Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)  First you see this, then you see jail. ORLANDO, FL (Catholic Online) - Dimitry Maksimchuk, 23, pointed the laser at the helicopter on July 17. Pointing lasers at aircraft causes temporary blindness and is considered a serious crime. Pointing a laser at a sheriff's helicopter is a swift way to get caught, since they can immediately trace the origin of the laser and track a perpetrator using infrared cameras. In other words, once you do it, it's impossible to escape. Although nobody was injured in the incident, those convicted can face fines of up to $250,000 and five years in prison. The most common motive for these crimes is curiosity as people want to test how powerful their lasers are, and what will happen when they point them at aircraft. Curiosity should be satiated now that the most common result for the crime appears to be prison time. © 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM. - - - Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013 General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him. Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance. |
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