Mob Boss Ieni

So, if you'll click on the title, it will take you to a short article about a some Italian politics. The following post will make little to no sense until you've read the above small article.

It should also be noted that someone put this link up on facebook, so I wrote this entire thing on the fly over a series of 5 or 6 comments, because I kept filling up the typing window. So hopefully it's not too awful or chunky. :-)

Seems a little....pretentious. i mean, this senator dude, to begin with, makes public assumptions which could, and should, be taken to court as libelous. If there was any truth to stories about Ieni's hands "dripping with blood", then he would have been imprisoned. For this senator to accuse him is completely out of line and, to be frank, ... Read Moreillegal.
The senator then goes on to say that doing this could pose dangers to the public directly, the Cosa Nostra, and public morale. But for a "mob boss" who's only convicted crime is racketeering...where's the danger? If he were a merciless killer, I can understand the need for a public outcry, but this man is merely a bad bookkeeper. And not particularly bright, considering that he was caught. If he were a truly "dangerous" mob boss then he wouldn't have been brought to court on such flighty charges. That being the case we can dispense with the allegations against public safety.

In regards to the safety of the Cosa Nostra? Well, to begin with, these are people who's occupation is to put themselves and their families in danger. By being an active force against what is commonly considered a "dangerous" group of organizations, they put themselves and their families in the path of that "danger" every day. Additionally, if ... Read Morethe senator is fearing that the Cosa Nostra need to fear some kind of violent retribution from from Ieni and his organization, then his beliefs are misplaced. Even IF Ieni had a history of violence, there is still no reason for any further retribution to be taken by his organization. It would be completely out of place. Any danger that the Cosa Nostra faced was either during the investigation, court process, or shortly after the conviction. Any vengeance to be had would have already been taken. So that's a completely ludicrous argument.

Lastly, if the senator fears that there will be some kind of blow dealt to public morale, then he is completely turned around! At the very least, the public should be relieved that this man was released from prison. While a pretentious senator may not have to worry about spending the rest of his days in a prison, it is a reasonable fear for so ... Read Moremany that something could happen and they may spend their share of time in incarceration. But this man, Ieni was desperately ill. A man who, as an acclaimed "mob boss", must live his life as someone of great honor, pride, and respect. To break down and cry regularly? Especially in front of a panel of people who, only in the last three years, have found themselves in a position of power over him? That's ludicrous. His condition must be dire. And, to top it off, he's lost 55 pounds while under state control. 55 pounds is not the kind of healthy weight loss that one would expect of anyone.

let alone a man who's in the later stages of his life and living in a manner completely unlike that which he has been in for the greater bulk of his time on this beautiful planet. This being taken into account; should the people not rejoice that he's been freed?! A man who's committed no violent crimes and has no record of being dangerous? A man... Read More who's desperately ill? These people should be wiping their brows and breathing a sigh of relief in the knowledge that, were they to ever be incarcerated for some petty crime or mistake, they, too, would be freed into the loving care of their families. Compassion in the justice system is something that has been long in the waiting and has, historically, been saved only for the likes of modern saints like Gandhi(in particular), Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela. For this senator to ask to keep this man in prison is completely inhumane. In the name of "crimes against humanity", perhaps the senator should be tried in a court of law.

Perhaps, were that the case, he may finally be given a chance to understand the kind of compassion which needs to be found in today's justice system and beg for the forgiveness of people who will see him as, not just someone who makes mistakes in his accounting, but as a man who's committed amongst the most heinous crimes possible. A crime against humanity.