Is it appropriate for a newspaper to publish photos and stories of people arrested for DUI crimes?
Last week’s story in print and online about the arrest of a 28-year-old Ceres woman who was arrested for DUI generated some discussion. Karina Lepe blew into a breathalyzer which showed she had blood alcohol content twice the legal limit to drive.
Within minutes of the posting on the Courier article and on Facebook, Lepe appealed to the Courier to remove the article. She threatened to contact an attorney (likely an idle threat) to sue us for us doing our job in reporting the news. Read the Constitution’s First Amendment!
I suspect if Lepe was a 58-year-old witchy looking alcoholic nobody would have given it a second thought. So I can’t help if her attractive appearance is what garnered the conversation on Facebook that we had done something wrong and helped “destroy” this young woman’s life.
I finally removed the Facebook post because of the comments from some deplorable and lustful men was just downright inappropriate and creepy.
Note that it was the Courier – and not her decision to drink and get behind the wheel of a 2,000-pound missile and drive it down the road where our friends and family are in their own cars and quite capable to judging stops and speed because they are sober – that caused folks to protest.
Stan Lane commented: “I’m all for getting drunk drivers off the street but until they’re found guilty I feel no pictures should be on here for DUI.”
Lane must have missed the sentence about Lepe blowing twice the legal limit.
I wonder how hard Lane would have been on Lepe had the story been: “Fatal crash blamed on intoxicated 28-year-old hospital worker.”
A less tolerant Aspen Gregg responded to Lane by noting that her stepdad was killed by a drunk driver and added: “…come on, the drinking and driving is a choice so yeah a choice to be blasted.”
Cindy Earl said posting her photo was “unnecessary” but Leticia Benavidez said “maybe this will embarrass her straight.”
Folks who feel publishing stories about DUI arrests is wrong – some called it a low level crime – harken the days before MADD when everyone let drunk drivers slide. In 1980 a mom named Candice Lightner started Mothers against Drunk Drivers (MADD) had enough after her daughter Cari was killed walking to a Fair Oaks church carnival. Upon Cari’s death, prosecutors told Mrs. Lightner that DUIs were rarely prosecuted.
Despite the fact that Clarence Busch had numerous prior convictions for DUI and had just killed a junior high girl, he was allowed to leave the scene. He was only sentenced to two years, and only for vehicular manslaughter. Shortly after his release, he hit another girl, with the same name of Cari, while drinking and driving with a blood alcohol concentrate (BAC) of .20.
Candy lobbied Governor Jerry Brown, which eventually led to a task force, making her the first member to investigate drunk driving. In 1981, California passed a law for minimum fines for drunk drivers and mandatory imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Rest assured that for every drunk driver taken off the road there are probably five to 10 others in the same town driving while intoxicated and not getting caught.
Ask yourself this: Would you prefer a community and its newspaper sweep DUIs under the rug and not shame those who threaten property or life? Is it not better that this young woman learn a valuable and embarrassing lesson and refrain from making the same mistake again than ignoring it with no consequences for bad behavior?
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If you tuned into the May 12 Ceres City Council meeting you would’ve watched Gene Yeakley rip into Mayor Javier Lopez for his choice of attire at a May 4 presentation at the Wat Lao Buddharangsy, a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Ceres. Lopez attended to give the Buddhists a city proclamation for the milestone of being in Ceres 40 years.
Apparently Lopez had just come over from the Ceres Street Faire – wearing shorts – which according to Yeakley was a major sign of disrespect.
Yeakley’s wife attends that temple.
He started out saying” “I didn’t want to be here this evening to do this but it affected my family and some of our friends” even though at times Yeakley has made sport of ripping into the mayor whom he greatly dislikes.
“In a place that’s holy as a Buddhist Temple, respect is paramount. Knowing what to wear and what to avoid will help you leave a positive impression – you didn’t do that,” Yeakley told the mayor.
Folks are to dress modestly, including covered shoulders and knees.
Yeakley mentioned that the man accompanying the mayor was dressed appropriately, adding “he should have your position.”
Lopez made a point in his congressional campaign announcement speech that he doesn’t “necessarily love wearing suits and I definitely don’t speak in a polished political sound bite.”
Personally, I felt Yeakley should have taken his concerns directly to the mayor in a private setting rather than dressing him down in public and causing a public spectacle. It was an embarrassing moment for both men. But the intent was to humiliate the mayor and respect goes both ways.
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I suppose folks extend their leniency to those who kill based on skin color.
You may have heard about Karmelo Anthony, the 17-year-old black student at Frisco Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas, who stabbed to death a white athlete at a track meet. (What high school student brings a knife to a high school track meet?)
Austin Metcalf told Anthony to move from a restricted area of the bleachers and a verbal altercation ensued. Metcalf allegedly shoved Anthony and the knife was his deadly answer.
After the fatal stab, Anthon ran from the scene. But now he claims the murder act was in self-defense.
Controversy erupted last week when it was announced that Anthony – who earned a GPA for 3.7 before the homicide – will still graduate and receive his high school diploma after reaching an agreement with his school district. He met all academic requirements, but will skip the graduation events.
It’s the reaction from some in the black community that has me flabbergasted. Moses Brown posted on Facebook: “You still a human, Karmelo. We know you didn’t mean to do what you did and you do deserve to be treated with respect. Yes, you have to answer to what you did you are entitled to due process and have a fair trial. We will not sit back and let these racist people lynch you. May God bless you and that you come home soon.”
Racist people lynch you? A teen was murdered and prosecuting Anthony is a lynching?
Sheridan Stjour wanted Anthony to know: “I am happy for you” and commented that “people are aware that although he acted hastily in self-defense that he was bullied. No person with such an excellent educational level of literacy would set out to kill someone just for the sake of killing them.
“It is time that those who bully children, their parents and the white community hold these bullies accountable. They need to stop vilifying the black person and look at what precipitated the response.”
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Motorists are used to keeping an eye out for easily identifiable CHP cruisers but the CHP is wising up.
New specially marked Dodge Durango patrol vehicles have hit California highways designed to blend in with traffic while officers keep an eye out for those who endanger others.
The Durangos are equipped with advanced enforcement technology and driven by officers focused on identifying excessive speeders, reckless drivers, and those engaging in road rage behavior. By remaining less visible, these vehicles can catch unsafe drivers in the act. Recently an officer in such a car was able to arrest a driver who was clocked at 106 mph.
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Panda Express opened its second place of business while Carl’s Jr. boarded up its second restaurant in Ceres located on Hatch Road.
(The Panda folks didn’t consider buying space in the Courier to advertise the opening but sure made an effort to get some free ink).
I’m not surprised Carl’s Jr. closed that location. I dropped in for a burger on April 16 and no other customers were in sight.
Carl’s Jr. has become a really expensive place to eat – far too expensive for most families in the Valley. This is Ceres, not Disneyland so there’s no way I’ll pay nearly $5 for a large soda when one local service stations offer giant refills for 99 cents.
The staff at Hatch Road Carl’s Jr. was also not welcoming. Some fast food can survive in this Newsom era of high minimum wages and high cost of regulations but it requires excellent service and volume to succeed. Walk into the In-N-Out on Mitchell Road and walk into the other burger places and you’ll see a marked difference. In-N-Out greets you with enthusiastic smiles on the faces of energetic young people. At the now-closed Carl’s I got a different vibe. Nobody there seemed happy to serve and last time they had to interrupt their conversation in Spanish to take my order. It was as if they were annoyed to serve a customer.
Folks want to spend their money where they feel valued by happy employees, not a burden by unhappy workers.
Here’s an example. At one Chevron station that I visit regularly, there is an unhappy female clerk and the other who wears a perpetual smile. I asked Ms. Drab one day “How’s life?” and she unapologetically replied, “Life sucks.” I didn’t know what to say other than “I’m sorry to hear that” since I got the feeling I shouldn’t ask why. I bristle when she is the one who rings me up because she NEVER acts happy. The other girl is a breath of fresh air, acts happy and smiles a lot. You want to interact with her and leave the store feeling good, not bummed that you encountered a depressed individual.
Happy workers are an asset and unhappy workers drive away customers.
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While Democrats bellyache about Donald Trump destroying the country, there is a group who are happy about passage of HR 1, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. One of them is Marie Alvarado Gil, our state senator who saw the light and switched from the Democrat to Republican Party.
Adam Gray has proved he is solidly with Democrats who want nothing to do with ending wasteful federal spending.
Alvarado Gil noted the bill will play a major role in “making rural California living affordable again.
“From eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, to expanding deductions for seniors, and protecting family farms from the death tax — this bill puts money back in the pockets of those who need it most.
“While he and progressive Sacramento focus on elitist coastal priorities, President Trump is giving a voice back to the Californians they’ve forgotten.
The bill does many things:
• Removes suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA), including removing onerous governmental restrictions including government registry, fingerprinting, extensive wait times, and the requirement of carrying proof of tax paid while visiting a gun range.
• Ensures all illegal aliens including parolees are not receiving federal benefits.
• Continues to remove the waste in Medicaid by preventing reimbursements for transgender surgeries.
• Ensures taxpayer dollars will not fund abortion providers.
• Phases out Biden’s Green Deal scam by 2028 and putting American Energy producers back in business by repealing EV mandates and CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks, rescinding wasteful environmental slush funds and repeals and phases out Inflation Reduction Act subsidies.
• Incentivizes states not to expand the welfare state and take care of our seniors.
• Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, preventing the average taxpayer from seeing a 22% tax hike.
• Delivers on Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and providing additional tax relief for seniors.
• Supports small businesses and Made-in-America investments through immediate 100% expensing, incentives for new manufacturing facilities, R&D immediate amortization, and interest expense deductions.
• Provides over $140 billion to secure our borders and keep Americans safe by completing 701 miles of primary wall and construction of 900 miles of river barriers; funding at least one million annual removals, 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, and detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000 aliens; and the hiring and training of 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, 5,000 new Office of Field Operations customs officers, and other urgently needed personnel.
• Restores integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by requiring states to shoulder a share of the benefit costs, preventing states from manipulating SNAP eligibility and benefit calculations, and restoring SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults without young dependents.
• Roots out Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse by establishing work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and stops new schemes like provider taxes and State Directed Payments; and closing loopholes that let illegal immigrants enroll in Medicaid and reduces funding to states that prioritize Medicaid coverage of illegal immigrants (an estimated 1.4 million illegals gaming the system will be kicked off Medicaid).
Unleashes American energy dominance, and creating jobs across the country by: reinstating quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales and mandates at least 30 lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next 15 years and six in the Cook Inlet in south-central Alaska; resuming leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and coal leasing on federal lands; streamlining the permitting process for energy infrastructure.
The bill also makes major reforms to streamline student loan options, support student success, and save taxpayer money.
In addition, it invests nearly $144 billion to modernize our military and strengthen national defense.
In other words, it restores fiscal sanity and commonsense measures to lower the cost of living for those who are suffering from progressive policies.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
