Unless you call 911 because your friend OD'ed... Today, one of RI's Good Smaritan laws expired. This law has - and would - protect people from formal charges based upon evidence gathered during police interaction following a 911 emergency call in the case of a drug overdose. Unfortunately, our "leaders" in the Rhode Island General Assembly saw fit to let this law sunset, as of July 1, 2015, largely due to the testimony of State Attorney General, Peter Kilmartin.
Kilmartin saw fit to testify before our legislature to the fact that he would rather score a few more drug arrests and prosecutions than save the lives of Rhode Islanders. He would rather see our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and friends DIE, than to sacrifice a few points on crime statistics, in a futile attempt to continue a MISERABLY failed war on drugs. A war which - much like our modern interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East - has absolutely NO exit strategy. This man, Kilmartin, dares to call himself a capital-D Democrat, and his broad acceptance into that party, on a state level, is a big reason why this writer no longer considers himself a Democrat. I didn't leave the party; the party left me - and high and dry, at that.
Kilmartin saw fit to testify before our legislature to the fact that he would rather score a few more drug arrests and prosecutions than save the lives of Rhode Islanders. He would rather see our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and friends DIE, than to sacrifice a few points on crime statistics, in a futile attempt to continue a MISERABLY failed war on drugs. A war which - much like our modern interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East - has absolutely NO exit strategy. This man, Kilmartin, dares to call himself a capital-D Democrat, and his broad acceptance into that party, on a state level, is a big reason why this writer no longer considers himself a Democrat. I didn't leave the party; the party left me - and high and dry, at that.
I'll ask you this, Mr. Kilmartin, in the words of my narcissistic, puerile co-host, Pat Ford, aka PO Taxpayer, akaPat from Cumberland: How many of these "crime scenes" would police have been alerted to if someone had not called 911? Moreover, when did the scenes of human tragedy become political opportunity for you?
Keep in mind that Rhode Island has the seventh highest per capita rate of fatal drug overdoses in the country. Politicos often point to how Rhode Island is at the bottom of the barrel by a whole host of metrics. Well, in this milieu, we're in the top ten - and not in a good way.
In his announcement for his first campaign for the state Attorney General's office, Kilmartin said, "I will hold up my hand... and vow to enforce the law without fear or favor... I don't care if you're a policeman, a politician, a judge, an accountant, a doctor, a contractor, or a common thug. YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED!" Sounds good, right? Sadly, we haven't seen to many prosecutions of politicians, police officers, accountants, doctors, or contractors, but the prosecution of "common thugs" continues at at an exorbitant rate. Especially "thugs" that are not of the caucasian persuasion. Kilmartin's office was noticeably absent from the raid on now disgraced former House Speaker Gordon Fox's offices, and has been tight-lipped about the incident and surrounding circumstances since.
He continued, "You never lose that passion to help people and try to make positive difference." Apparently "helping people" and "making a positive difference" don't include keeping people from dying. Kilmartin would rather have you think twice about calling 911, or at least put away your paraphernalia and drugs before you do. In an instance where seconds matter, putting that hand-blown glass bong in the kitchen cabinet before calling an ambulance can be the difference between life and death.
Kilmartin served for many years as a police officer in Pawtucket, and put himself through law school on the taxpayers dime. In his time at the District Attorney's office, he NEVER BROUGHT A FELONY CASE TO TRIAL. So much for, "you will be prosecuted." After a less-than-eventful stint in the DA's office he ran and won a seat in the RI House at which point he ran for the AG's office.
Is this not the dictionary definition of a career politician? Every move he's made has been merely a stepping stone to the next. If he was passionate about law enforcement, would he not have stayed "on the job?" If he was passionate about the law, would he not have stayed in the DA's office? If he was passionate about helping the residents of Pawtucket, would he not have continued to run to represent the people of Pawtucket? It's clear why the other career politicians on Smith Hill take his word as bond: He's one of them.
Where your sense of decency, Mr. Kilmartin? Where is your commitment to protect and serve the people of Rhode Island? Is a few more drug arrests worth PEOPLE DYING? It seems from your testimony that you think, yes, in fact, it's OK to let people die to improve our "crime" statistics in the national database. Like so many incompetent business owners, it seems you are more concerned with "the numbers" than the actual human impact of your monstrous, narrow-minded ideology and/or political ambitions.
The next time someone in Rhode Island dies of a drug overdose, we should ask if it could have been prevented if emergency medical personnel had been contacted sooner, or at all. From his testimony, though, Mr. Kilmartin may relish the chance to charge someone who hesitates to call 911 with negligent homicide. It will be just another "plus" in the national crime database. Apparently, Kilmartin thinks the opioid addiction and overdose problem in Rhode Island is less of a public health crisis, and more of a political football. When that first overdose death happens after July 1st, that blood will be on your hands, Kilmartin, or should we call you Kil- MORE- tin? Shame and double-shame on you.
I've never been prouder of my vote for your opponent in the last election. I imagine that Dawson Hodgson would have been a staunch advocate for an expanded Good Samaritan law because he ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE!
If Governor Gina Raimondo has any sense at all, she will issue an executive order reinstating the Good Samaritan law as it stood, or better yet, codifying the expanded law proposed by advocates of, y'know, not letting people die for stupid reasons.
Keep in mind that Rhode Island has the seventh highest per capita rate of fatal drug overdoses in the country. Politicos often point to how Rhode Island is at the bottom of the barrel by a whole host of metrics. Well, in this milieu, we're in the top ten - and not in a good way.
In his announcement for his first campaign for the state Attorney General's office, Kilmartin said, "I will hold up my hand... and vow to enforce the law without fear or favor... I don't care if you're a policeman, a politician, a judge, an accountant, a doctor, a contractor, or a common thug. YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED!" Sounds good, right? Sadly, we haven't seen to many prosecutions of politicians, police officers, accountants, doctors, or contractors, but the prosecution of "common thugs" continues at at an exorbitant rate. Especially "thugs" that are not of the caucasian persuasion. Kilmartin's office was noticeably absent from the raid on now disgraced former House Speaker Gordon Fox's offices, and has been tight-lipped about the incident and surrounding circumstances since.
He continued, "You never lose that passion to help people and try to make positive difference." Apparently "helping people" and "making a positive difference" don't include keeping people from dying. Kilmartin would rather have you think twice about calling 911, or at least put away your paraphernalia and drugs before you do. In an instance where seconds matter, putting that hand-blown glass bong in the kitchen cabinet before calling an ambulance can be the difference between life and death.
Kilmartin served for many years as a police officer in Pawtucket, and put himself through law school on the taxpayers dime. In his time at the District Attorney's office, he NEVER BROUGHT A FELONY CASE TO TRIAL. So much for, "you will be prosecuted." After a less-than-eventful stint in the DA's office he ran and won a seat in the RI House at which point he ran for the AG's office.
Is this not the dictionary definition of a career politician? Every move he's made has been merely a stepping stone to the next. If he was passionate about law enforcement, would he not have stayed "on the job?" If he was passionate about the law, would he not have stayed in the DA's office? If he was passionate about helping the residents of Pawtucket, would he not have continued to run to represent the people of Pawtucket? It's clear why the other career politicians on Smith Hill take his word as bond: He's one of them.
Where your sense of decency, Mr. Kilmartin? Where is your commitment to protect and serve the people of Rhode Island? Is a few more drug arrests worth PEOPLE DYING? It seems from your testimony that you think, yes, in fact, it's OK to let people die to improve our "crime" statistics in the national database. Like so many incompetent business owners, it seems you are more concerned with "the numbers" than the actual human impact of your monstrous, narrow-minded ideology and/or political ambitions.
The next time someone in Rhode Island dies of a drug overdose, we should ask if it could have been prevented if emergency medical personnel had been contacted sooner, or at all. From his testimony, though, Mr. Kilmartin may relish the chance to charge someone who hesitates to call 911 with negligent homicide. It will be just another "plus" in the national crime database. Apparently, Kilmartin thinks the opioid addiction and overdose problem in Rhode Island is less of a public health crisis, and more of a political football. When that first overdose death happens after July 1st, that blood will be on your hands, Kilmartin, or should we call you Kil- MORE- tin? Shame and double-shame on you.
I've never been prouder of my vote for your opponent in the last election. I imagine that Dawson Hodgson would have been a staunch advocate for an expanded Good Samaritan law because he ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE!
If Governor Gina Raimondo has any sense at all, she will issue an executive order reinstating the Good Samaritan law as it stood, or better yet, codifying the expanded law proposed by advocates of, y'know, not letting people die for stupid reasons.
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