An injured child is someone a parent runs to, not from .
That's not some friendly child-rearing guideline. It's instinct, and every parent of any worth knows it.
Apparently Miller Lee Smith Jr. didn't.
As a result of fleeing a Jefferson County traffic stop Nov. 6, Smith faces charges of vehicular homicide and DUI atop a list of 14 criminal charges. Police struggled to arrest Smith after finding him less than a mile from an accident scene where his 2-year-old daughter lay dead and his 3-year-old son lay dazed with broken bones.
They didn't find Smith at the crash site trying to make sense of it all. They didn't find a mourning father crouched over Alike Smith's small, lifeless body. They didn't find a desperate dad on the road's shoulder crying for help, begging any passing motorist to help give aid to his bruised and battered children.
Authorities found Smith in the woods off Middleground Road -- with enough presence of mind to try to elude police, but apparently lacking the humanity to act like a caring parent and remain with his injured family.
The litany of charges against Smith carry specific sentencing guidelines if he is found guilty. But the emotional and ethical ramifications of abandoning gravely injured children is beyond mere criminality. It sickens the soul.
No earthly law exists to completely mete out justice to punish that.
What else would you expect?
He will soon be idolized in rap and the blame will be shifted to the police.
He is the worst excuse for a human being. Shame on anyone who gets on here today and tries to defend him or blame this on the police!
ACES: Story breaks on Friday and you'll just getting around to writing an opinion on it, today?
Yea... I figured he'd wake up in jail and realise what he did, and pitied him. Oh well, I can still pity him for being such a caring and dedicated father. Story just gets better and better.
He is not a Father. A father never would have intentionally endangered his children, nor would he have left his dying Daughter's side.
Grand Wizard, would you have mentioned heavy metal or country music if he had been white?
Spy. You have a point. I guess "Father" is too great a title for him. All he managed to earn is "Donor".
ISPY, I don't know about heavy metal, but country? Have you listened to much country? FYI, it doesn't make victims of criminals or make the police to be the bad guys. Grand Wizard is right...RAP CRAP will make this worthless dirtbag into a hero. And yes, I've listened to Rap, especially "Gangsta Rap." I've never heard such garbage that uses filthy language to describe women and the police, and refer to AA's using the "N word." You should try listening to some country instead of bashing it as "redneck $@&!"
maybe i missed something in the article, or a picture if published, but where exactly does it say this guy is of the AA race?
in any case, it doesn't matter what race he is, this is the lowest-of-the-low. he probably would have run over his own mother if she would have been standing in his way. too bad he didn't die and the little girl lived.
His picture clearly showed that he is AA.
xanadu, this isn't the first day of this story. Plenty of pictures. Those of us that are Americans just wish to call him gone. I don't think race has anything to do with this tragedy, though. It's a period of history where children are often neglected, disregarded, endangered, and injured as a matter of course. A drunk man driving, without license, with a 2 and 3 year old unbuckled in the car....and then deciding to out run the police. The difference between baby-making and parenting is easy to spot.
xanadu - http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/11/09/met_555047.shtml read and weep!
Being a yellow-bellied chicken is one thing, but this mutt's level of narcissism and cowardice has probably moved over the line all the way into psychosis. No normal person, of any race, could do what this animal did, and darn few animals above the level of fish. Even rodents protect their babies. And that will be his defense strategy: he's mentally ill. The worst part is that his kids were probably excited to have him pay any attention at all to them, right up until the terror started.
No Trial!!! My feelings are for the poor unforturnate children who had no clue of what was happening in their life!! My Daddy, My Daddy will keep us safe!
I know you people are not going to go in on Rap music. You probably do not know ANY HISTORY ABOUT HIP HOP. Rap and Original Hip-Hop are different aspects of black music. How can you critisize one genre of music without critisizing others. . . . i.e. ROCK. Pointing the finger never sovled anything. Augusta, good ol racist Augusta.
Does the history of Hip Hop have anything to do with the current state of the music? We used to be shocked when the music would insinuate something sexual now it's like, "Bit@# step over hear and Su$$ my ##$$." The funny thing is they sing like this in the slow songs as well!
This editorial could not have been stated any better ... and it's about human life. Race is never mentioned, and DOES not matter. These babies and their care is the point ... and they got nothing ... folks on death row get better than these innocent children got from the person that should have been "most likely" to protect them. This maniac will never last in prison. He killed one of his children and mangled another. We've all heard stories about how inmates treat "his kind". He'll never see death row because he'll die in prison long before any injection gets administered.
706 and Andy, try to stay on topic even if others appear to be veering off. It's not relevant or racist to find hop hop disgusting; it's a matter of taste and personal preference, and. This forum is about a tragedy and the animule who caused it.
I'd like to commend the Augusta Chronicle for running this substitute Editorial in lieu of their normal President Obama Hate Topics. I guess this is done in honor of Veteran's Day, but it still shows that even the Chronicle can show a scant bit of patriotism during a day to honor the nations Veterans. I know tomorrow we will be back to the right wing vitriol that oozes from this paper, but thank you Augusta Chronicle for the one day reprieve. Can anyone give me the link to the editorial criticizing Michael Batchelor for being DUI, supplying beer to his kids, letting one drive his pickup truck drunk which resulted in the deaths of his 3 boys and injuries to 7 others? I guess it's in the same editorials criticizing George W. Bush's big spending.
I hope he gets sent to prison for life with no chance for parole, maybe some of the other inmates will use him for a "donor" ;-)
Old Fred must be an AA with a paranoia problem when it comes to whitey. Too bad he doesn't realize editorials and even headlines are selected based on everything that is going on in the area, the region, nation and world. It's called editorial discretion and it's based on relative newsworthiness of something at that particular time. Nobody thinks Batchelor stands any higher than Miller Lee Smith, and there was a lot of coverage on his murder of his children. Quit whining. It's unmanly.
Human debris at it's finest. There is no punishment that would match the severity of his crime. He does not deserve sympathy, empathy, or even compassion. He deserves a jail cell that has no key once the door is locked. He should have pictures of his two year old daughter and her obituary posted on every wall around him as a constant reminder. He should never be able to escape the ramifications of what he has done. He is guilty of murder, because through his carelessness and recklessness his daughter lost her life. He is guilty.
I'd agree totally MIKE, except with the current penal system, this dirtbag would simply be on the taxpayers backs for life and his "family" would be on Welfare. Make these dirtbags work in prison and pay some restitution. Chain them together and make them pick up trash along the sides of all the roads. Let them clear brush along sides of roads. Let them produce rations for our troops. Don't just let them sit in prison or workout and get strong so they can overpower guards. No TV, no cigarettes, no music to begin with. Let them earn those privileges. Any infraction in prison, automatic extra 5 years.
To Fred1217: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/042205/edi_3956254.shtml
Sorry, but the editorials on both Republican and Democrat spending are too numerous to list here. But Bush was no friend of ours.
Michael Ryan
Editorial page editor
most rap music is vulgar and insane another who aint fit to listen to is M&M ,dont know how the real name is spelled but,you will know who I mean,garbage.
this is such a tragedy about those beautiful babies.Has anyone heard anything about the mother?
Wow. The editorial page editor reads this stuff? Who knew! But thanks for addressing the nonsense. Even those of us who sometimes question your wisdom appreciate knowing you're paying attention.
Worst crime ya ever seen, eh? Well, how 'bout a woman that drives her OWN two boys into a lake - specifically to MURDER them, then LIED that two African-American were involved, causing every minority male to be detained & questioned ILLEGALLY by duked officals (those detained had their Fourth Amendment violated - Officials with a negative response for responsible) and then, she escapes the dealth penalty. And the ACES referenced events is just their opinion, no evidence provided, except from individuals & sources that many would deem suspect, but they are allowed to speculate. Where is the "Innocent Until Proven Guilty" bunch, but, oh thats only for specific citizens and guess who? U either follow the Constitution EVERY day or don't attempt to follow or quote IT ever! We see the application by the ACES and others, whose memory of events are extremely selective and knowledge of Constitutional principles - absent.
justus4 you are unbelievable! When you are talking about racism you need to look in the mirror! Both of these crimes were horrific and people, both black and white, were outraged by the actions of that women. I'm outraged that you continue to try to defend the actions of this pos simply because he was black! Wake up and stop blaming whites for everything that you see wrong in the world.