Gary Nelson "Gary's World" Published March 4, 2005

The news is always filled with questions and irony

I was scanning the news on the Internet, which I do quite often because I am a total news junky, when I stumbled across a most curious headline.

"BTK serial killing suspect fired from job; kept on as church leader."

"Wait a minute here. Did I read that right?" I asked myself. I reread the headline and went on to read the story.

"The suspect in the BTK serial killings was fired from his job on Wednesday, but got assurances that he will continue to be a member the church where he is a leader," CNN News reported.

Now this to me is kind of stretching it for a news story.

Dennis Rader, charged with 10 killings over the past three decades, was let go from his job as a compliance supervisor in the Wichita suburb of Park City. The city council took the action on a unanimous vote last Wednesday evening.

Am I, as well as the citizens of Park City, supposed to feel relief that this guy who is accused of killing 10 people back in the '70s through 1991 won't be going into the homes around Wichita, KS where he was employed?

Well, you would think so. I mean killing 10 people sounds like a pretty darn good reason for getting fired, but that wasn't the reasoning.

No, he wasn't fired for the alleged 30-year killing spree. The reason Rader was fired was for failure to report to work or call in. I guess, hypothetically, if he had called them at work and said, "Hey, um, I'm not going to be into work for a while because I'm being held in jail for allegedly killing 10 people," he would have still been an employee with the city?

Wow, I hope not.

But in this modern day, spider-webbed, loop hole-ridden legal system we have in the US - a man is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Technically I suppose they can't fire him for killing 10 people because he hasn't been convicted.

I don't know about you, but in my book, the mere accusation and imprisonment for allegedly killing 10 people would be a justified reason for firing a person. Especially a person who is often dealing with the public.

Earlier in the day, on Wednesday Rader was visited in jail by his pastor, the Rev. Michael Clark of Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita. Rader was also a leader in his well-respected church for years.

"We are not going to cut him off. I could tell that he was relieved," Clark told The Associated Press. "He is still a part of the body of Christ - and that is something some people will have a hard time hearing."

He will still be a member of his church so not all is lost for the guy. At least he's still in good standing at the church.

Back to his former job, though, CNN reported, Rader can still receive the benefits he has accrued. Although it's unclear how much vacation time, sick leave and retirement savings Rader has available, he can still collect it. Park City hired Rader on May 10, 1991, and he was earning $16.20 an hour. I guess one of the perks for the job is you won't get fired for allegedly killing people. Reality is stranger than fiction.

***
I can't help but mention the most ironic story I read of the week either.

Bubba, the 22-pound lobster who spent a week on the fish market, died while officials were trying to save his life and transport him to a permanent home at a Ripley's Believe it or Not Aquarium.

Bubba died in a quarantine area of the zoo's aquarium, where he was being checked out to see if he was healthy enough to make a trip.

Some officials speculate it may have been a stress related death. Officials said lobsters are finicky and it could have been a change in the water or anything that caused the lobster's demise.

Bubba will be examined to try to figure out why he died. I don't know about you, but I am very concerned about this travesty in the sea world.

Based on how long it typically takes a lobster to reach eating size - about five to seven years to grow to a pound - some estimated Bubba was about 100 years old. Marine biologists, however, said 30 to 50 years was more likely if he was well fed.

The biggest question I, along with thousands of others have, has yet to be answered - who is going to reap the benefits here and get to have Bubba for dinner?

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Gary Nelson is a Chronicle staffwriter. His column appears periodically in the Crossville Chronicle. He can be reached by e-mail at gnelson@crossville-chronicle.com.