Responding to Mike Royko`s column ”Dotson a loser, but is he a criminal?” (Tribune, Dec. 29) in which he contends that ”Dotson is trouble prone. Not big trouble . . . (but) the kind you see people being fined $50 for in the neighborhood police courts.”
Royko goes on to say that Dotson is ”not an evil person, or even dangerous to anyone but himself. So he gets arrested for slapping his wife . . . and now he`s been imprisoned again for getting into a quarrel over whether he ordered a sandwich with peppers or just a plate of peppers.” In point of fact, Dotson assaulted the waitress. I understand his assault against his wife was more violent than a slap.
Royko asks us to consider that Dotson is not a rapist, but it is important to remember that Dotson is a convicted rapist. Rape convictions are not easily or sloppily achieved in the Illinois criminal justice system.
The public hearings held after Cathy Webb`s recantation to consider Dotson`s innocence did not reveal any such innocence. Entertaining the possibility that Dotson is not a rapist, as Royko suggests, may be promoting the notion that we are a society that superficially responds to sexual violence.
Gary Dotson has a history of criminal behavior. His behavior is abusive and life-threatening, the type that families and communities deserve to be protected from. Royko diminishes the seriousness of Gary Dotson`s behavior.
Dotson, like everyone, must be held accountable for violent actions directed against another person. Alcoholism, a mental slump, depression or medication cannot be excuses to injure someone else. We cannot just ”lose it,” hurt someone and expect to be excused from the consequences.
I too wish that Gary Dotson had enjoyed an easier life during childhood. I wish that for everyone whose lives have been disrupted by neglect or abuse or alcohol or poverty. Gary Dotson has had more support than most people to overcome hardships; even the governor and our state tried to help him.
Stopping violence is a difficult and complex commitment. No person and no society should be absolved from the responsibility we have to each other to make this a safer and saner world.
