Source: Orange County Register (CA) Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Pubdate: Fri, 8 May 1998 THREE STRIKES LAW AS SEEN FROM THE VIEW OF A PARENT We parents with our prodigal children who are facing the three strikes law find it difficult to think of our children in the same cold way that Rodney W.Bell and Jeff Lane seem to think of them ["Society is well served by the three-strikes law," Talk Show, May 5]. I wonder if they have children and, if so, would they still be able to say "it doesn't make any difference whether the third strike is stealing jeans or robbing a bank." Would they say that their child is a "habitual criminal who needs to be off the streets"? Even if the offense has been a non-serious or non-violent crime? The three-strikes law offers no redemption. No mercy. It condemns forever. It is hopeless. It puts even the drug addict into a bottomless pit. It does nothing to produce a positive change, and in 25 years or more, the public reaps exactly what is sown. But for a while, the problem is out of sight, out of mind. "Those criminals" are somebody's children. They might be yours, they could be mine, and I would rather see my child, who is of great value, reach "the bottom" and have the opportunity to change and pull himself out of a hole, even after many, many wrong choices. We, as parents, had better take this merciless three-strikes law serious and get to Doug Kieso's group meetings, Families to Amend California's Three-Stikes. Mercy triumphs over judgement. Barbara J. Brooks: Fullerton - --- Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)