Have an Opinion?/!

This is a different type of Roberta Raves, as I would like your opinion on a few topics. Since retiring and spending a lot of time watching television, I’ve been reflecting on various societal issues. I’ve shared these thoughts with my husband, and while our perspectives often differ, they are not necessarily opposites.

Please remember that my posts do not take a political stance. I recognize that social issues are complex and aim to spark discussion about them. I do not hold strong opinions; instead, I present them as food for thought and encourage thoughtful discussion.

So here goes.

Should President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, be pardoned? Will he be pardoned?

Hunter Biden’s legal troubles began on June 3, 2024, when he faced several serious gun charges: Unlawfully possessing a firearm as a drug user, falsifying information on a federal form during his gun purchase, and making a false statement about information that federally licensed gun dealers are required to collect. These charges originated from a handgun that Biden purchased in October 2018. During the trial, three of Biden’s former business partners provided sworn testimony regarding his drug use and the circumstances surrounding the gun purchase. On June 11, Biden was found guilty on three felony charges related to these federal gun violations.

Hunter is the first child of a sitting president to be found guilty of criminal charges. His law license has been revoked, and he could face up to 17 years in prison. Most pundits predict it to be less than five. I researched Hunter Biden’s background and discovered many things I had not realized about him. He has an extensive education—a Bachelor of Arts in history and a law degree from Yale. He has also been an investor, lobbyist, and philanthropist.

Hunter suffered severe brain injuries in the automobile accident that killed both his mother and sister. Should this make a difference in his receiving a pardon or not? He was involved with several business dealings viewed as shady, but none were found to be unlawful. Does this change your mind about whether he should or should not be pardoned?

After spending a few weeks in the Navy Reserve, Hunter Biden was discharged after cocaine was detected in his urine. He claimed that he had borrowed cigarettes from someone and that those cigarettes were laced with cocaine. He chose not to appeal the discharge due to his prior history of drug use. Does this information influence your thoughts on a potential pardon?

He fathered a daughter with an unmarried woman and initially denied it. A DNA test later confirmed his paternity. Does this information affect your opinion on whether he should be pardoned? President Biden has gone on record stating that he will not pardon his son. Will the president change his mind? If not, will incoming President Trump pardon him? What do you think?

Another news item that has many people reflecting concerns the Menendez brothers. They were convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in cold blood at their Beverly Hills home in 1989. The brothers initially claimed that unknown intruders committed the murders. The police grew suspicious due to the brothers’ excessive spending and hiring a computer expert to delete their father’s recently updated will.

Eric Menendez eventually confessed to the murders to his psychologist. He claimed he committed the acts to be free from their controlling father, who had imposed excessively high standards. The brothers were arrested months later because the psychologist shared Eric’s confession with his girlfriend. After their breakup, the girlfriend informed the police about the confession. [It’s important to remember that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.] Additionally, the police obtained a copy of the tape recorded by the psychologist during his sessions with Eric, which served as further evidence of the confession.

There were two trials. In the first trial, the brothers expressed fear of their parents, claiming that their father was abusive and a pedophile. They described their mother as an enabler who was mentally unstable, as well as an alcoholic and drug user. They reported that their father had threatened to kill them if they disclosed his sexual abuse.

The first trial ended in a hung jury because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. Not surprisingly, the female jurors sought a verdict of voluntary manslaughter, while the male jurors pushed for a verdict of first-degree murder. The second trial resulted in a conviction of first-degree murder. Luckily for them, the death penalty was abolished in California. So, they were found legally guilty and convicted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, the press is now discussing the possibility of their parole. The brothers have filed numerous appeals over the years, all denied. So what’s changed? For one thing, a young friend of the brothers claimed on a television show that he had been drugged and raped by Jose Menendez. In addition, a letter describing his sexual abuse was discovered, allegedly written by Eric to his cousin at the time of the abuse.

The outgoing Los Angeles District Attorney reviewed the Menendez case and requested a re-sentencing based on the brothers’ exemplary behavior while incarcerated and the time they had already served. However, this process has been delayed due to the recent election of a new district attorney. Should they be pardoned?

The brothers attempted to buy handguns at several gun stores, but federal law mandates a two-week waiting period. Ultimately, they found a way to purchase shotguns with both birdshot and buckshot ammunition illegally. The parents, Jose and Kitty, were in their den watching TV on the night they were killed. Jose was shot six times, and their mother, Kitty, ten times. When Kitty was barely alive, crawling on her bloody tiled den floor to escape, Lyle Menendez ran out to his car, where Erik handed him more birdshot ammunition to reload the gun. Lyle went back into the home and gave his mom the final, fatal blast by shooting her in the cheek. Seasoned homicide investigators stated it was the most brutal scene they had ever encountered.

A year before the gruesome murders, the Menendez brothers allegedly committed a string of burglaries, stealing around $100,000 in cash and jewelry in total. Their lawyer characterized their behavior as typical of adolescence. After the murders, Lyle Menendez bribed a former girlfriend to lie in court, claiming that the brothers had been sexually abused. She refused and reported the incident to the police.

Many people believe that the Menendez brothers were justifiably convicted and should remain imprisoned for their heinous crimes. However, the question arises: have they served enough time? For the first 22 years, the brothers were held in separate prisons. During that period, they provided counseling to other victims of sexual abuse and worked to improve the harsh prison environment by painting murals on the concrete walls. Eric has also worked with terminally ill patients and led religion classes.

How would you rule? Hubby and I have discussed it at length and have yet to reach a conclusion. Dear readers, what do you have to say?

I need to end this serious post in a lighter tone. I may have written about it before, but I need help remembering. If I can’t remember, I am assuming you can’t either.

This memory is very personal. It happened 70 years ago when I was 8 years old, yet I recall it as if it were yesterday. I was in third grade, and every Thursday, we would take a sample spelling test. The real test was given on Friday, and the words were always the same. One Thursday, I spelled all the words correctly on the sample test. My reasoning as an eight-year-old led me to think, “Why not just keep the Thursday test and copy it onto the Friday test?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that if I could get the answers right one day, there was no reason I couldn’t do it again the next day. Being young and foolish, I hid the Thursday test beneath me on the day of the big test and glanced at it while the teacher was reciting the words. Did the teacher notice? Absolutely!

“Roberta, you are cheating. Come to the front and throw your paper in the trash!”

I felt incredibly humiliated and couldn’t stop crying from shame. During lunch, I left the schoolyard and walked to the nearby Ben Franklin store, tears streaming down my face. Unfortunately, my bad day worsened when I unexpectedly ran into my dad in the store! He asked me why I was there and why I was crying. In an instant, I lied. I pointed to a billfold and said I had wanted it for a long time, which was true. To my surprise, Dad bought me the billfold! However, every time I looked at it over the following years, I was overwhelmed with guilt for having cheated in school and lied to my dad.

So, have I cheated or lied since then? Yes, a little, but not a lot! I’ve certainly never received any ill-gotten gains from it.

So, I ask you. Why did I have to take the spelling test on Friday when I got all the words correct on Thursday in the first place? What kind of teacher would do that to eight-year-old kids? Good grief! Isn’t that considered legal entrapment? Didn’t that evil third-grade teacher entice me into making a mistake?

What are your thoughts on these thought-provoking issues? Do you have a finely-tuned moral compass that allows you to reach the proper conclusion in such matters? Please let me know!