ISSUES With JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL – Debra Opri

Today on HLN Debra Opri will be appearing LIVE.

Debra Opri giving her legal opinion on Caylee's murder

Debra gave her Legal opinion on Casey Anthony who is charged  with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

TODAY LIVE on HLN   March 30, 2011

Debra Opri on Issues

Debra Opri discusses the rights the family have over their
daughter who vanished after visiting a friend 9 months ago.

Debra on ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL 3/30/11
on HLN TV.

Summary of Opinion:

I have been provided an outstanding – and very much appreciated – opportunity to offer my viewpoints on the Jane Velez Mitchell Show weekly when i’m not ‘lawyering’ for my clients and causes. I commend shows like Jane’s “Issues and Answers” because it showcases the glaring irresponsibility of individuals and organizations when it comes to women and children.

I want to speak about children especially right now. I am personally sickened to see and hear how young women are being killed and in many instances dying heinous deaths at the hands of very sick people. These young women are the children of parents who thought they were ‘almost’ out of the woods concerning their lifetime pledge to protect their children from danger and the evils of this world, only to learn they were not.

Innocent people are victims of predators who are living among us, and who are close enough to do the most harm to our loved ones, either because no one is looking, or because we are just not watching out for each other the way we should be or taking the precautions that we need to take to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it many times: there is no reason for a young woman to be traveling alone at night to a party. It is not difficult to plan ahead to go places with another person. It is equally simple not to be out in lonely places or to stay out to all hours of the night just to stay at a party or with friends just one more hour.

As an attorney, I learn of acts of cruelty and evilness everyday that occur to innocent persons, many women and many young women. Many young girls. Many just children. It is sad to have to hear that a woman or child was raped, beaten, murdered. It is equally disturbing to learn that many women were harmed by someone they knew, someone they were in a violent relationship with, and in many instances, someone who they kept going back to, despite the violence.

The topics discussed are not pleasant. When I am asked to give my thought on the crime and the person, I always ask myself why it is that parents could not have known the dangers that could be facing their child, or the dangers their children could have put themselves into themselves, and what if anything, the parents would have done differently had they known enough to ask enough questions. Certainly, it is not the parents or the child’s fault for the horrors that had befallen them, and second guessing is not any form of protection. But what if?

What if a parent tells a child she should travel in a group of friends who will watch out for each other. That no child or young woman should be alone in a dangerous environment, such as a lonely questionable part of town late at night, or unattended in a car.

When I am challenged to respond to an idea that someone close may have, in fact, harmed a woman, all too frequently, I’m sorry to say, I question myself and our society, and wonder why the lessons of a few can’t be learned by all without having tradegy happen upon them and their lives.

Tonight I learned that a woman named Shonda age 19, returning from a party late at night never got home. I heard that there was a ‘neighbor’ who is suspected of other crimes involving women. I learned that she left behind a devastated family who may never know what happened to her.

I commend shows like Issues and Answers. I commend people like Jane Velez Mitchell who keep the conversation burning with anger and inquiry such that we will not forget that we all must do our part on whatever level we can to watch out for others, and to be aware of our surroundings.

This girl named Shonda, age 19, never returned from a July 4th party. She never made it those last 20 or so miles at midnight. She never came home. Her car was found. She never was. What can we learn from what happened to Shonda, age 19? And what if anything must we do to make sure it doesn’t happen to our children, or our young women?

I agree with Jane Velez Mitchell that we live in an evil world. I also believe that there are enough of us that are good and decent to protect the innocent and the naive. But it must start with all of us, everyday.