One of the things that surprises me is that you do not see more violence

perpetrated by very old people that have gotten the shaft somewhere along the line.

Yesterday one of the guys I know brought up the subject of an elderly couple that were drawing a pension from I believe Bethleham Steel and got the surprise of their life when the pension got raided by someone and their pension stopped. I understand the man was in his 80s.

A man in his 80s is generally in no position to go back into the job market, although I suppose there are always a few exceptions.

Although I suppose that someone found a legal way to raid the pension find, legal does not make things right. It is outright wrong to do that to people. Some of the biggest thieves in this world are lawyers.

Back in the day, robbers used to have to wake up early and chase a train, stop it and simply rob it at gunpoint. It was pretty risky work as there were a lot of armed people on the train and the robbers stood a pretty fair chance at getting shot. Couple that with the other risks of falling under a moving train, getting thrown by a panicky horse, etc it was really a pretty risky lifestyle.

Of course, this robbery would usually result in a chase by a possee or being tracked down by Pinkerton detectives who did not have their hands tied the same way police officers do today. The reward for these train robbers was generally paid if they were delivered dead or alive.

As for the money, it was generally pretty hit or miss and probably mostly miss with a pretty poor take considering the risks.

Today an attorney with a briefcase can rob with impunity and no risk whatsoever. With no risk whatsever it is little wonder that trashy lawywers try and rob things like pension funds and care none at all for their victims or their families.

When you think about it, I am pretty surprised that a few of these old timers haven't decided to simply retaliate by simply whacking the responsible party. It doesn't take much strength to wield a pistol of for that matter to hire some punk to do the job.

Take the guy that has just been diagnose with some disease and knows the end is coming and that he's going to have to cough up a lot of his savings for hospitalization. He knows that the money he spends on hospitalization is less for the widow he is leaving behind.

He also knows that as a prisoner of the state he would get medical attention from the state for free.

He simply KNOWS that by getting sent to prison for the last few months of his life he is going to make it possible for his wife to live a semi-comfortable few years. I would imagine that the temptation to dig up a pistol, wander into the attorney's office and pop him would cross his mind.

I know I would certainly give something like that very serious consideration.

It would be interesting to see some octagenarian in court looking at the judge and simply say to the judge, "Yeah? So? I've got 4 months left. Hospitalization will cost me my life savings. I popped the bastard.What are you going to do about it? Put me in jail for life?"

It would be a real head trip for the judge to sentence a person in those shoes. The entire concept of crime and punishment just went out the window. There is not a whole lot the system can do to punish a guy like this unless it is to simply give him a suspended sentence for first degree murder. It would, of course, be the most punishing thing a judge could do in this case.

After all, putting him in jail is just what he wants. It will permit him to save what little money he has left to pass on to his spouse.

I suppose if something like this happened once it would be an anamoly.

But if something like this happened on a regular basis, I'd just bet that the number of attornies that use their briefcases as a license to steal would decrease because unlike the robbers of old, most of the attornies of today just don't have the stomach to take any real chances.

I am surprised I have not heard of this happening yet.

I will post it here if I do.




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