Free Gilbert Arenas!
Prosecutors recommending three months imprisonment for the Washington Wizards guard is ridiculous. The District will not be safer with Arenas locked away, but it would be better off making him spend 1,000 hours lecturing kids to stay away from guns.
Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin is not bound to Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh’s recommendation of jail time plus 300 hours community service and three years probation when he decides Arenas’ fate on Friday. Hopefully, Morin will see Kavanaugh’s move as headline grabbing on a professional athlete’s stupidity.
Yes, Arenas was an idiot for bringing guns into Verizon Center in what appears to be a prank gone horribly wrong. He deserves punishment. But an everyday person wouldn’t serve three months for this crime.
Arenas pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a permit during a Dec. 21 dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton, who has since pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Crittenton received one year of unsupervised probation, which is essentially a wrist slap. While Crittenton wasn’t the instigator, his gun charge essentially went away. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh wants to put Arenas away.
While not saying athletes should receive special treatment by the court, let’s consider the greater good for Washingtonians. Will you feel better with Arenas sitting in jail for three months? Is this a smart use of your tax dollars?
Conversely, would Washingtonians be better off if Arenas was talking to children about not using guns? Absolutely. Maybe some 12-year-old being recruited by a gang will think twice over shooting a tourist or commuter during a holdup. Even if we’re talking one kid it’s worth Arenas avoiding prison.
Arenas can’t just sign autographs for an hour and tell kids “Stay away from guns.” There needs to be a lesson for him, too — that Arenas is a role model for many children and must conduct himself properly. If he’s indeed returning to the Wizards next season, which looks increasing so, then Arenas needs to act more like Antawn Jamison than Agent Zero.
Former Washington Redskins guard Rod Milstead is now a bail bondsman in Southern Maryland. He sees troubled youth when it’s too late, but believes Arenas could help kids by detailing his mistake.
“Gilbert Arenas saying something means a lot,” Milstead said. “By his talking to young people, it will show, ‘I made a mistake. I need to find a way to make amends.’ If he can stop one kid from picking up a weapon, then all of this wasn’t in vain.”
Hopefully, this mess won’t be pointless. Morin should consider non-traditional punishments. It’s not about sending a message to criminals — they’ll carry guns anyway. This is a rare chance to prevent kids from becoming criminals.
Maybe Arenas can make a difference, but it must come in school auditoriums, not a jail cell.Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
