"I am presently in jail for seven felonies. I am twenty years old. Two other boys and I were picked up and charged with burglary. The other two boys were offered parole if they would plead [guilty]. They would only offer me a five to ten year sentence. I broke out, committed another burglary and stole a car. I was picked up and I have not been able to get in District Court. Is this what the Constitution means by quick and speedy trials? If it is, then you may have the Constitution of the United States with America. To think that some people wonder why planes are hijacked to Cuba! Does Cuba have a law to the right of a quick and speedy trial? I may be wrong about my opinion of my situation. If I am, please inform me about it?" Prisoner, Kansas
You have some very serious problems. We can appreciate that you have suffered some inconveniences due to being incarcerated. It is, we can imagine, rather irksome to be kept waiting by legal delays, not to mention being kept from your normal activities and pursuits. But, then, most professions have their hazards. It will help you, however, to consider the problems other people have. Take, for example, the burglary victim. Let's imagine a middle-aged couple returning home from an evening with friends. They find their home ransacked and most of the valuables they worked long years to accumulate gone, including their good clothes, the silverware and china, jewelry, credit cards, etc. Could make for a real problem, especially if their backs are already to the wall trying to keep a couple of children in college. Then, consider the police chief and his men. They seem to be shorthanded as more and more men resign — disgusted with procedures which turn known criminals loose for them to keep chasing in an endless game of tag. Then, they have to constantly consider that some criminal might get fed up with being chased and propose a funeral for the law enforcement agent. Lump that together with lots of overtime, riots, general disrespect and enmity, etc., for a real bag full of headaches. Take the judge. Does he have problems? Probably a docket long enough to help pave the Kansas Turnpike. There is also the worry about revengeful retaliation against himself or his family by some disgruntled criminal. And, how would you like to listen to arguments all day long? That point about Cuba sounds real interesting. From what we can gather, those Communists in Cuba don't keep people waiting — or free criminals either. And we wonder why idiots hi-jack planes to Cuba — in view of the fact that Cuba keeps putting the hijackers in jail. Since you offered to let us have America and its Constitution, we'll take you up on it. Last time we heard, no satisfactory substitute was forthcoming from any human quarters. Your problems and troubles are never going to end while you feel sorry for yourself and blame others for your woes. A speedy trial won't keep you from committing another crime at the first opportunity, Hijacking a plane to Cuba would solve nothing. Your experiences so far are enough to p rove that each new crime adds new problems and woes. The only real answer is a genuine change in your attitude. That means real repentance. Instead of making worse problems, you need to study our article on real repentance and get rid of your present problems by making a complete change in your life. We can't promise you a life free of problems and trials. But, we can promise that life will be a lot happier and rewarding. You also need to study and act on the reprint article, "Abundant Living" and the booklet on The Seven Laws of Success. They will show you the way out of your dilemma.
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