flashpoint:

People without a sense of irony

Friday, April 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

You have to feel sorry for people without a sense of irony. Take Mayor Oscar Goodman. On Thursday, His Honor testified at the sentencing of a meth addict who stole $23,000 of copper wire there apparently is an epidemic of copper wire thefts, costing the city millions. “It’s not a victimless crime,” declared the man who once defended people who committed somewhat more serious offenses with somewhat more damaged victims. But, Goodman later said at his news conference after the defendant received a stiff sentence, “I was happy I did that.” And Goodman will do the same at trials of graffiti-scrawlers, too. I bet it’s a real deterrent. If I didn’t know the mayor was a real victim, I’d conclude it was a cheap stunt to get on TV.

Discussion: 1 comment so far…

By Eric_S

4/18/08 at 4:43 a.m.

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Irony aside, and being no special admirer of Oscar Goodman, I strongly support his advocacy for the public, who are the main victims of graffiti and copper theft. One idiot did tens of thousands of dollars in damages to an optical fiber communication cable on an interstate bridge, containing no metal, in search of copper. New construction and vacant homes are frequently trashed for their copper. Graffiti artists brazenly cause thousands of dollars in damage and adversely affect the image of cities like Las Vegas, which spends a fortune trying to create a positive image for tourists.
And, I will confess, I get tired of picking up trash and calling the city's Rapid Response hotline to request newly painted graffiti removed from our block wall. Oscar is right to go after these hellions. We can either surrender to anarchy or throw some of these misfits in the clink, to make examples of them.