The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Concern About Young People

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

18 October 2006

Today is "National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence".

It seems very ironic that this day comes so close to the shooting deaths of a family by their son, 22-year-old Shawn Bentler in nearby Bonapart , Iowa . Shawn shot his parents and three sisters Saturday morning at their home, the teenage girls - a freshman, sophomore and senior - attended Harmony High School and the family attended St. Bonapart Catholic Church in Farmington , Iowa .

Shawn was arrested later Saturday in Quincy , about 60 miles from the family's home, on an unrelated charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to recent news reports associated with various murders highlighted this month-the Amish children in Pennsylvania , a family along the highway in Florida , the recent Bentler family in Iowa , "crime is on the rise."

I am glad to see our Sheriff's department and Illinois State Police working on taking care of meth labs and cracking down on drugs.

The brutal murder of 36 year old Dwight Vice of Oquawka, and attempted murder of his son Darrell May 4, 2001 were also drug related.

John and Brian Boyd were convicted of murder and are serving lengthy prison sentences. Steven Howerton was granted immunity for agreeing to testify. But States Attorney Ray Cavanaugh is still waiting on Dimitrios A. Androutsopoulos, arrested last year in Greece , to be extradited to face murder charges here. Dimitrios can be held there up to 18 months. since he is considered a Greek, and in Greece it will be determined if he will be extradited.

In visiting with a reformed drug addict, now doing mission work, I was told by him that the need for "a fix" was so bad during his drug habit, that he could have done anything for drugs - even killed.

"It'a a terrible addiction to get a hold of you," he said. "Sometimes he would leave his work in Burlington , ride his cycle to a home in Ft. Madison , get a shot of drugs, then go back to work." No one said anything to him. They were afraid to, he said.

Whatever we can do to support the war against drugs, we must do, to prevent more tragedies in our communities.