Who else is OUTRAGED

 It was an honor to do last night's show about Jack. Vanessa was absolutely incredible and inspiring.  We both feel even more outraged about the injustice that is unfolding regarding Jack's killer.  When Vanessa shared that empathy the killers mother expressed in regards to her son taking Jack's life, and the way the killers friends and accomplices taunted Jack's loved ones in court, is unconscionable to us.  To top it off, they get to walk away with just a slap on the wrist.  How is that even possible?  We truly believe that the more we all come together and voice our outrage, the more likely justice will be served!  Vanessa and Jack's father are working on getting a petition together and we encourage you to sign it and pass it on to EVERYONE you know.  In the meantime continue to share this and any story about Jack to people you know, because we can make a difference.

What Jack Has Taught Us.

Tonight is the night! We've been preparing hard for this episode and we are both nervous and excited for what lies ahead. When we were first asked to do this we had no idea how much this story would affect us on a personal level. Everything we have learned about Jack from those that knew & loved him has touched our hearts. The stories have painted a picture of somebody that was loyal and kind; somebody who was a friend a friend would want to have. It has become clear to us that Jack Smith had nothing but promise before him for the life he would lead. In just a moment, in a reckless, preventable moment, all that promise was ripped away. Jack's story teaches us many things. It teaches us the need for more responsible parenting. It teaches us how quickly a situation can escalate to violence. It teaches us the need for stronger laws and stiffer consequences for the people who break those laws, no matter what their age. It also teaches us that life is fleeting and that those we love can be taken from us in the blink of an eye. 

We feel honored to have been asked to be a part of this. We hope that everyone involved will feel as though they have done something for Jack. We also hope that somehow this will set the wheels in motion for change. The way Jack's case has been handled seems unjust. We hope this show, and people's response to it, will allow the powers that be to see that things need to change. So that somehow, Jack's death will not be in vain. It's too late to bring Jack back, but maybe it's not too late to prevent the same thing from happening again. 

Thank you for allowing us to know Jack. Thank you for allowing us to help, in some small way, to honor his memory & speak out on his behalf. 

What Is Justice?

When it comes to a lost loved one, what is justice? How much time served would seem enough to pay for the life lost? We asked Vanessa that very same question. She said that if Jack's shooter received the 25 years minimum that they originally believed he was going to get, she & others would be happy & feel that justice was served. They believe that the punishment should fit the crime, in this case the murder of 19 year old Jack Smith. Many people believe that a sixteen year old should not be tried as an adult or treated as such. But in a case like this one, where the adults involved are seemingly not being held accountable, including the shooter's mother who was present at the party and the owner of the gun used, how will justice be obtained? Jack's murderer will more than likely serve a very reduced sentence in a youth facility and be back out on the streets by the time he's 21 years old. If justice isn't served correctly, what's to stop him from repeating his actions at that time? What's to stop any other teenager from doing the same? How can there be any justice for Jack if nobody seems to pay fully for the crime?

Your Gun-Your Responsibility!

When you lose a loved one, especially to violence, you want someone to be held responsible. In Jack's case, it's clear that there were many controllable factors that lead to his death. There never should have been a huge party with underage drinking going on, especially with an adult present. The fight that Jack & his friends were in never should have escalated. And a minor, especially one who had been in trouble before, never should have had access to a handgun. In Colorado, it is illegal for a minor to own a handgun. But what about an adult that owns a gun and then is irresponsible with it, such as leaving it unattended and accessible to a minor? Allegedly, Jack's shooter stole the gun he used to kill Jack from his mother's boyfriend. How did he know where the gun was kept? Why wasn't it locked safely away? And why isn't the owner of that gun being held responsible in some way?
According to http://davekopel.org/2A/IP/HowStrict.htm, "Senate Bill 254 (which is currently in a conference committee), would amandatory one year minimum sentence on any adult who transfers a handgun to a juvenile, regardless of the circumstances". This is a proposal being put before Congress. There are many aspects to this law that people find unfair. However, isn't it right that when it comes to minors, adults be held somewhat responsible? Regardless of whether the owner of the gun that shot Jack actually gave the gun to the shooter or was just blatantly irresponsible in his ownership of the gun, it was his gun. Where is his accountability?

Allegedly Accountable

As we prepare for our upcoming show remembering Jack Smith we can't help but find ourselves puzzled by many things pertaining to this horrific case.  Allegedly the gun that Jack's killer used to take his life was one that was stolen from his mother's boyfriend.  Allegedly when this party was going on, that involved around 50 minors, and including the time when Jack's life was taken from him, his mother was home sleeping.  Allegedly Jack's murderer was charged with criminal mischief a month prior.  Allegedly the only thing that his mother is being charged with is contribution to the delinquency of a minor.  Now for the record, we are not involved in this case, we are not lawyers, judges, or anything in between.  However, that does not stop us from wondering if justice is being prevailed.  We have never met the murderer's mother and therefor cannot form an educated opinion of her whatsoever.  However, shouldn't the parent of a minor who killed someone on their property after a night of illegal partying in their house hold more blame?!  We have researched several articles about this case and have not found any apologies or remorse documented from the mother (not to say they dont exist and not to say that she has not privately reached out to the victims family.)  Are we wrong in thinking that the legal guardian of this murderer is getting off a little easy?

The Hero Behind the Headlines

Jack Lee Smith's life was tragically taken at the young age of 19.  Because of the malicious act of his murderer, the world will never know how Jack would have lived out his life; but thanks to the testimonies from Jack's friends and family, we have insight on what this remarkable, and brave young man was like.  I have taken the following description from his obituary and another from a letter his girlfriend at the time wrote for us so that as we here, at Sorry We Are Perfect, continue to research this devastating loss, that we can remember the hero behind the headlines.

Jack Lee Smith, age 19, a five year resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado was tragically taken away on November 21, 2010 at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. Jack was born on March 26, 1991 in Chester, Pennsylvania. 
He graduated from Coronado High School and was attending classes at Pikes Peak Community College. Jack enjoyed cliff diving, swimming, skate boarding and camping. He loved working with computers, especially in graphic design. Jack was a very compassionate and kind person; he always wanted to help others. Jack loved spending time with his family and friends and his two dogs. Jack enjoyed being in the outdoors. He was a member of St. Maryann’s Episcopal Church in Northeast, Maryland. Jack is survived by his father, John J. Smith of Colorado Springs, grandparents, Jim and Carolyn Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania, James and Diane Thompson of Rising Sun, Maryland, Alicia Racine and Walter Barksdale both of Aston, Pennsylvania. 

http://holtfuneralhomes1.frontrunnerpro.com/runtime/25886/runtime.php?SiteId=25886&NavigatorId=141446&op=tributeObituary&viewOpt=dpaneOnly&ItemId=608370

Letter from his great friend Vanessa:

Jack Lee Smith died November 21^st 2010 from a gunshot wound to the chest; he was 19 years old. Jack was a very outgoing and loving person. He lived everyday to the fullest and never let one second pass without a smile no matter what was going on in his life. When Jack was 8 his mother passed away from an accidental overdose and from that day on it was just him and his dad Joe Smith. They were all they had to each other. Jack graduated in May of 2010 from Coronado High School. Throughout school and life Jack made friends with almost everyone he met. He had respect for all and never judged anyone until he knew them. He was the kind of person that you wanted to be friends with because of his overall love of life and having a great time. And trust me that attracted a lot of people to him. He had a laugh that was contagious, even if you were in the worst of moods. Up until the moment he passed he had a great ability to protect the ones he loved from anything, and that’s all he ever wanted to do. To Jack his, goals in life were to be successful as a History major and one day finding something undiscovered. He wanted to make the ones around him happy, make new friends, live each day like it was his last, and protect his loved ones from any sort of danger that came their way. Unfortunately Jacks passion for being the protector is was caused his untimely passing. On the night of November 20th Jack and his friends were doing what was usual for a Saturday night; hanging out with friends and having a good time at a party. Once the party died down everyone began to leave. While Jack and his friends were heading to their cars, Eric Manly shouted words to Jack. Wanting to know why Eric was doing this Jack confronted him and his friends on the porch. A fight broke out and while Eric had the chance he ran inside and grabbed his gun. While Jack and Cody ran back to their car to leave Eric came out and fired a shot at Cody and it ricocheted off the ground and into a parked car. Scared Cody ran and left Jack. Jack, being the “protector” of the group turned around and put his hands up and tried talking the kid out of ruining not only his and Cody’s life, but Jacks as well. After a few minutes of arguing Eric Manly pulled the trigger and Jack went down. Once Jack hit the ground Bobby Dudek, one of Erics friends, ran over and began kicking and punching Jack in the face. When Jack was shot the bullet hit the artery in his heart and severed Jacks spine in half leaving him paralyzed in the middle of the street and completely defenseless from the attack from Bobby. Once the attack was over, friends began to notice what happened and ran to him, including Cody who was already on the phone with 911. Jack died in that street in front of his friends. Getting a phone call at 3 in the morning from your mother telling you that the love of your life has been shot and has passed away is the worst feeling in the world. I knew how hard it was on me but can never imagine what it’s like for Joe who has just lost his only son. Jacks death has been a travesty to literally everyone who has known him.

Eric Manly is currently being held at Spring Creek Juvenile detention center. At first the District Attorney charged Eric with second degree murder, second degree attempted murder and 8 other federal gun charges and was declared an adult for these crimes. Now, the DA has given the judge plea agreements for Eric. They have pleaded him down to just second degree murder in the heat of passion. The judge now has 2 options, either 6 years in youth offender services and if its completed Eric will be set free and if not he will have to serve 10-35 years in Department of Corrections, or 10-25 years in Department of Corrections. Bobby Dudek is facing only 3^rd degree assault charges and may possibly only get probation. Despite pleas from the family and friends wanting a trial for all charges the D.A refuses to let up on the agreement and says that this judge is “going to give him the 6 years regardless so there is no point in taking it to trial.” To Joe and to me it seems like just a simple way to get a guilty plea and wash their hands of it. Six years does not replace the 40 or 50 years we may have had with Jack. Joe will never be able  to see him graduate college or get married or have grandchildren. Eric took away my chance to marry Jack and have my children with him. The Colorado judicial system, when it comes to juveniles, is seriously lacking in their ability to try these kids for the hanous crimes they have committed. The truth is, this was a cold- blooded murder, an adult decision of one kid to take another’s life and therefore should be treated as one.

Our goal for this radio show and mine and Joe’s efforts with the press is to get this story out there and get the communities perspectives on the case. For them to remember that if this plea goes through this kid will be back on the streets, hanging out in their establishments, befriending their children, possibly dating their daughters, or even committing the same crime to another. He could possibly have the life that he took from Jack when he pulled the trigger. We want to get this out there not only for Jack, but also for the possible future victims of this type of crime. If 16 year olds can kill and be released back into society as “rehabilitated” gives the public the knowledge that “hey if I do this I will be out with a slap on the wrist”. We don’t want the message sent out that Colorado’s judicial system for juveniles is lenient. What’s the message that is being sent to these “gangs” that are creeping up in our community. Our fear is that they may recruit these kids and tell them that it’s ok to kill because they will get a slap on the wrist for it. We don’t want this happening to anyone else’s children, boyfriends, or loved ones. Anything we can do now, may save someone in the future or at least be able to give any future victims families the right justice. People need to ask themselves, what if this were their only son? What kind of justice would they be willing to “deal with”?

In Memory of Jack.

At Sorry We're Perfect, we like to think we're concerned with a little more than just grievous fashion faux pas' & the latest shenanigans of the Jersey Shore cast. We also take a deep interest in things we consider to be important issues, including everything from politics to major social issues like bullying & gay rights. We believe that we have a basic responsibility as human beings to look out for those around us and to stand up for what we believe to be right. That's why when a friend of ours named Vanessa came to us & asked if we would do a show in memory of her friend Jack, we felt it was something we had to do.
Jack was a wonderful person who touched many lives. He was smart, kind, and funny. And this past November, at the very young age of 19, Jack was shot & killed at a party. His death has brought much pain to those fortunate enough to know him. In September, those responsible for his death are being sentenced. Vanessa, Jack's father, and many others feel that the punishment they are receiving is not nearly as harsh as it should be. They want to being attention to this and also do something for Jack, who always seemed to be doing things for others, right up until the moment he died when he got between the gunman & his friend.
We are still in the early stages of planning this episode, but we feel honored to have been asked and we feel a great need to try & bring Jack some justice. Therefore, public attention & awareness is our big focus here. We all know that having your voice heard is one of the biggest steps towards making change. Jack no longer has a voice, but those that love him are speaking out on his behalf.
More to come...

From Bullies to Beer

Today I woke up with the same excitement I do on Christmas morning*, I rushed out of bed, skipped down the hallway, opened my front door and shouted "Happy International Beer Day!"  My 85 year old next door neighrbor Ruth didn't seem to share my enthusiam, so I decided to go back inside, afterall who cares...it's International Beer Day!

For those who are not familiar with International Beer Day, first of all shame on you...second, visit this website, learn what this amazing day is all about, and call your pals and gal pals, pick up a frosty mug, and cheers!

http://www.internationalbeerday.com/

Tell us how you plan to celebrate International Beer Day!

My Little Bully

Despite the fact that I was my high school's SGA treasurer my sophmore year, I am not an economist.  Thus, I have no credible grounds to say whether the "Debt Deal" was in fact something we should all cheer about or something we should revere.  Do not worry though, todays post will have nothing to do with the details of that controversial deal, but rather the people who lead us to it...

As you may know the topic for our next show is about bullying, and therefore I have been thinking about the subject a lot.  When I think of someone being bullied, I typically have flashbacks of elementary school when the class bully, Kevin Peters, shoved the scrawny little kid in glasses and My Little Pony socks straight onto the asphault barely missing the basketball pole, just because he did not want to play a game of flag football.  Was it MY fault I hated sports that did not involve jump ropes or chalk, and had an admiration for equestrian socks?!?!  Again I digress....

My point is, I often have images of adolecents when I think of bullying, but are children the only culprits? 
Watching the way congress handled itself leading up to this "dump, I mean debt deal"...reminded me that adults bully eachother just as much as kids do.  Now it doesn't matter if you are a democrat, republican, tea party or librarian, it would be hard to disagree that many members of congress across the isle acted like immature little bullies.  Some tried to intimidate the scrawny little kid until he started to cry;  push him so far off the play ground that he almost defaulted and hurt his head, and yes, the congressional bullies even took the little victims lunch money.  

Unfortunately, the scrawny little kid in this situation was NOT the opposing party, it wasnt just the republicans gunning after the democrats, and vice versus....the scrawny little kid was the American People...

So my message to those little congressional bullies: Stop acting like immature little bullies and leave that scrawny kid alone...afterall there are a whole lot more of them than you!

Sorry We're Perfect prepares to stand up to bullies...

There is nothing we hate more than bullies (except for maybe polka dots and scrunchies), which is why for our next episode we're planning to address the issue of bullying. It seems in this day and age, bullying is all over the news and T.V. and we've decided to bring it to online radio as well. Right now we're just in the early stages of planning the episode, which means we are mainly still drinking coffee and complimenting each other on our outfits in meetings instead of making real headway, but we do have a pretty good idea of where we want to take this show.
We've been trying out some fun things with bringing new elements to the show. Several episodes back we interviewed somebody on the air about fitness and diet. For this show, we'd really like to find somebody who has recently been in the news because they were bullied and interview them on the air. It's something new for us and a direction we'd like to go in. I mean, it's not that we would ever get sick of the sounds of our own voices but we really think our listeners might be ready for us to take it up a notch.
What are we hoping to achieve with this show on bullying? Well, we would like to make it more socially acceptable for people to step up and admit they've been bullied or are being bullied. It's something that probably happens to a lot of people but that most people don't want to talk about. We also want to explore how bullying is handled by parents and teachers, what leads to bullying, how to prevent/stop it, and how to help those that are victims of bullying. While we're at it we just may try to solve the mystery of who killed JFK & achieve world peace. Depends on how fast the half hour show goes by.
And now--busy, busy, busy!!!