Second Chance?

Daniel Hood is a very lucky young man. He has signed a scholarship with the University of Tennessee. Now there is something very shady in his past. When he was thirteen, he was present while his 14 year old cousin was raped. This has started a complete up roar among women's rights organizations as well as victims support groups. Hell it took me a week of fact finding to even decide how I felt about the situation. But I feel that I have educated myself enough to inform you all and give my opinion as I always do.

First the uncomfortable conversation of the crime. At age 13, Hood and a then 17 year old boy named Robert Sanico, tied his 14 year old cousin to a bed and duct taped her eyes and mouth. After that Sanico violated the girl with a foreign object. Hood's role in the crime seems that he stood and watched. Sanico was tried as an adult and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hood was tried as a minor and found delinquent and sent to a rehabilitation center. While incarcerated there Hood enrolled in a Catholic High School where he was a standout. His team won the state championship and he was named Mr.Football 3A in 2008.

Daniel Hood was recruited by a number of schools that quickly lost interest when they discovered that he was convicted of a violent crime. Hood did have a very interesting advocate, however. The victim of his hideous crime wrote a letter of recommendation to the University of Tennessee. She said in a phone interview in the news that she had believed he had learned and grown as a person and would never do anything like this again. As for Hood he said that he could've have went as far west as possible but he didn't want to run from this.

Now the question is; Does he deserve it? This where I struggled with this story until I read the victim's statement. If she can forgive him and support him, who am I to say he doesn't deserve it. I heard a quote today in the movie Doubt, it was speaking on squelching kindness. It said; "It is an old tactic of cruel people to kill kindness in the sake of virtue." Look I am in no position to cast any stones. I would not want to be held accountable for my sins as a child no matter how big or small. And if the young lady, who is the only person who has any right to oppose or support this, has chosen the latter, I MUST side with her. Live like no one is watching and, although John disagrees, almost everything is relative!