Jodi Burnett is the woman who was killed last week in Jamul by a reckless, speeding driver. Today, while driving past the spot where she died, I noticed a large banner announcing a memorial fund that’s been set up in her name, to benefit her husband and children. She was an employee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (an independent delivery person). I’ve often criticized the Union Tribune, so it feels especially good to be able to commend them on this occasion: they have set up the web site about the memorial fund, and they contributed the first $10,000 to it.
Jodi’s family could use your help — please visit that site and make a donation.
If you aren’t familiar with Jodi Burnett and her tragic death, you can catch up with my posts here, here, and here.
The comments on those posts are interesting to read through. There seems to be a clear dichotomy amongst my readers: there’s the Jonny Dallo apologists (which I am not), and then there’s the group who (like me) would like to see Jonny Dallo held accountable for the consequences of his actions. Take a gander at them, if you’re interested in this affair…
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteMr. Dilatush, I respect your opinions put for in this blog. As it is your right as every citizen in the United States, you have the right to say and publish what you like. As a personal friend of Mr. Jon Dallo, I find these articles hateful, and outright obscene. I am not as you say “Jonny Dallo apologists”. I truly hope he is held accountable for his actions. What he did is senseless and stupid. Yet, to call for him to be put away for “next 30 or 300 years” for “first-degree murder, or at the very least second-degree murder and reckless endangerment” is ridiculous and outlandish. Our judicial system has set up a classification of the law called vehicular manslaughter for a reason, for examples like this. He did not commit murder with forethought, which is necessary for murder in the first degree. Jon Dallo is a good man, stupid yes, but a good man. Once again I respect your views, and rights to say as you please. I am ashamed one of my friends committed this act, and I am heartbroken for the family of the victim. But I also know that the laws of our state and country will lawfully take care of the problem in which Mr. Dallo created. I would like for you to contact me before you use any part of this in a future posting. I understand this comment will appear in the comment section under the entry I applied this too. But if you choose to comment on any of this in a future post, I ask you contact me first. Respectfully Submitted
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteTom. You are doing a great job. this is a great place to get some real facts about how people really feel.you are doing a community service.Thanks
Why, thank you, kind anonymous commenter! Your comment came in just as I was pondering, unhappily, the tone and direction my commenters (on all the Jodi Burnett posts) seem to have been taking…it’s enough to get a cranky old libertarian feeling a little worried about our society…
ReplyDeleteIn the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteThe fact that there are so many people defending Jonny’s actions as an 'accident' and talking about his suffering makes me sick. I am sick of seeing so many maniac drivers on the road. I am fearful that one day it will be me or one of my family members or friends who is the victim of a reckless driver like Jonny. I am the same person who previously mentioned the Dateline story on Jonny (a story him and his family must have approved of), and I’d like to refer to it once again. Jonny is described as a rebel who has lived by his own set of rules and managed to talk his way out of everything. He was caught breaking the rules and was expelled from the school he attended for overweight teens. When he wrote a poem to his family explaining his feelings, his mother Mona Dallo said she would cry every time she read it. Perhaps she should’ve stopped crying and started disciplining her son. For all of you describing Jonny as 'sweet' and a 'good man,' what do you have to say about his history of reckless behavior as described in the Dateline story? And would you be so forgiving if it was your mother, sister, or friend who was killed by Jonny? I think not!
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to believe that Jonny has never missed a sunday mass after all did they have mass at the fat farm or did the church come to him?
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteIf you watched the full program you would have seen that he was not expelled from the program. He finished in full terms like planned.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteDo you even know Jonny? I mean this for the people who talk crap! Do you know him? I bet you dont, Jonny was over weight but he lost a lot of it and he looked great. How dare you talk about him like you know him. Thats like me talking about you. I dont know you and I really dont care to know you. You talk about his weight and make nasty comments like the Fat farm. When I bet you cant even look in the mirror your self. Do not talk about Jonny he is a great guy! I will say that and stick by that until the day I DIE! Just because people say he is nice and he is great it doesnt mean we are excusing him of what happened. Yes Jonny is suffering because he does have to live with this. If he wasnt suffering he would not be human. Your Stupid if he wasnt suffering you would talk more crap. What do you want from him! Let me guess, you want him to suffer am I right? He made a mistake but dont talk about him and his feelings till you talk to him your self.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteTom again great job!! what moron who thinks he is a law proffessor and a bleeding heart wrote this trash? re: Jon Dallo a good man “stupid” but a good man.How is a good man stupid? there are no GOOD stupidmen.
In the old blog, Perry Robins said:
ReplyDeleteOver the past 8 years at my current address, my wife and I have seen far too many people killed in auto accidents. The majority of the people who have died have been High School Seniors. They were killed in HIGH SPEED accidents just prior to graduation. I am sure that they were described as fine young adults by their friends and families. The people who praise them, unfortunately, were probably not aware of the stupid things these youths would do when their parents were not watching. I continue to see this type of careless driving every single day. Having said that, one can understand why I object to anyone calling the candid comments on Mr. Dallo’s actions as OBSCENE. I cannot imagine how anyone can defend Mr. Dallo’s actions and refer to him as a good person. Our society has established rules (laws). I may not agree with all of them, but I respect them and obey them. Mr. Dallo’s actions, however, display a completely self-centered individual with no concern for the the law of the safety of others. He intentionally performed actions that were unsafe and in violation of established law which resulted in the death of an innocent person. In my mind that constitutes MURDER. My wishes are that this young man spends MANY years in prison, and have his drivers license PERMANENTLY revoked. Current laws will not allow us to hang him…I may be a bit opinionated, but I feel that I have a good reason… Jodi Burnett is my wife’s sister!
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteMr.Perry RobinsPlease understand that I feel for your family and their lost. Everyone who knows Jonny feels for them to. Yes Jonny broke the law and he should pay for his acctions. I wouldnt go to far as to say hang him. Now Jonny is like family to me, and I cant believe you when you say parents dont know what there kids are doing. He is young and stupid just like most 19year olds are. I to am 19 and have been in the car when plenty of other teenagers who drive fast and break the law. Some of those kids were honorole students some never drank or did drugs. Now to say that JOnny is a nice guy, people everyday break laws but they still can be nice people. Good People do stupid things, no one is perfect. Please understand that Jonny is sorry and I know it wont change anything but he is. I have lost plenty of friends from car accidents, some were at fault and others werent, The ones who were at fault will always be remebered as good people. Just because they made the stupid choice to drive fast doesnt make them bad people it makes them stupid. Now once again I feel for you and I am so sorry for your lost.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletefor your lost ?? get to that literacy class in el cajon for arabs.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:26 why are you making this a race issue. big deal he made a mistake spelling one word like you have never miss spelled something.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteLost twice begining and end. Maybe the dmv handbook should be issued only in one language.this is far from a race issue, someone lost their life.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteFor all you uneducated people…Chaldeans are NOT arabs. If you need a further history lesson, you can search the web under 'Chaldeans'.
In the old blog, A Jamul Resident said:
ReplyDeleteDear All,It is amazing how everyone has come to the conclusion that Jonny is guilty and should be placed behind bars for the rest of his life. What is even more frustrating is the creator of this blog writing such hateful comments and provoking the whole city to join up and put Jonny in jail. What we all forget is that we are innocent until we are proven guilty. How fair would it be for everyone to be charged with a crime to be painted as a malicious murderer. Each day innocent people are aquitted of the charges brought before them. Should each person who is charged with a crime have to face such malicious public scrutiny before a trial is presented? It is at this trial where the facts will become apparent. Not some media hype claiming that he was speeding when no accident reconstruction has taken place. No one knows the true facts until the preliminary hearing and it is at this point when any reasonable person should start making assumptions or accusations about Jonny. It is when we have a professional accident reconstruction prove he was speeding. It is when we have witnesses that are sworn under oath that testify as to how they came to the conclusion that he was speeding. Those witnesses may not exist. We will never know until the trial. We should all use this time for devotion to the Burnett family and use our time raising money for the family and save these unsupported comments until after the trial. How would we all feel if the accident reconstruction shows he was going 10 over the speed limit? A habit I’m sure most readers of this blog do on a daily basis. Would this constitute gross negligence, the standard of care that is needed to convict Jonny of vehicular manslaughter. NO! Jonny would be acquited and rightfully so. Let us all hold our emotions and give Jonny the benefit of doubt as our judicial system gives each defendant. Our presumption in the laws of our country as stated in the U.S Constitution is a presumption of innocence, not guilt as we have been giving Jonny. I pray for all of us to come together and use this time to help rather than to stir hate. Lets leave the trial for the jury and postpone our comments until real facts are presented. May God Bless Jodi and her family and I have the utmost faith that our judicial system will punish Jonny if he is PROVEN guilty, but up until that point, I will presume he is innocent.
In the old blog, another Jamul resident said:
ReplyDelete65 miles per hour would not render that kind of damage. that speed would not flip the truck.I agreewith you make your donation to the Burnett family.Tom dilatush has done nothing wrong but speak his mind and I agree with all of his comments. we all havethe right to voice our opinions and thats what we are doing. This is all part of a healing process and bringing an awareness to the community to slow down and if your kids are out there speeding stop them especially if they have a history of speeding tickets.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteP.s. There are ways to determine johnnys rate of speed ie the accident reconstruction performed by the california highway patrol oceanside division. there is also a video that can be digitized frame by frame to determine his rate of speed these are just things thatyou are obviously unaware of. not to mention what he told the highway patrol. so my presumption of his innocence is nil at best.
Fellow Jamul Resident: its absolutely true that I have assumed Jonny’s guilt. I don’t know Jonny at all; so I base that assumption on the news reports, information released by the police, and the criminal charges made against him, along with a dose of common sense. I could be wrong in my assumption, but I’m perfectly within my rights to make it. Presumption of innocence is an obligation of the justice system and of jury members. You and I, as uninvolved citizens, have no such obligation. It’s our right to form and hold our own opinions, based on whatever we choose to base them on, and to talk about them. I’m exercising that right on an issue that concerns me, and I’ve provided you with a forum to exercise your right.
ReplyDeleteYou see my writings as “hateful”. I’ll share with you what I find hateful: that innocent American citizens are killed or maimed almost every day by outrageously reckless drivers, and nothing effective is done about it. I am appalled by the way our “justice” system fails to adequately deal with reckless drivers who injure or kill innocent citizens. Each time I see one of these reckless drivers — and it’s far, far too often — I wonder…is it my turn to be their victim? When I read of Jodi Burnett’s death, my first thought was of my own wife, and how horrifying it would be to live through her being the victim of such a driver…
Doesn’t it bother you that a reckless driver could kill someone you love, and be back on the road in a year or two, or even right away? That such drivers are enabled, by our notion of “justice", to repeatedly engage in such reckless behavior? That there’s no severe punishment to act as a deterrent for those who might consider such behavior?
Those things bother me greatly…
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteTouchee Tom
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteIt’s amazing to me that because you are a friend of John Dallo that its impossible for him to have done this heinious act and therefore is presumed innocent. It was his choice to be behind that steering wheel going over a 100 miles per hour and anyone can plainly see from the photos that this was not an “accident” created at 10 miles an hour. Wake up and smell the coffee people! Just because you like someone doesn’t mean that they can’t do something wrong. Or that they should get away scot free.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteWhat is this about a video i keep hearing about?
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletei think this is a true statement
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletea digital video recorder (DVR) caught the whole incident At 4:02 am
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteWho has the Video? And can anyone see it.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteDAs Office & CHP\forensics And No
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteI live on Rancho Miguel Road and my son was killed while crossing rte. #94 about a mile East of home almost 2 years ago.The driver was an illegal alien with no drivers license. The cause was ruled accidental, which is a misdemeanor, punishable by a small fine.It is my sincere hope that the Burnett family will receive far more justice than my family.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteIm sorry neighbor, this will be different. I will help the Burnett family any way I can/ slow down on 94 cameras are watching,
In the old blog, kc said:
ReplyDeleteIhope that the camera footage from this horrible accident,will help get the message out to all speeders that someone is watching even on old 94.I AM SORRY that people feel they have to drive so reckless to get to where they are going, because the end result is usally the innocent such as jodi or the young man that end up getting killed.I also wonder if the seven eleven had any footage of that morning? It seems a great idea to monitor speeders having cameras around because im sick of doing the speed limit and having these little show offs buzzing past me at these outragous speeds!
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteNot to long ago I saw segment on either 60 minutesor its equivalent about a guy who was outside his home in Az. having a problem with teenage drivers speeding up and down his street his main objective was to catch their face and licsense plate on camera soon afterward they were issued citations by local police not really a bad idea if this is a constant problem in your neighborhood. I plan to buy more stationary cameras to watch mine. I own the hard drive that the D.A. has of the Burnett accident. quite often a good attorney get make law enforcement look like they havent done thier job. I dont think that will happen in this case. Please slow down. I dont want this to happen to one of my family members.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteTo comment july 20,5:22:19You are a very special, appreciated man in the eyes of the Burnett family.THANK YOU for stepping forward,i think having cameras in problem areas is a very good idea,at least no one can deny what is seen on the video! GOD BLESS YOU!
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Thank you It really makes me feelgood to read your comment. I Just hope and pray thatThe Burnett family is getting on with getting on, I lost my Dad a few years ago and I know how hard it is. Mr.Burnett hang in there.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/dalloWow what kind of parents are those who don’t follow basic rules when raising kids. Where are the parents with these Dallo kids? Where?
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteanybody have any info about the court hearing yesterday?
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletecontinuance!
Thanks for reporting that. But how did you find out? I’ve not found anything myself…
ReplyDeleteIn the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletejust delaying the inevitable
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteGuilty plea Sentencing in February
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteNo justice for the Burnett family, one year meaning 6 months, what a joke!!!
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteChaldeans are arabs that are christians. They are from Iraq, an arab country, thus they are arabs. Learn your own history
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteWhy is that a joke? The Burnett Family was satisfied with the results and they said so on the news and in the newspaper. Why do you care so much? Whether it is a year, or 6 months, or 6 days, who are you to call it a joke? You are a joke.
In the old blog, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeletethere just satisfied b/c mike will give 1 million thats why and who knows what if his cheap ass wont give them any money they just got played now that would be a joke!
the dallos are a blessed familyy,,,therefor stop the hatret!
ReplyDelete