The clean up crew is coming

Congratulations to Danville Police Officer Brian Sliger on being alert enough at 2:30 AM on a Monday morning to notice a couple of guys in dark clothing. And thanks are due not only to him but also to the others DPD officers involved, also to the CHP and SRVPD units who responded; it is nice to know they are on the ball and willing the CHiP in ;-)

It sounds as if the police have enough circumstantial evidence (burglary tools etc.) to establish guilt for the suspect in custody but here is a thought:

IF it comes down to St Isadore's being required to press charges, in order to make any conviction stick, should it turn the other cheek or should it press charges? Should it accept the miscreant's confession, (assuming he is guilty and assuming he confesses), then call the case closed and offer him a job as a handyman, (since he obviously has tools and some ability to use them), or what?

And speaking of work, how long is it going to be before someone comes up with a workable guest worker program? Yes, we need the extra workers but our present blind eye at the border business is nuts!

Deport him and everyone like him who commit a crime while here illegally. Guest schmest -- send the criminals home.

Oh yes, let this poor unfortunate sole go because he is so disadvantaged. And let’s see how he steels you blind if given the chance. Give me a break!

We should also deport all gang members who are here illegally.

As a parishoner at St. Isidore, I would like to thank the police for doing a great job in catching one of the suspects. We are blessed to have very good police in Danville. I also hope Father Moran supports the D.A. in fully charging the suspect for all of the crimes he committed. Anyone who would break into a sacred church, steal money, and actually try to pry off the Tabernacle, has no conscience, no morals, and would not think twice about breaking into a residential home and using violence. In order to protect the St. Isidore community, the Danville community, and to send a message to criminals who may be attracted to the area, I hope that my church fully cooperates with the D.A. in seeking all the applicable charges against this individual.

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment]

There you go "Thoughtful" - no Christian forgiveness or cheek turning here. Much judgment in that post, "parishoner." I understand being accountable for one's actions, but your comments regarding your version of morals and conscience are why I left the church. No reason to consider returning, I see.

nd1976: personally I agree with you 100% on what should be done with proven criminals who are here illegally, but then I make no particular claim to being Christian, (at least in the mainstream sense). But "Guest schmesht"? All I'm trying to do is point out that a proper guest worker program should make this sort of incident much less likely, (if combined with better border control).

Jo: Don't you sometimes wonder what Jesus would do? Look at the overflowing prisons and recidivism rates and tell me that our present lock-em-up system is working for legal residents. And, if all you do with illegal criminals is throw them over the border, how do you make sure they won't be back in a couple of weeks?

Sharon - you'll get no argument from me on your point, (deporting gang members who are here illegally).

Lisa: you get it 100% so, in the words of old Irish comedian Dave Allen, "may your God go with you".
Web Link

Lisa: You state that you "understand being accountable for one's actions" but that comments about "versions of morals and conscience are why you left the church". Are you kidding me? How can you object to someone's "versions of moral and conscience" for hoping the D.A. follows the law and charges this criminal for his crimes? How would you hold this criminal "accountable for his actions"? Would you suggest that we have no laws, that people are free to do whatever "their moral and conscience" feels is acceptable for them? You leaving the church had nothing to do with others. Stop blaming others for your choices. God gave us all free will, and the criminal choose to break into a place of worship, ransack it, and vandalize the tabernacle. You choose to leave the church. As a society, we need to stop blaming others for our own free will and free choices.

Free Will, was there a point to your post? If so, it's a bit tough to decipher give the rant. I'm not sure just what to respond to - yes, I chose to leave the church and the attitude of the post that I responded to was the prevailing reason. In particular this statement hit home:

"Anyone who would break into a sacred church, steal money, and actually try to pry off the Tabernacle, has no conscience, no morals, and would not think twice about breaking into a residential home and using violence."

To me (yes, this is MY opinion, the author of this post - I am not saying it has to be YOUR opinion), that is a judgmental statement - how would the author of that post know the alleged person has NO morals, NO conscience? It is the DA's JOB to pursue a case against this individual, it is not the JOB of the rest of us to judge their moral character. I'm not saying they are a saint, I'm saying it is not my place to judge them.

I "blame" no one for my choice here or elsewhere - I simply stated the experience of seeing parishoners judge others was why I left the church (glad I left, so no reason to blame anyone).

Are you capable of comprehending the difference?

Now it's the despised illegal Latinos. Before them were the despised Japanese who were interred. Before them were the despised Chinese laborers. But before them were the illegal Anglos and Europeans. Is it because of guilt and greed that Whites are now letting the indigenous Guidiville Band of Pomo Indiand have a Casino
in Richmond?

From what I understand the money stolen from Isidores has been recovered where the money taken from St. Joan's, from the safe is gone and not expected to be recovered. What is worse is that the suspect has expressed NO remorse or desire to repent. Pray for him, we will but excuse his crimes we will not! And I agree with the previous poster. A person who not only breaks into a church with the intent of robbing and vandalizing it, but also tampers with the sacred tabernacle clearly has no moral character or integrity. That was not an act of survival on a person down on his luck, it was a deliberate act of violence and disrespect to the church.

Vandalizing the church, and messing with the sacred tabernacle is not a victimless crime, or an attempt by a hungry person to obtain money for food. It is a hate crime, plain and simple. However, in today's society, it is acceptable to commit hate crimes and other wrong doings against Catholics. If this was the NAACP headquarters that was ransacked, and symbols of their beliefs were messed with, there would be protests, and calls for action, by people like "Lisa" with her prior posts. I pray that people like "Lisa" learn to see beyond their politcally correct, ill educated and preconceived beliefs of "morals" and "justice".

Catholic, what knowledge do you have regarding my beliefs of morals and justice? Because I posted that I have no right to judge the morals of others, you judge me ill educated and bereft of morals myself? You go on to proclaim Catholics as popular victims of hate crimes - am I understanding this correctly?

I don't profess to know why St. Isadore was broken into. It may very well have been a hate crime - I don't know. I also know that it is not my place to judge the person who committed the act. Nor to judge you for what seems to me a post filled with incorrect assumptions about me in particular. I don't know your story so I can't judge your rationale for your conclusions.

I think "Thoughtful" above had an interesting question re: what happens when a church is broken into. I think the question has been pretty much answered - some (not all, thankfully) will draw their own conclusions regarding the reasons behind the crime and they will feel justified in judging the person who they believe is responsible.

One thing I took from my years in the church is that I have no right to sit in judgment of anyone. The act of forgiveness also resonates with me, as well as compassion. Odd that I left, though still carry many of the lessons. And that I still encounter the same unfortunate attitudes that were present when I was a parishioner.