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The family and friends of the fellow who recently shot two of my relatives have been spreading a handful of lies, in an attempt to justify his violence. I understand that they are attempting to make sense out of a senseless act. More, I can appreciate that there can be a level of discomfort when the media reports that one's family member or friend committed a brutal, unprovoked attack upon two innocent victims.
Their original story went like this: Two non-residents, passing through the area, selected their family member to rob. They forced him off the road, and confronted him with weapons -- a gun and a knife. It was only after being stabbed three times that their hero -- a retired NYC cop and current part-time deputy sheriff -- acted in self-defense, shooting the father and son hoodlums.
While this is an extremely weak work of fiction (he was arrested literally 5 minutes after telling this to the detective interviewing him), my relatives find it insulting and hurtful. In an era when rumors and lies spread by way of social media, unchallenged all too often, the fact that no newspaper, or television/ radio station has reported on it, hasn't stopped it from spreading.
Hence, I have submitted four "guest op-eds" to the four most important newspapers in our region. Today, the first one appeared in the Binghamton, NY newspaper. I was pleased to find that the editors had included a photograph of the murderer with my essay; while I do not favor judging based upon appearances, I think that photo captures the guy's essence.
Below is a link to the op-ed. I've had a pretty positive response from people who have read it. In each of the four essays, I tried to focus on a different aspect of the shooting incident and the legal process. I hope that they serve the intended purpose: to provide education to the general public.
Also, I recognize that I've been posting quite a few times about this case. I suppose that you've figured out that it has been occupying a lot of my time recently. I really do want to thank all of you who read what I'm posting, and express your support for me at this difficult time. DU's grumpy old (water) man surely does appreciate it!
Peace,
H2O Man
http://www.pressconnects.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/11/16/legalities-aside-right-wrong-clear/19044001/
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)I think we all know that this kind of violence could strike any of us.
Your strength and maturity in dealing with this is a lesson to us all.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)Earlier today, I drove by the spot where the shooting took place. I was thinking about how, after shooting the son twice and the father once, this fellow came up behind my cousin -- who was giving his son mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- and placed the handgun on the back of his head. There was a sizable lump where the gun hit him on the head.
Luckily, that bullet jammed in the chamber. It was the only thing that prevented a second, execution-type of cold-blooded murder.
That is bothering me today. The thought of it; how close it came to happening. I try not to get angry, but I have felt anger today. It's almost as if my 19-year old self is visiting me. Now, "he" was mighty comfortable being angry! (grin) So, if today's OP sounds angry, that's why.
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)I should find it almost unimaginable that this former cop would do such a thing (but in today's society, I'm far more jaded than that)... Still, to resort to the tactics he clearly is-- to try to blame the victims--while enlisting friends and family to promote such lies-- shows the monster he has become. It sounds like no one is buying it, but just having such ugly lies "out there" on social media and elsewhere has to be infuriating. Your editorials are very well written and will have impact.
I hope that your cousin can move past this horrendous tragedy with the support of friends, family, and health care professionals. I can not even imagine the horror of that day for him.
Let the anger motivate you, but please don't let it destroy you.
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,493 posts)malaise
(267,838 posts)H2O Man
(73,333 posts)You are a Wonderful Friend. I hope that the next time you are in the Binghamton area, we are able to meet one another. My sons live there, and we'll task them with making a good meal for us.
malaise
(267,838 posts)Maybe next year - this year our reunion is in Miami.
onecaliberal
(32,489 posts)Hoping for swift justice.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I'll be at the court on Thursday morning, while my cousin is there for the grand jury. After that, the trial will likely be early next year.
It will be good to get that part of this behind us.
onecaliberal
(32,489 posts)Spazito
(49,781 posts)I'm glad it has been printed in the first of, I hope, many newspapers.
for your personal pain as you and your loved ones go through this difficult process.
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)H2O Man
(73,333 posts)Thanks to the power of the internet, I've heard from people from as far away as Florida today. An old friend whom I haven't seen in twenty years contacted me after she read it. That was so nice of her.
Spazito
(49,781 posts)finding long time friends and, no doubt, new allies in the fight for justice.
Take care to look after you so you can continue to fight for your loved ones and so many others.
Hekate
(90,202 posts)Can you give us links to your other op-eds? This one is excellent.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I really do appreciate and value your friendship.
As the others are printed, I will definitely post links. I think that you will like them. I started by making a list of specific issues, and then separated them into four groups -- one for each newspaper. But the four also go together quite well -- I hope! -- and should lead to my writing further op-eds etc for the local and regional media.
spanone
(135,637 posts)madamvlb
(495 posts)I'm up in the area often, I have family in the Sidney/Guilford area.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)when you are going to be in the area!
madamvlb
(495 posts)I'll let you know. Lunch maybe?
panader0
(25,816 posts)Recommended
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I am happy that it is getting a good response in this area (and on DU, of course).
An editor had contacted me a few minutes after I e-mailed it to the paper -- the second editor to contact me that day. I know that another will be published in a weekly newspaper on Thursday. It's a very conservative, republican paper, but the editor is always willing to print anything I contribute (and never cuts anything out). So far, so good.
NBachers
(17,007 posts)I'm also glad your cousin survived the execution-style murder attempt.
One has to ask- is this the first and only time John Guzy has ever done something like this?
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I remember the following day, when one of my friends stopped by. He said, "You know damned well this isn't the first time that bastard has shot someone. His actions were not those of a person who has never murdered before."
I know of two recent incidents (recent = within the past 6 months). In one, he threatened to murder another community member. That person took the threat seriously enough to call the police. Guzy denied it, and nothing came of it.
The second took place at his home/property. His family lived on what, for this region, is considered a rather upscale, edge of town, upper-middle class neighborhood. This summer, two of his neighbor's teen-aged kids were riding "4-wheelers" on their own property. Guzy reportedly found the noise annoying. So he fired his handgun several times, in the general direction of the teens.
Their parents called the police. When they questioned Guzy, he claimed to have merely been "target-shooting." No charges were filed.
I have been told (by a reliable source) that part of Guzy's personnel file from his time with the NYC police is "sealed." We are looking to open it.
NBachers
(17,007 posts)Raine1967
(11,589 posts)I know that area, I know the many stories of retired LEO officers in Upstate NY.
And please, do not ever apologize for posting about your terrible story. I am so sorry that you are going thru this, H2O. I Wish I could make it better, but all I can do is tell you that you are doing the right thing.
There is a culture up there in the lower Catskills. You have a finger on it.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)of them who are good and decent individuals, and our local communities benefit from having them relocate here in their retirement. But a few are thugs. And the increase in he "hard drugs" in our area is often connected to them. It isn't college students moving quantities of those substances in here.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)maybe I need to start reading the local papers again.
Stay warm and strong. Your family needs you.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I saw two old friends -- the local town historian and his wife -- when I was getting groceries yesterday. We discussed the case, including a couple of interviews I did with area television stations. His wife asked how my youngest daughter was holding up through all of this?
I am admittedly subjective when it comes to my children; each of the four is my "favorite" in various ways. In the past year, I've watched the youngest transform into a powerful young adult. She'll graduate from a community college in May, and then from high school in June. Her GPA is 103.15. She's also a top athlete in three sports. But that isn't really where the transformation is taking place, for she has always been a scholar/athlete.
A little over a year ago, her mother took off, leaving me and our two teen-aged daughters. I do my best, but I believe that girls that age need a mother. They do better with two stable parents. Her older sister is in college now, doing a semester in Asia. So it's my youngest and I here now, in a house that had from six to ten inhabitants for most of her life. Finances have gone from reasonably comfortable, to rather tight. (Her mother, who feels no obligation to provide support, made an offer of $5 a month -- for two teens -- in court.)
My daughter has really stepped up. All three of her siblings are mighty proud of her. You might notice that her father is, too. Since the shooting, she's been outstanding in providing emotional support for our extended family. And that gives me energy to keep on keeping on.
One of her college courses is an introduction to the legal system. Last week, when I was picking her up in the evening, I got a chance to talk to a couple of her classmates. They are hoping that my cousin's case will be the one that they get to attend for class. While any case would provide a good experience for these bright young adults, they feel more of a connection to this one. I loved the questions that they asked me about it. This, too, keeps me going.
handmade34
(22,755 posts)we are all wishing for the best outcome for you and family
pacalo
(24,721 posts)I hope justice is served for your cousins.
raven mad
(4,940 posts)My heart goes out to you.
Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)I am absolutely amazed at your ability to remain peaceful. I could not do so, I would revert to my old patterns.
elleng
(130,156 posts)ms liberty
(8,480 posts)Thanks for the update; we care and want to know how you are doing and how this situation is proceeding. I can't help but admire your ability to be reasoned and rational.
FourScore
(9,704 posts)It is still incredible to me that it is happening to your family.
The op-ed is wonderful. What other papers can we find it in? The Ithaca Journal perhaps?
How is your cousin? Is he out of intensive care?
I wish you and your family all the best during this difficult time, H20 Man. It's so sad.
yourmovemonkey
(264 posts)I spent this past March in a court room for 2 and a half weeks, while an inexperienced ADA bungled the prosecution of my brother's killer. There were reams of hard evidence, including a blood test that showed a cocktail of drugs that were in the killer's system when he drove my brother off the road. His admission to the police was deemed inadmissible at a pretrial hearing. Ultimately, the jury only found him guilty of driving while impaired, but failed us on the manslaughter count. It's a total contradiction. Everyone in law enforcement that I spoke to said they had never seen a verdict like ours.
I arranged a letter writing campaign to try and influence the sentencing. I also gave a very impassioned victim's impact statement on the day. The judge recognized the miscarriage that had occurred, and did the best he could by sentencing him to the maximum.
One year.
That's all someone gets for tearing apart a family. That's all someone gets for making me have to try and comfort my elderly parents when they begin sobbing every holiday. Their hearts are broken, and I'm constantly reminded that there is nothing I can do.
I'm not too far from you. This happened in Saratoga county.
Please don't ever apologize for trying to help your family as much as you can. I certainly understand.
Oldtimeralso
(1,935 posts)Please keep us updated, Many years ago I was shot and a few years later I was stabbed. Justice was never done as a LEO was responsible for the first incident and was covered by the "Blue Shield" and no charges were made.
Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)You could have titled your OP "Legalities Aside, truth and lies Are Clear to All."
Guzy is a very disturbed individual who has already gotten away with a lot. Probably because he was a cop. But he's sure gone to great lengths to protect himself, I too, am amazed at the civility and clear-headedness you're showing in the midst of this catastrophic life event. Please do post any other of your writings.
I really feel your family will get justice even though it may take awhile. From near and far, we are here to support you in your efforts and are with you and your family 1,000%.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)You fight for what is right.
God bless you.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,790 posts)Thomas Jefferson said (paraphrased) that the solution to bad information is not censorship but more information. It seems you understand this well in the age of the internet.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)and i'm not ashamed to judge based on appearances -- not in this case. i've read so much about what happened, it fills in a lot seeing the killer's face. i see fear and loathing.
marble falls
(56,371 posts)zeemike
(18,998 posts)But having read your post for a long time I can imagine it was good.
And I greatly appreciate the updates...we all want justice for your family...you are an important member of ours.
FailureToCommunicate
(13,989 posts)willingness to educate the public -and particularly the DU public - about the legal labyrinth that most of us hope never to find ourselves within.
Thank you for informing us, despite the anguish with which you and the families must be dealing.
The op-ed was very well written.
Good luck as this grinds onward.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I thank you more than words can say.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)But I greatly admire what you are doing in the face of such a tragedy. Please keep us updated with more opinion pieces or as the trial progresses. Best to you and your family.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)You and the other Good People here on DU:GD are doing me more good than I am able to express. I've told my cousin & his daughter about the support here. It is appreciated.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Even if it's just to sit with you and listen. I know you have lots of family around you, but I suspect you have to be the strong one a lot of the time. With kids, it's hard to admit that you're tired or frustrated or scared or kaput. But perhaps with someone here, you might be able to get the support you need. Sometimes knowing that someone is thinking about you is what you need. And I assure you, we are.
Mopar151
(9,965 posts)In the book Spook Country, one of William Gibson's carachters speaks of a time "when grown-ups ran things." In a time when many of our public figures speak and act like spoiled, manipulative children, it is rare to find a citizen who seeks the wisdom of elders, and recognizes it as an ongoing, lifelong process.
I so wish that this tragedy had not occured, and that I wes discovering your writing on a sports page somewhere. The sport of boxing needs more writers of your depth and carachter - but the news pages need you more.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I've talked twice today to my cousin; he's called because he is having a particularly hard time of it for the past 18 hours or so. He knows to call me at any hour, 24/7. And that if he wants, I'll drive to his home, even if only to sit quietly with him.
I was also contacted by another newspaper editor, who just got back from an out-of-state vacation. She said that it is important to run the op-ed I submitted there very soon; she wondered if I had a title in mind?
I explained that I am exhausted today, and would very much appreciate if she could come up with one. I still have a board meeting, then an unrelated court hearing my daughter wants to attend this evening.
So it does this old man good to read all the kind responses to my OP here. Again, thank you.
sybylla
(8,464 posts)My husband was born in Chenango County (Norwich) and still has lots of family in the area, though he moved with his parents to WI in '69. I was surprised to learn you are from the area as well. We spent a week out there a year ago October, which was my second visit to NY.
No one should be able to get away with what this man appears to have done. May you and your family have justice.
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)were all born and spent their early years in Norwich. My father worked on the O&W Railroad -- he wrote the final order for the "Old & Weary" from his office in the Norwich depot. And I worked at the Harry Stack Sullivan Mental Health Clinic in Norwich, for many years. And part of the extended family still lives there.
In most ways, it's a wonderful area. It is curious that in a heavily republican region, that they are able to find so many "town supervisors" that remain trapped in a time warp, and act as if it is still 1954. (smile) I love this area.
sybylla
(8,464 posts)On both his father's and mother's side they came to the area in the early 1800's. That's not counting the Mohawk branch, of course, who were already there.
His grandfather spent a night in jail after a milk strike in the 30's, came out of jail and promptly got elected to the county board where he won reelection until he retired from it and farming a few years before he died in 1984. There are cousins working in the courthouse and one was and maybe still is the chair of the county Dem party.
It's a beautiful county, but as tourists it looked a bit economically depressed. Kind of like the northwoods here in WI where opportunities are sometimes few and far between. Might have been a bad impression as his aunts, uncles and cousins seemed to be doing well enough.
That said, I can absolutely see why you love it. I definitely enjoyed my visit. (Except for the stores that charged me ridiculous fees for using a debit card to pay for my purchases. There is a special place in hell for them.)
H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I'm likely acquainted with some of your husband's extended family. (Mine lived on Cortland Street.)
It's a curious place, Norwich: the streets don't line up, and there was great competition between the churches ....almost all resulting from the tensions between the Irish and Italians that was ingrained even before the Civil War. There are, for example, two Catholic churches, separate and unequal. And the Methodist church folks went to great lengths to make sure that their steeple reaches higher than any other's -- even one situated at a much higher altitude.
While the county is economically depressed, it has the highest percentage of millionaires of any county in the state.
When one of my cousins from Binghamton ran the JFK HQs in Norwich in 1960, he got the only six traffic tickets in his life. They were issued each weekend leading up to the election, with a warning that "we don't take kindly to your kind here."
Today, the DA and county judge are both Irish-Americans (and both are distant relatives of mine).
If you two return for a visit in the future, please let me know!
sybylla
(8,464 posts)No Italians in the family, though. He's mostly English and Dutch with one Irish GGGrandmother and one Mohawk GGGrandmother.
I will definitely check in next time I head that way. Maybe we can meet at Gus'.
Until then, I am looking forward to hearing that this case gets resolved soon.
gademocrat7
(10,623 posts)The truth about this terrible tragedy must be told. Take care.
ProfessorGAC
(64,427 posts)Hope the family is recovering somewhat.