Crocodile Tears

Laura Ingraham reports on this LA Times story:

POOR LITTLE GANG BANGER!

Cue the world's smallest violin, 'cause we've got ourselves a sob story of epic proportions. In saner eras, yesterday's front-page L.A. Times story about a 23-year-old Anaheim gang member would be confused for parody. Sadly, today it's just another example of the length many will go to excuse criminal behavior.

Jose Luis Muñoz, we are told, was raised by a single mother. And as if that weren't heartbreaking enough, we're also told Muñoz's childhood was not one of affluence. In 2005, Muñoz found himself running from cops for reasons the Times opts not to report. The pursuit ended with Muñoz being hit by a police cruiser. Naturally, he sued and won $2.5 million. After serving a jail sentence, the idealistic minds behind the settlement were excited, certain the cash would help Muñoz turn his life around. Not so much. Instead, he was arrested only months later for violating his parole for associating with other gang members. But don't blame Muñoz! As The Times reports:

Richard Ramos, a gang expert and author who grew up in Highland Park, agreed that identity and fitting in have a lot to do with Muñoz's recidivism.

"People who don't have money transform their lives all the time," Ramos said. "In this case, $2.5 million wasn't enough. To kids like him, identity and belonging are powerful forces that keep them in gangs. There has to be an inside-out transformation or a life-changing event to bring change. Gangs compete with your family for loyalty

.And rough upbringings are hardly a new excuse. Recall that in 2006, Zacarias Moussaoui -- aka the "20th hijacker" -- pleaded guilty to charges ranging from conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism to conspiracy to destroy aircraft and use WMDs. Before his sentencing, his attorneys offered a real tearjerker: his father was abusive, his girlfriend's parents never approved of him, his native France was intolerant of his Muslim beliefs ... of course he turned out to be a terrorist.

The only thing such excuse making serves to accomplish is to re-enforce in defendants' minds that whatever he's done -- it's not his fault. That's bad for society, and the convicted.