Texas is so unfair!

I wrote about how unfair Texas is the other day in the post titled "Well, bless their little hearts . . ." I just came across another news item that reinforces what a big old bully the state is.

Raul Meza received a 30 year prison sentence in 1982. He became eligible for parole in 1993. He is currently in a county jail on a mandatory supervised release. He's suing the state for illegally depriving him of the chance to re-enter society. He says parole officials take so long to approve potential job prospects, that they're gone by the time he finally applies. Poor Mr. Meza! Those mean old parole officials!

I agree that Mr. Meza's situation is grossly unfair -- but not to him. It's grossly unfair to Kendra Page, to her family, and to every citizen in the State of Texas. Mr. Meza's 30 year sentence was for raping and killing 8-year-old Kendra. By my calculation, he should still be in prison until 2012. But with the goofy Texas system, a prisoner usually serves less than half his time. Kendra, though, who would be 34 years old now, can't complain about how unfair this is to her. It's up to us to complain for her. A 30 year sentence should be just that -- 30 years. Though I think 30 years is a pretty light sentence for what Raul Meza did. I can guarantee you it would have been more severe than that if Essie May had been the one handing down the punishment!

"Murderer claims unfair treatment." The Dallas Morning News; November 10, 2008; p. 3A.