Lisa Nowak, Clara Harris, Terry Barton, and an Incredible Omission
March 8th, 2007 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & FamiliesLately we've discussed the way female criminals are treated with kid gloves by the media and/or the judicial system. Some examples include Lisa Nowak and Clara Harris. In both cases the women committed or attempted to commit terrible crimes, and their actions were largely excused by the media and the public because they're women. In both cases, the women were perceived to have been brokenhearted because of failed relationships with men.
Harris and particularly Nowak remind me of the Terry Barton case. Anybody remember Terry Barton? She's the Colorado Forest Service worker who intentionally set a forest fire which destroyed over 100,000 acres and led to the deaths of five firemen in June of 2002. Barton tried to pin her crime on a male camper, and later said she did it because her estranged husband sent her a mean letter. At the time I wrote a column about it called Colorado Arsonist Terry Barton's Smart Strategy: When in Trouble, Blame a Man (CNS News, 7/3/02).
An amazing thing--five firemen died fighting the Hayman fire, yet practically every news story about Barton, her trials, sentence, etc. never even mentions this. For example, the story Barton Gets 12 Years For Hayman Fire mentions all of the following:
1) District Judge Edward Colt feels bad about having to sentence Barton to prison.
2) U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch rejected a federal government request that Barton pay restitution for the enormous damage she caused because he "didn't want to sentence her to a life of poverty."
3) The fire caused $30 million in damage, burned over 135,000 acres and destroyed 133 homes and one business
Nowhere is it mentioned in this story that five firemen died fighting the blaze.
Then Barton had the gall to say, "I am still, to this day, trying to forgive myself because an emotional act of me burning a letter has destroyed everything I have cared and loved for my entire life," as if the real problem here is that Barton has lost "everything."
For the record, the five firemen who died fighting the Hayman fire Barton set were Zach Zigich, Retah Shirley, Jacob Martindale, Danial Rama, and Bart Bailey. They all died on 6/21/02, and are listed in the memorial to fallen firefighters on the Wildland Firefighter Foundation's website. My column on Barton appears below.
Colorado Arsonist Terry Barton's Smart Strategy: When in Trouble, Blame a Man
By Glenn Sacks
CNS News (7/3/02)
Terry Barton might not be a very good forest ranger, but she certainly is a good observer of contemporary social attitudes. Having committed a crime, the US Forest Service employee knows that the best way to arouse public sympathy and deflect attention away from what she has done is to blame a man.
First she tried to pin the crime on a male camper in a gold minivan. Luckily for this individual, who was facing the possibility of a stiff prison sentence, meticulous and ardent Forest Service investigators exposed Barton's claim as false.
Confronted with this evidence, Barton decided to switch male scapegoats, saying that she caused the blaze when she burned a heartbreaking letter from her estranged husband.
Remarkably, some people are buying it.
"It's her husband's fault! If he hadn't tried to mentally anguish her by sending her cruel letters, she wouldn't have burned it," wrote one Coloradoan in response to a newspaper editorial critical of Barton.
"Barton should be given leniency and help," wrote another.
"Don't take [Barton's] whole life away for one moment of despair," pleaded a third.
Those more credulous might be skeptical that an 18-year veteran of the Forest Service is incapable of burning a few sheets of paper without starting a forest fire which would ultimately destroy over 100,000 acres and lead to the deaths of several firefighters. Investigators now believe that there was no such letter and that Barton set the fire in order to put it out and make herself a hero.
Predictably, Terry Barton's estranged husband John is now coming under fire. Reportedly he felt that her career--which often required long periods away from home--was interfering with their family life and the welfare of the children. In modern speak, he was a chauvinist who wanted his wife at home and subservient. The fact that he may simply have wanted what was best for their children is little mentioned.
John was no slouch around the house either--according to reports, he took care of his daughters while Terry was away, and sent money from Arkansas where he had gone to find work. He has even put their house up as collateral for his wife's $600,000 bond so she can get out of jail.
John is also being accused of being emotionally abusive towards Terry, and talk show callers have noted ominously that "emotional abuse often indicates that there was physical abuse, too."
In reality, there is no evidence of physical abuse, and emotional abuse has become a catch-all phrase used by some unprincipled women in order to justify themselves legally or morally in whatever they do vis-à-vis men. A man can defend himself against a spurious charge of physical abuse, to some degree, by demanding physical evidence. But emotional abuse can be anything and everything--how can any man effectively counter this charge?
Is there a husband who has never yelled at his wife? Maybe, but he is as rare as a wife who has never yelled at her husband. Now everything John Barton has ever done or said is under a microscope, as we look for evidence that he was an abusive husband who drove his poor wife to do what she did.
For example, at Barton's bail hearing on Thursday Terry's friend Stephanie Howard, a Forest Service biologist, told prosecutors that John Barton is "indirectly" responsible for Terry's crime because he had arrived uninvited at their home the week before the fire and rejected Terry's request that he leave. In other words, John is emotionally abusive because he went to and then refused to leave his own home. The judge then released Terry on bond.
In reality, the evidence is greater that Terry, not John, was emotionally abusive. Terry put the lives of thousands of people at risk, and then attempted to frame an innocent man for it, knowing that he could go to prison as a result. In the context of a declining marriage, and with child custody issues looming, who knows what such a manipulative and unscrupulous person might have put her husband through?
In some observers' rush to excuse Terry and condemn John, it's a question few people are asking.
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March 8th, 2007 at 10:54 am
"First she tried to pin the crime on a male camper in a gold minivan. Luckily for this individual, who was facing the possibility of a stiff prison sentence, meticulous and ardent Forest Service investigators exposed Barton’s claim as false."
This speaks for itself.
If there were any evidence of letter (why should it matter?), she was the one who burned it.
March 8th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I was abused emotionally for 15 years, and not once did I ever consider taking such drastic actions. All I wanted was out so that I could heal and be happy. This person knew full well the possible consequences of her actions and did it anyway. Burning anything in the middle of a forest without taking proper precautions?! And if I am not mistaken, in the middle of a drought. I do remember this story when it first broke in the news. I believe the same now as I did then, she should have gotten the maximum sentence, period. No, she has not lost "everything". Those firefighters lost everything, and their families lost their world as they knew it. Accusations of abuse aside, she is an adult and as such is responsible for her own actions. This is a typical case, one I see more and more in all walks of life, of not taking responsibility for one’s own actions. Once upon a time, kids were taught to take responsibility. Then came the time of “kids will be kids” and people overlooking their bad behavior, excusing it. Those kids have now grown into adults who were never taught to take responsibility for their own actions, they learned to blame someone else. "I’m 35 years old and I drink and do drugs because my parents didn’t love me, they ignored me”, boo-hoo. Grow-up, learn from their mistakes, and don’t make the same ones!
As for Lisa Nowak, the pity party has to stop. I heard a lead-in promo for Good Morning America this morning, something about “what is going to happen to him”, I believe they meant what is NASA going to do about the astronaut she had the affair with. I had to get to work so I did not get to see it. I am going to keep an eye on the GMA website to see if they post it there, I want to hear this one. Of course, if this were not such a public story, he would probably not get any kind of punishment at all. Since adultery is against the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice), and his adultery is public knowledge and should be easy enough to prove, he is probably going to be discharged. That is IF the issue is pushed, as it should be. I know, that was off the original subject. Lisa Nowak is fully responsible for her own actions, too. He did not force her to make that drive and attempt to hurt anyone else. But his actions, standing alone, should not go unpunshed. The military has enough problems without this one......................
March 8th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
I am a woman, but agree that as a woman, Lisa Nowak should NOT receive special treatment for her legal indescretions. BUT I don't think that should happen until a man who two times a woman is penalized and ostracized like a woman who does it is. We all hear about cuckolded men, but what about when this Oefelein did it to Nowak. Shipman should think beyond the long and hard (pun intended) and get away from this respected astronaut. He's a lousy human being.
March 8th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
"...until a man who two times a woman is penalized and ostracized like a woman who does it is."
Women who have children with more than one man generally receive more in child support than women who have all of their children with one man.
March 8th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
"Women who have children with more than one man generally receive more in child support than women who have all of their children with one man."
It is not equitable, but I suspect that it is based on (I elected not to have children so I am not up on this stuff) ability to pay by each responsible legal parent.
I was referring more in a social sense. Women get called sluts. Men are considered macho, like it is cool or something.
March 8th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Hi Chandonnait,
Could you please point me to a mainstream media article or some such that portrays a cheating husband in a positive light? I'm interested in reading one.
March 8th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I think I agree with Chandonnait, either it is okay for either party regardless of sex, or it is not okay for either party, regardless of sex.
I am not up with all the details, but my understanding is that both Oefelein and Nowak were divorced or separated. At which point, I just think it was activity between consenting adults and unless there was an engagement or more, I am not sure how Oefelein was "two timing" Nowak in much more than the high school sense.
March 8th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
I am not sure about Oefelein, but I think he was married while seeing Nowak. Nowak was still married, and is now still married, during the whole affair. After she found out Oefelein was seeing this other woman she was going to file for divorce so that she could be "free" to be with Oefelein, like it really would have made a difference.
But under UCMJ, even if Oefelein was divorced, he knew that Nowak was married. As officers in the military they both knew the rules, and he can still be held accountable for having an affair with a married woman.
March 8th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
"I was referring more in a social sense. Women get called sluts. Men are considered macho, like it is cool or something."
Not when it comes to adultery. When it comes to promiscuity, yes, and it needs to be dealt with. But I don't think men who cheat are lionized at all. If anything, the woman who strays is given more leeway.
March 8th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I have to agree with bmmg39. Men who cheat are called "dogs" (or worse), but when a woman cheats it is more like "well, if he were treating her right she wouldn't have strayed."
Cheating is cheating, I don't care who you are. If you are that miserable and just can not make things work no matter how hard you try, get out. Once out you are free to start again, but not before then.
March 8th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
I wonder how much different parts of the country look at things differently. I expect a bit more down home values away from the big cities. I expect in places where people work in hitech for long hours together with the opposite sex more of this hanky panky goes on. Not saying any of it is right.
Tim O'Brien says,"Could you please point me to a mainstream media article or some such that portrays a cheating husband in a positive light? I’m interested in reading one." ... I'd love to Tim but I don't think it's an in writing thing. Just my observation. I can remember working places where a guy would have a wife at home and be very active playing with the gals at work, and I mean serious playing, but because he was SO good at his job and had political connections in the company... it didn't many. I had to cover for his butt so many times and I resented. The women he was involved with were just dissed as erstwhile bimbos (not the word they used) or hot numbers that some other guy should try. Really icky. And those were usually single gals while he was married. The apple didn't fall far from the tree either in that the guy who hired him was of the same ilk.
Gotta run.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
> Anybody remember Terry Barton?
You bet. I live less than a half hour from where that fire happened, saw the huge smoke plume the day it blew up (it looked like an A-bomb cloud), I had frequented areas which burned or were in danger, have friends who live in the Woodland Park and Florrisant areas which were miraculously saved by the firefighters (I was certain those towns were 'goners'), and am reminded of the fire every time I drive up US 24 towards Wilkerson Pass because the scars will be there for decades. Needless to say, her ongoing legal problems are still occasionally in the local news five years later.
March 9th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Chandonnait said,
"I’d love to Tim but I don’t think it’s an in writing thing. Just my observation."
I would argue that if it is genuinely a societally sanctioned view that men who cheat are looked upon positively, media articles portraying this view would be easily retrievable on the internet. The fact that that's not the case suggests the premise is not true.
The fact that you will find a few who approve does not mean it's generally approved of.
Further you said, "BUT I don’t think that should happen until a man who two times a woman is penalized and ostracized like a woman who does it is. "
Actually, men who are caught in this type of behavior are ostracized from friends, neighbors, their home and their own children and financial wealth. I don't mean to pick on you here, but often views are illusions based on what we selectively choose to look at.
March 9th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Tim, I guess we'll just have to disagree. My experiences are definitely different than yours and not just illusions.
Ciao maintenant
March 13th, 2007 at 5:40 am
I agree that women do tend to be treated with kid gloves when they become violent. However, there are some exceptions. Over the past weekend the Toms River police were called to a domestic dispute. When they arrived the husband had been stabbed by his wife, but she was unharmed. I have to commend the Toms River police for their wisdom in handling this situation. They arrested (and rightly so) the woman and charged her with criminal assault, instead of falling back on the stereotypical anti-male bias that is so prevelant in the state of New Jersey and arresting the injured man. It is still unclear as to why she stabbed her husband, and since it was she who commited the violence, rather than her husband, it will probably be hushed up in a hurry. One can only hope that when she goes to trial, the judge will be honest and fair, and will not be influenced by any hysterics she may employ to get a lighter sentence.
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:03 pm
[...] see my blog posts Lisa Nowak, Clara Harris, Terry Barton, and an Incredible Omission and When a Woman Commits a Crime Against a Man, Make Excuses for Her and Undercharge [...]
August 6th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Perhaps we could see some comparable media coverage for the percentage of crimes perpetrated by males as opposed to the crimes perpetrated by females? Is there a possibility that crimes by females are over-represented?
Oh, wait a second...is there a reason why there are so many more prisons for men and, by and large, they are far bigger than female prisons...? Must be media bias.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I think the news blackout/revisionism with regard to Lisa Nowak is more due to the fact that she is an Astronaut than the fact that she's a woman. Astronauts have to go through a stringent selection process, followed by rigorous training and psychological testing. Nowak's crazy actions were a huge embarrassment to NASA... hence the coverup.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Anyone remember the handful of stories recently about women having sex with their high school students and receiving jail time for it, not to mention the hours of media coverage with their faces on the evening news? I know of three accounts of male teachers having sex with female students in the four years at my high school alone (one of them was caught). I can only imagine that there might be oh, a few more every year, and none of them get the same press coverage as women do, nor the jail time.
Women get off easy on some things, sure, but so do men. I'd say it probably balances out in the end, and probably in favor of men. Rallying our emotions over something like this probably isn't worth our time.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
This one's for Channdonait:
Historical examples of men being allowed to treat women as means to an end abound. Off the top of my head, Henry VIII and Bill Clinton come to mind... and, since social news networks are the order of the day, look up promiscuity on wikipedia and read the difference in wikireality between female promiscuity and male promiscuity... there are a lot of examples out there on this ( if your views are more than illusions based on what you selectively choose to look at). But, hey, I am a female who appreciates Don Juan and Blake's philosophy on excess just as much as the next guy, and ultimately, the woman does get to decide what she will put up with... As oprah says... you are in charge of your life ;)
August 7th, 2007 at 2:52 am
GlennSacks.com » Blog Archive » Lisa Nowak, Clara Harris, Terry Barton, and an Incredible Omission...
Lately we've discussed the way female criminals are treated with kid gloves by the media and/or the judicial system. Some examples include Lisa Nowak and Clara Harris. In both cases the women committed or attempted to commit terrible crimes, and their...
October 7th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I don't think Nowak has been treated with kid gloves at all, by the media or the Judicial system. The Florida DA's office has put everything out there they could to contaminate potential jury members The police detective lied about her wearing diapers. The diapers he found in her car were for a baby. As far as her wearing a monitor device, she complied until it became ridiculous for her to continue doing so. The monitoring device was to pacify Shipman, yet Shipman travels to Nowak's hometown in Houston frequently (where the device doesn't work) unafraid of Nowak. What's with that nonsense, a normal person would fear a person that attacked them no matter where they are? How many male child molesters have to wear monitoring devices to keep them away from schools and places where children frequent, how many male wife beaters have to wear this device, so the wife can feel safe from being killed. NONE! If Nowak wasn't an astronaut none of this would be made public. As far as I can tell she has been tried and convicted by the media. Her chances for a fair trial are none. None of this sounds like she is being treated with kid gloves to me. A lot of people are gunning for her simply because she is a highly accomplished woman. I would like to see Florida DA offices and the media give child molesters and rapists the attention they have given Nowak.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:12 am
I was verbally and phsically abused by my late father for years and the last thing I would want to do is visit this treatment on someone else
Jim