclear secrets in his home, there is only one conclusion that can be reached. He was willing to barter or sell the welfare of this nation for his private benefit.
It doesn’t get more dishonorable than that. Stripping him of the benefits that come with being a former president seems the very least we could do as a people.
Greg Brozeit, Fairlawn
Ohio benefits from homegrown energy
A July 3 opinion column in the Akron Beacon Journal, "Nation's climate change fight must target methane emissions," shows a stunning lack of knowledge about Ohio’s natural gas and oil industry — particularly small wells.
The reality is Ohio’s natural gas and oil industry is leading the way in reducing emissions all while ensuring we have a reliable, homegrown and abundant supply of energy. The reason is simple economics.
Escaped methane means unrealized profits for natural gas and oil producers. They are already economically incented to reduce or even eliminate methane emissions. In addition, the proliferation of natural gas-fired power plants over the last several decades has led to a dramatic decrease in CO2 emissions. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows Ohio’s electric generation sector saw a 38% decrease in CO2 emissions between 2005 and 2015 thanks to a significant increase in the amount of electricity produced from natural gas.
Overregulating the industry won’t lead to lower emissions. Instead, it’ll lead to lower production, higher energy costs, and increased reliance on other fuel sources with larger carbon footprints. Innovation and the free market are the best way to ensure we continue to see emissions drop, all while enjoying access to reliable, clean and affordable homegrown energy.
Mike Chadsey, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Columbus
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Murdered Wadsworth woman's niece opposes law allowing parole
