Suffolk News-Herald

Dr. Phil McGraw is a relationship specialist whose talk show airs at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on ABC Channel 13. One of his favorite quotes is, &uot;If you choose the behavior, be prepared to accept the consequences.&uot;

I can’t remember thee names but I remember the facts: In the news this summer somewhere in Virginia a driver of a motorcycle and his passenger decided to go riding. He was speeding and they soon crashed. The passenger was killed and the driver was hospitalized in serious condition. Authorities said that alcohol also played a part in the matter.

In another incident, two kids decided to get a gun that was locked up. However, that wasn’t enough. They hunted for ammunition and found it. One of them shot the other to death.

In another event, some friends decided to go swimming when no lifeguard was present. Rules had strictly stated not to do so. One friend drowned when waters appeared to be rougher than expected and now his friends will have to live the rest of their lives probably wishing that they had followed those rules.

When you choose the behavior, be prepared to accept the consequences.

This statement is really going to come to light with the latest incident still waiting to be resolved. I am speaking about none other than Congressman Bill Janklow.

Janklow has received 12 citations in 10 years from automobile accidents and is known for speeding. He is also known to joke about it and people are used to him driving in the fast lanes. People in Minnesota said that it is part of his spirit.

According to ABC Channel 13 News on Tuesday morning, he even said in a state address that there should be mandatory jail time for people who commit crimes with drugs. He, however, made an analogy to driving:

&uot;Bill Janglow speeds when he drives and when he gets a ticket, he pays it; but if someone told me I was going to jail for two days for speeding my driving habits would change,&uot; he said.

Here are some of those driving habits that just wouldn’t change: He received several speeding tickets during his first term as governor. He was warned in 1982 that he was in danger of losing his license after being stopped for going 80 mph in a 55-mph zone in Turner County. He received a similar warning in 1979 during his first year in office.

However, we all should know that we can’t keep doing wrong and getting away with it. Sooner or later you have to pay the piper. It’s just a shame that the innocent person is the one to suffer or lose out entirely.

On Aug. 16, Randolph E. Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn. was attending a family celebration near Pipestone, Minn. and was riding motorcycles with a friend near about 25 miles northeast of Sioux Falls, S.D., while waiting for his son, J.R. Scott, to arrive. Scott’s motorcycle and a car driven by Janklow collided at a Moody County intersection. Scott was killed. However, Janklow hurt his right hand and suffered a head injury and has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and several lesser offenses.

Preliminary reports indicate Janklow went through the intersection without stopping and that his Cadillac traveled about 300 feet after impact.

I hope that he remembers what he said about changing his driving habit if he was going to jail because the second-degree manslaughter charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Now there is a big difference between two days in jail and 10 years in jail.

Janklow continuously chose the reckless and thoughtless behavior and in my opinion, now he should pay the consequences of every day of those 10 years behind bars.

Evelyn Wall is a staff writer and regular columnist for the News-Herald. She can be contacted at 934-9615 or evelyn.wall@suffolknewsherald.com