Calling shenanigans on blame

Little Brody Oppelaar never really got to know his parents or siblings. He never learned how to ride a bike, or even speak. He never even learned to crawl. Because on Saturday night, at just three months old, he died when the car he and his parents were travelling in was struck by another car being driven by a reckless criminal who was deliberately and blatantly breaking the law. The criminal, a car thief named Justin Williams, who was still facing court related to an earlier crime, also died. His girlfriend, Skye Webbe, somehow survived and has been placed in an induced coma in Canberra Hospital. Her parents want the police to "pay for what has happened", because, obviously, it was the fault of the police that their daughter was in a stolen car being driven by an unlicensed driver. Who was also a car thief. Apparently, the entire tragedy was the fault of the police because they had the hide to start chasing an known offender driving a stolen car, instead of whatever else it is they should have been doing. Maybe drinking coffee and eating donuts like some real-life version of Clancy Wiggum.

Only a little less than two weeks ago, NSW State Parliament passed "Skye's Law", a legislation named after two-year old Skye Sassine who died on December 31 when her car was hit from behind by another being driven by bank robbers who were fleeing police. Skye's Law introduced a mandatory prison sentence for criminals who try to outrun police in car chases. Williams may have been aware that the new law meant he would go to gaol if he'd been caught, but as he was already facing court on similar charges it's unlikely he would have escaped prison time even if he'd managed to get away. Instead, he killed himself and three innocent people, one a small baby who never even learned his own name. And if some people are to be believed, it wasn't his fault. He was just trying to outrun the cops. If the cops hadn't been chasing him, he maybe wouldn't have been driving so fast nor run the red light. Naturally. Because guys driving stolen cars ALWAYS drive carefully and stop for red lights.

This was not the fault of the police. To quote Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell, who supported the expedition of Skye's Law through Parliament, "there is no way that those police officers who now have to live with this, as others do for the rest of their lives, should be today sharing some of the blame for this terrible tragedy". He's right. This was not the fault of the police. We're already told by the media, time and time again, that cops don't do enough to prevent crime. Then, in this instance, when they are attempting to do just that, it's somehow their fault such a tragedy occurs. Of course.

Justin Williams was a reckless menace who cared about no one but himself. Through his own actions he will never harm another human being. Tragically for little Brody Oppelaar and his parents, this irresponsible moron wasn't stopped soon enough.