Young Woman Brutally Assaulted in Upscale Area of North Oakland: Chilling

Those who read my commentary know that I often express concern about government run amok, which unnecessarily inflicts oppressive rates of taxation.

One concern I do not have as a resident of Upper Saint Clair is public safety.

I was horrified to read of the brutal daylight assault of a 24-year-old female student near the well-traveled corner of Bayard and North Craig Streets in Oakland, an upscale area which is within a stone's throw of trendy Legume Restaurant and luxury homes and condominiums (http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-police-arrest-oakland-robber....  This location is my "old stomping grounds" and an area which I continue to frequent as it is where my place of worship is located as well as one of my favorite places to dine, All India Cuisine at 315 North Craig Street.

What will the "justice" system administer to the individual who ruined the life of a young woman, perhaps five years in jail?  I can envision his public defender noting that he was not functioning on all cylinders at the time of the incident and that he had a difficult childhood.  Perhaps being a drug addict will be used as an excuse to garner a lenient sentence.

We live in troubling times in which we cannot know from one day to the next when our lives will be shattered by factors not within our control.