In 2003, a young man was shot and killed when two other men exchanged gunfire at the Bessie Smith Strut, which is part of Chattanooga’s annual Riverbend Festival. Two others were also injured in the gun battle.

Every year thousands from Catoosa County attend Riverbend.

Last week, Judge Buddy Perry of Winchester, Tenn. sentenced Rheubin Taylor II to one year of house arrest and three year’s probation for his actions in the gun battle. In January, a jury found Taylor guilty of voluntary manslaughter for the death of Tory Hardy and also found him responsible for shooting and injuring another man. He could have faced up to six years in prison for the manslaughter charge. Both the jury and judge were not from Hamilton County, in large part because Taylor is the son of Hamilton County’s attorney.

Taylor fired a gun into a crowd filled with innocent men, women and children just trying to enjoy themselves. He is lucky his careless and stupid actions did not kill anyone else that night.

If someone were to shoot into a crowd at Ringgold’s 1890s Day Jamboree killing one and injuring another, would any of the judges in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit sentence them to a year of house arrest and three years probation? The community would be outraged if they did.

The value of life seems to be less in Chattanooga, where violence is much more a part of everyday existence.

This sentence was utterly ridiculous. Sentences like this send the wrong message to the next gun-toting punk that decides to open fire in a public place. Taylor is now free to play Playstation, watch TV, and eat Cheerios all day while Tory Hardy is no longer in this life. There was no real justice for Tory Hardy’s death.

The judges in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, which includes Dade, Walker, Chattooga and Catoosa counties, should be appalled at what went down in this case in Chattanooga and strive to make sure this county makes criminals pay for their actions.

For people that still think killing another human being is an awful act that deserves more than a slap on the wrist, let Judge Perry know what you think of his decision.

Catoosa County is a bedroom community of Chattanooga and everyone here should be outraged and disgusted by what just happened in the living room